5/31/05. Of particular interest is the cub exhibit. Man, these guys are cute. They played and rough-housed the whole time we were there. We spent the most time just watching these guys. A top rate stop to make in your touring. Christa is due back tomorrow. I have been holding back on seeing the big sites (Rushmore, Crazy Horse, etc) unti she gets back, she really wants to check out Rushmore. I will have to say this, Rapid City is a pretty neat place. I think if I spent a couple of months here I would probably still miss out on some stuff. Truly, a city that offers something for everyone. And just up the road is Sturgis and Spearfish Canyon. I don't think I will get more than a glimpse of these due to time constraints.

5/31/05. Bear Country USA is a fantastic little drive thru park featuring wolves, bison, elk, mountain goats, Dall's sheep, Lynx, Bobcats, badgers, and, of course, bears. over 250 of them. Mostly black bears, there were a couple grizzlies as well. This is about as good a photo op as you can get.

The most interesting of the animal shows was this alligator show. The trainer was enlightening and entertaining. TRhe gators were hungry which made for a lively performance, particularly on the trainer's part.

Inside the Reptile Gardens, one will find a well manicured interior, several animal shows, and a solarium where the main reptiles and exotic plants are displayed

5/31/05. Another local site is the Reptile Gardens. A family run bit of entertainment featuring many rare reptiles, insects, birds, and some prairie dogs, too.

Here the guide is shining his flashlight into the quartz roof demostrasting why thiswas a particularly favorite place for the making of chandeliers in the 19th century.

the Sitting Bull cave is a steep descent 10 stories down, all pretty much vertical. If you have bad knees, you might want to skip this one, however, the word is that this is the least physical of the caves in the immediate area.

5/31/05. Today was a fairly cold, windy and stormy day. I figured it would be a good day to check out one of the local caves. This one is the Sitting Bull Crystal Cave. A living cave with reportedly the largest specimen's of Dogspar quartz crystal in the western hemisphere. Supposedly, Sitting Bull spent quite a bit of time here before being assasinated, hence the name tie-in.

5/30/05. Today we took a drive on the north side of Rapid City. We found this little "Chapel on the Hill" built by an immigrant couple lonely for the church in their native Norway. This is a scale relica and is beautifully carved and constructed. The chapel rests in a very pretty little park as well. This is a must see if your in the area.

5/29/05. On the same drive saw some other wildlife in the pastures. Casn't make out exactly what kind of deer this is, but I hadn't seen one befrore. S. Dakota has some strange animals.

5/29/05. Second day in Rapid City and Mom and I decided to go out and make casual ride through the country side. Pictured is an antelope making a quick get away over the fence. We saw about 10 or so scattered along the pastures adjacent to State 44 heading east.

Rapid City

5/28/05. After getting settled in at Happy Holidays RV Resort last night and calling it an early night, Christa and I arose early to go find the Rapid City Regional Airport and get her on her flight out. Once she had left and I returned to the rig, I pretty much shut down for the day as the trip across South Dakota had really drained me. Happy Holidays RV park is a really nice park with friendly office personnel. Facilities are top rate and the park is clean, well kept, and well lit. The only beef I might put forward is that the sites are pretty tight for big rigs and do not leave much room for the toad (jargon for a towed vehicle). Oh, and forget about cell phone service as we're in a deep valley between two serious hills. Laundry facilities are great and much appreciated by Christa and my mom (hey, I do all the driving).

Bad day on flatrock...

