2024 Aug 17- 22 Trip to Mount Rushmore and the Badlands part 1

 Aug 17, Saturday 

We parked our car, left our luggage in the parking lot, and went inside for a meet and greet and a light breakfast. 

The bus will be leaving around 8 AM.

The snacks, water, and luggage must be loaded onto the bus before everyone boards. 

We had skipped breakfast and were hungry by lunch. 

We stopped at Loves & Hardees in Jackson, TN just off  I-40 for a restroom break. The gas station was being repaired so we had to enter the building adjacent to Hardees. 

We stopped at Pilot and Subway where hubby and I ordered a chicken & a Pepperoni wrap, a salad, and 2 cokes. I ate half of my sandwich which was not good. 

Around, 6:35 PM we stopped at I-270 Cracker Barrel in Fenton, MO for dinner.

I ordered a kids’ meal of pinto beans, with apples, a slice of onion, a small container of chow, chow, and water with lemon to drink. 

I also bought a woman’s top and a man’s shirt. We spent $57.51.

We arrived at the I-270 Best Western Hotel 12220 Dorsett Rd. Maryland Heights, MO. for an overnight stay in room 321.

I felt dirty after the long ride so I took a quick shower.

Then I went downstairs to play some games but everyone was too tired.

I ended up walking around the building three times with Mrs Haygood. 

We could see the Quiktrip market from our room and a full moon in the sky. 

I watched a little TV and fell asleep.

We spent all day traveling around 390 miles. 

It was a beautiful day but still very hot.

Full Moon

2024 August 18, Sunday 

I saw the sunrise from the hotel and decided to take a walk 

around the hotel (Best Western) around 6 AM.

I met our bus driver along the way, he said he had walked around the block several times. 

I took a few pictures one of 1-270, one of a berry bush, and a couple of the front of the hotel. 

I went back upstairs to get hubby and we went downstairs for breakfast around 7:30 AM.

I put gravy, egg, and biscuits on my plate and drank cranberry juice. 

There was a mural of downtown St Louis in the lobby where I took a couple of pictures. 

We were on the road by 8:30 AM. 

Our first stop was around 10:30 AM at the I-70 Boonville, MO. Rest Area. 

We saw a Blue Star Memorial Highway Marker there. 

We have to stop every 2 to 3 hours for restroom breaks. 

We stopped around 12:30 PM for lunch at I-70 Panda Express in Blue Springs, MO.

Hubby and I shared a large plate of honey walnut shrimp, orange chicken, beef, noodles, and broccoli.

We also ordered Three Rangoons and spent $14.70.

We stopped at the I-29 Rest Area in Dearborn, MO. around 2:30 PM 

Hubby and I had our picture taken together on a big red rock. 

We arrived at I-29 Pizza Ranch 3505 Metro Drive Council Bluff, Iowa around 5 PM for a prepaid buffet. 

I ate a slice of buffalo pineapple pizza and 2 slices of sweet apple. Hubby ate fried chicken, corn, cream potatoes, and a slice of pizza. On their restroom doors were Cowgirls and Cowboys. 

We arrived at our Hotel (Wingate by Wyndham, 4716 Southern Hills Drive Sioux City, Iowa) around 8:15 PM.

Another long day of traveling around 507 miles.

Mural in Hotel 

Rest Area Boonville, Mo

Rest Area Dearborn, MO 

Pizza Ranch Council Bluffs, Iowa

2024 Monday, August 19

I ate a waffle with sausage and drank cranberry juice.

We left the hotel around  8:30 AM. 

We stopped at a rest area in Salem South Dakota around 10:30 AM. 

We arrived at 11:25 AM at the Worlds Only Corn Palace in Mitchell South Dakota. 

The palace is decorated annually with 7  murals made out of 12 different colors of corn, framed with native grass, straw, milo, and sour dock. All are grown by local farmers. 

Our guide gave a speech about the Corn Palace, and we were led into a gymnasium to learn more about the palace. 

We went outside and across the road to view the palace from outside and to listen to more about the corn murals that surround the palace. 

One of the murals displayed was Bob Barker, from The Price is Right. 

Hubby and I split a Club Croissant and 2 glasses of frozen lemonade. 

We ate lunch a club croissant with lemonade at Uncle Zeke’s.

We stopped around 2:30 PM at the Lewis & Clark Welcome Keelboat and Interpretive Center overlooking the Mississippi River Exit 264 in Chamberlain, South Dakota. 

Outside we saw: The Purple Heart Memorial Highway Marker, the Sojourn at Camp Pleasant Marker, the TP memorial to South Dakota, the Lewis and Clark Memorial Bridge at Chamberlain, South Dakota Tribal Headquarters, South Dakota Tribes, Regional Tribes, The Making & meaning of Dignity, Dignity of Earth and Sky (& 50 foot Statue), Lewis and Clark Bicentennial 1804-2004, National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, A place of History, Lewis and Clark waving the Flag, Behold the Missouri River. 

We saw displays of a Keelboat, wolves, rabbits, Elk, Goats, birds, and information about the Missouri River Region. 

Our next stop was around 4 PM at Wall Drugs in Wall, South Dakota. We stopped for pictures with the Jackalope, Buckin’ Bronc, Mini Mount Rushmore, a Buffalo, a large gorilla playing the piano, and a six-foot rabbit in Wall’s backyard. Inside are many more photo stops one was the roaring T-Rex. Inside is  the Western Art Gallery Cafe, cafeteria, a Travelers Chapel, Eye Candy, and the RockHound Shop

In Cowboy Alley, we saw statues of a prospector with his mule, Gumbo Lil of the 1909 Badlands, Major General Custer 1865,  Wyatt Earp, a Saloon Dancer, Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill Cody, and many more. 

We arrived around 6:30 PM at the Colonial House, 2501 Mt Rushmore Road, Rapid City, South Dakota 

Hubby ate roast beef with gravy, a salad, and a baked potato (undercooked).

I ate 3 pieces of fried cod fish with an undercooked baked potato which I did not eat. 

We both were served a brownie topped with vanilla ice cream. 

We arrived at our hotel around 7:15 PM, Country Suites and Inn, Rapid City, South Dakota Room 317.

I worked on this journal and went to bed after a shower

Rest Area Salem, South Dakota

Wall Drugs, Wall, South Dakota

Corn Palace Mitchell, South Dakota 

Dignity  at  Chamberlain, SD  Visitor Center

August 20, Tuesdays 

Breakfast gravy and biscuits with cranberry juice at the hotel. (Country Inn & Suites).

Departed at 8:30 AM for The High Plains Western Heritage Center Museum Spearfish, SD. 

Where we learned about the American Frontier, How the Cowboys lived, how the American Indians impacted our lives, and the hard work of life on the frontier. 

We saw the Cowboy Hall, Fashion Display, Rodeo Room, Native American Display, transportation Room, Fur Traders Display, Custer Hall, Early Pioneer Room, Founders Hall, Prairie Kitchen and Shepherds Hall, the Balcony, and Frontier Street. 

Our next stop was the town of Deadwood where Custer was shot in the back of the head while playing cards. 

We ate lunch in Saloon 10’s (where Custer was shot) at Deadwood Social Club in Deadwood, South Dakota. Upstairs was the restaurant. Former years was a house of ill repute. 

Hubby and I split a  Bus Hamburger and he ate a salad. 

We split an order of onion rings and drank water with lemon. 

We walked up and down Main Street. 

We visited the Deadwood Model Train Museum at 614 Main Street.

The display is in a 70-foot hallway for free and if you want to see the train run it will cost you one dollar. It was an amazing sight to see,  the train runs through the miniature town of Deadwood. 

We visited the Black Hills Mining Museum 323 W. Main St.  Lead, SD

Our guide gave a speech about the mining of gold and how it ended. 

It cost more to mine today so the mine was shut down. It is now used as an underground research center. SURF Sanford Underground Research Facility.

We rode back through the towns of Lead and Deadwood. 

We ate dinner at Perkins Restaurant and Bakery 250 Mt Rushmore Road Rapid City, South Dakota 

We were served Turkey & dressing, cream potato with gravy, and corn. 

We were served a bowl of Ice cream for dessert.

Back at the hotel by 7 PM. 

It had been a long day so I went to bed early.

Character Custer at Saloon #10 Deadwood, SD 

High Plains Western Heritage Center Spearfish, SD

Riding  Bucklin' Cow

SURF town of Lead, SD

August 21, Wednesday 

We ate Breakfast at the hotel (Country Inn and Suite) 

I ate an Egg, sausage, and waffle with cranberry juice to drink. 

We left the hotel at 8:30 AM and headed to Fort Hays to pick up our tour guide. 

We arrive at the Borglum History Center around 9:15 AM in Keystone, SD.

Bought a couple of postcards, and got my picture taken with Abraham Lincoln, an Eagle, The American Keystone Wooden Chair with three steps up to sit on it. It has Mt Rushmore’s President’s head on the back.

It is trimmed with the US Flag's red, white, and blue strips and stars. 

Depart for Mountain Rushmore at 11:15 AM. 

We had a group picture made at the base of Mount Rushmore. 

Toured the museum where I saw the head statue of Gutzon Borglum who created the carving of the presidents of Mount Rushmore. The plaque of Luigi Del Bianco the chief carver on Mount Rushmore. The list of workers on Mt Rushmore. 

We saw the markers of Comparison, George Washington 1732-1799, Thomas Jefferson 1743-1826, Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865, and Theodore Roosevelt, 1858-1919. 

Hubby and I split a ham and cheese sub sandwich with Cheeto for lunch at the Mount Rushmore cafe. 

I fed the chipmunks, and French fries, that were scurrying about.

At 2:00 PM we headed for Custer State Park and Wildlife Loop. 