5/27/05. Well, every trip has to have something to make a story from. At least that is the tradition in my family. After leaving Omaha, we proceeded north on I-29 to Sioux Falls, SD. At the junction of I-90 we would turn west and head for Rapid City with an in-between stop in Salem, SD. When we reached the junction of 29 and 90 I elected to fuel up at the Flying J in Sioux Falls. Immediately after fueling we noticed a drop in horsepower. I could hardly maintain 55 mph. At first I thought it was the headwind we had just turned into which was blowing about 30mph and feeling pretty fierce. We made it to Salem just in time to anchor down before a major front blew through. The wind was bad before, but now it cranked up really bad. The wind caught my window awnings and pulled them open and hit the side of the RV so hard I thought there might be a possibility of being blown over. The weather report on the WX channel called for winds of 50mph or greater, I believed that piece of news. But, we did make it into the campground OK and anchored down. The camp ground was Campamerica Camp and was a very nice little park. The next morning, we pulled out heading west once again. I noticed right away that the rig's power was much worse, I could only get up to about 45 mph. I started thinking I picked up some bad fuel at the Flying J. I had never gotten hold of anything bad out of the Flying J, so this presented a quandary for me. I called our emergency road service and asked them to start looking for a service station for the rig. Of course the closest thing that could work on our moho was in Rapid City, still some 200 miles away. Eventually the power dropped down to a point where I was only making an averageof 30mph. What a drag. After a 10 hour drive, we finally made it to Happy Holidays RV Resort. There, I was able to schedule an appointment with Eddie's Truck stop, an authorized Freightliner service station for next Wednesday. Hope all goes easy. To top things off, we received a call that Christa's Aunt was not doing well and she had to fly back to Tallahassee, FL, to see her. She will hopefully be able to get back by next Wednesday as well. In the meantime, Mom and I will do a little sight -seeing.

5/27/05. Just before leaving for the days journey, we stopped in at Mimis Cafe off the suggestion of Scott's dad. Great suggestion the store offered a wonderful breakfast with great service. On leaving, they gave us a box of four of their specialty muffins. These things are huge and deliscious. They were good for two more mornings breakfasts with coffee. Soon after we departed for the Black Hills of South Dakota with a stop for the night in the town of Salem, SD.

5/27/05. Before leaving, Mom and Christa wanted me to see the beautiful mall at the intersection of 16 & 168th street (Southpoint all I think, but not sure). Really nice landscaping in a mall with upscale shops, bistros and some larger corporate stores. Here Mom takes a picture of Christa and I in front of Scheels Sporting Goods.

Scott's family enjoying some entertainment following a greeat BBQ dinner. In the picture are Christine, Scott's brother, Todd, Scott's mom (standing), Todd's wife, Lisa, Jason, and Scott's sister, Julie. Scott's dad is standing behind his mom. Great evening.

Here Christine works on the evening repast while telling us about her beautiful kitchen. Good job, very nice cabinetry. (oh, and you're looking good too Christine).

5/26/05. Here I am standing next to a mig-21. Early during my time in service, this was one of the aircraft we trained the most to intercept. Pretty neat to actually stand next to one, you won't find many around this country.

5/26/05. As you enter the museum the first thing you come across is an SR-71 Blackbird. Awesome. I actually had the opertunity to do some intercept work with one of these when I was in service. What a thrill.

Here Scott stands next to a Blue Scout airforce missle. Yep, pretty big. Looks like it could deliver a good smarting.

5/26/05. While Christa and my mom opted to go to Omaha to do some window shopping, Scott and I went to the Air & Space Museum just southwest of Omaha. A terrific place for the person interested in SAC, airforce, and space memorabilia.

5/24/05. Arrived at the Two Rivers SRA with the intent to visit my old Navy buddy , Scott, his wife, Christine, and his extended family. The whole drive across Kansas really took a toll on me. I slept the first 2 days here, which is probably good because we arrived early and caught Scott off guard. the SRA is a nice little park with electric, water, dump station, and concrete pads. We were sheltered from the winds that had pummelled us ever since leaving Texas. Mahoney State Park is a nicer park, but this one is was pretty good and located closer to Scott and his family.