We stopped to feed the Mules and there we saw several Prairie dogs. 

When they saw we were invading their territory the watcher of the group started barking out a warning for the other dogs to return to their dens. 

We saw goats, elk,  horses, and buffalo.

We stopped at the Visitor Center which had several displays about the prairie and the bison. 

We saw smoke rising in the distance in the park and we saw a helicopter going back and forth near the smoke. 

At 6:30 we arrived at Fort Hays for the Chuckwagon Dinner and show.

There were several other buses and four very long tables of people around 400. 

Everyone was seated and then given instructions on how to enter the chow line. 

The main thing we were told was to keep moving. 

Our food was placed on a tin plate baked potato, baked beans, fried apples, and roast beef. On top of our food was placed a large piece of parchment paper.

 On top of the paper was placed the biscuits, slide cake, and all our condiments. 

We had tea, lemonade, and water to drink. 

Once we were finished we passed our plates and silverware to the end of the table and were picked up by our servers. 

Visitor Center Winter St Keystone, SD

Mount Rushmore, Keystone, SD 

Custer State Park 

Then the show began. 

Five entertainers could play and sing.  

They portrayed the entertainers of Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley, and Elton John. 

The young woman could play that fiddle.

We were back at the hotel by 9 PM.

2017 January 16, Monday, Birding Trail Sites #7, #11, #16

Hubby and I traveled to Waterloo in hopes of seeing a Bald Eagle. We meet a couple from Hartsell at birding site number 11, they had binoculars and a camera with a large telephoto lens.
We sighted at least two Bald Eagles, soaring high in the sky, not close enough to get a good picture.

Bald Eagle

We did see a lot of small black ducks and a few cranes.

We traveled back to Florence stopping at Dairy Queen (for the $5 deal) for hamburgers, fries, coke, and ice cream.
I substituted a side salad for the fries and I ordered a banana ice cream with real slices of bananas.
When we finished we rode to the Rock-pile Recreation Area birding site number 7 on the northeast loop which is located at the base of Wilson Dam.

Waterfall

At the Rockpile I walked to the nearby waterfall. Several families and couples were visiting the waterfall.
Near Wilson Dam and along the locks I saw thousands of small white birds.
We saw several families with their children on the nearby playground.

We rode through Muscle Shoals turning left onto the old hwy 20, which took us through Leighton.

William Leigh founder of Leighton 

William Leigh founder of Leighton 

We stopped at the historic marker of William Leigh the founder of Leighton and his gravesite.
The founder of Leighton was named in honor of the Reverend William Leigh, son, and grandson of Revolutionary War veterans. He was born in Amelia County Virginia, Oct 4, 1790, and moved to Alabama in about 1823.
Leigh settled nearby at Jeffers Cross Roads and became a large landowner, pioneer merchant, postmaster, and La Grange College trustee. He was a charter member of Leighton Masonic Lodge No. 43 and served as Grand Master of the Alabama Masons (1833-1835). Leigh was a Missionary Baptist preacher for 63 years and served as pastor and leader in the Muscle Shoals Baptist Association. In 1836, he donated land and helped build a brick meeting house in Leighton for joint use by the Masons. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Cumberland Presbyterians, and others.
William Leigh was the first postmaster of Leighton (1824-1847) and with William Gregg, operated a storehouse at the crossroad under the firm name of William Leigh & Company. He ran unsuccessfully for the state legislature on the Whig ticket in 1840. In 1847 Leigh sold his store, 1800-acre plantation, livestock, and 30 slaves and moved to Kentucky. He soon returned to Alabama, living in Moulton for a few years before moving to Florence where his wife served as a matron at the Florence Synodical College. Leigh died there in Florence, on July 31, 1873, and was buried here in the Leigh family graveyard. The Masons erected a monument at his unmarked grave in 1931. The old brick church that he helped built a century earlier was razed in 1948. 

We rode through several small towns on our way to the Wildlife Refuge in Decatur. Bird Site #16.
We walked down to the view area from the visitor center, where we saw thousands of Sandhill Cranes, and thousands of ducks but only one White Whopping Crane.

Thousands Sandhill Cranes

I was hoping there was an open area to view the cranes but the viewing area was enclosed so all the pictures I took of the cranes and ducks were behind glass.
We walked to the swamp area where we crossed over on a wooden bridge.
We walked to an open field where we watch several Sandhill Cranes fly away into the distance and I took several pictures.

Sandhill Cranes

The sun was setting as we walked back to the visitor center. Inside we stopped to ask questions and to view the animals inside. (nonliving)
The sun was beginning to fade when we left the visitor center and was dark before we arrived home.

We spent the day traveling from Florence to Waterloo, back to Florence, to Muscle Shoals, to Leighton, Town Creek, Decatur, Athens, and back home. We visited three birding trails where we saw a variety of birds. It was a very enjoyable day, perfect weather and we did not rush.

Neither of us wanted to stop for a meal, so we came home and I put on a pot of oatmeal.