Concordia, KS

5/23/05. Arrived at the Airport Municipal Park in Concordia, KS. After spending the day driving across the wind swept (and hot) Kansas plains, Concordia was a welcome balm to the weary traveler. We stayed at the City Park which offered concrete pads, water and electric hookups, and a dump station for the price of a donation if you choose to make one. (We made one). This is a very nice little park next door to the local National Guard Station. The park was very clean and well kept. For the price I rank it as one of the best parks we have stayed at and to think it is maintained by the city. Only in a small town could you get this kind of consideration. The reason for the visit was to see my Brother-in-law's (Rod) folks. Leonard and Wanita (sorry if I spelled that wrong) greeted us with all affection taking us into their home for some freshening up. The highlight for me was to get a look at a photo album collected by Leonard's uncle during WW II from the pacific theater. Rare photos that are now on display at the Eisenhower Museum in Abilene. Later, they treated us to steak dinners at the local Moose Lodge. A really great meal. Sorry I did not take any pictures, but I was pretty beat and not thinking straight. We left the next morning headed for Omaha, Ne.

5/21/05. The main point of interest to the visitor of this fair city will probably be to visit the historical sites. In the rebuilding of the city over the years, many of the historical features have been moved or destroyed. Boot hill cemetery, which has been moved twice. Still, a solid attempt to recreate"Front Street" is successfully pulled off with this replica of the buildings present when Earp and Masterson walked the streets. Included are three actual buildings which have been moved into this exhibit area and are pretty much fully restored. They include an old school house, a residential home, and a smithy. All in all, a very interesting exploration of our western history, the good and the bad.

The visitors plaza is located pretty close to the downtown area, as was expected, and offered lots of historical information, directions and a gift shop. A dissapointment was the Freight House Restaurant which looked to be an upscale restaurant. We had a new waitress and the cookstaff did not do her any favors with our orders. All of our steak orders were incorrect with regard to doneness. When asked to correct the order, the waitress took the order back, but the cookstaff must not have been very concerned as the orders returned little better then before. The waitress was already nervous, add this to her youth and inexperience, I felt that it would have been crass to give her a hard time again. Christa thought the potatoes tasted like they were made from instant, and mom's steak fried potatoes were cooked to inedibility. My meal was the only one that turned out well, once Mom and I switched steaks (I like mine rare). The steak was good, and the meal might have been better if there just hadn't been so many problems. In the past I have praised eateries of noteworthiness, alas, I must also respond to those that would charge a hansom price, but do not deliver the hansom service.

5/21/05. Pulled into Dodge City, KS, last evening. We camped at, of course, the Gunsmoke RV Campground. A nice campground with all the amenities. Our first impression of KS was that it is a very windy day, but believe me, we were thankful for that wind. Without it, this would have been a very hot place (dry, too).

5/19/05. Sunset on the western rim of the canyon.

Mom taking a moment to enjoy a view of the canyon rim from our campsite. The campsite was very nice - level, with water and electric, a dump station, interpretive trails, and a gift shop with a museum inside. Beginning in June, there will be plays put on at the amphitheater located in the park. These are supposed to be pretty awesome, but, alas, we are too early.

This is a view while traveling down the main park road towards the campsite. The white roofs in the center left of the picture are RVers and where we will camp as well.

5/18/05. Arrived at Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas. Quite an entrance as you approach the park. The surrounding countryside is very flat and pretty featureless until you are within about a mile of the gate. Then this great chasm in the earth opens before you revealing a breathtaking view. Especially the descent when you're in a 37' motorhome. Just go real slow.

Tomorrow, we pull chocks and are on the road for Palo Duro State Park in northern Texas. But for now, we're just enjoying the scenery of Colorado City State Park.

At Colorado City State Park, there are hiking trails through cactus, rocks and sword plants. Wear good shoes and take a walking stick, as my mom did find a snake (she hates them) on her early morning walk. This cactus flower shows the beauty of the park at this time of year. The cacti are plentiful and they were all in bloom.

One of the great features of Colorado City State Park is the lake and surrounding scenery. As with most of the state parks we have stayed in, this one is well maintained, clean, and a beautiful stop. We were able to get some paddle time though the water is still pretty cool.

Lucy really appreciated the break from the day's long drive. She found a few rabbits to keep her interest peeked.

Our first camp stop was yesterday at the Colorado City Texas State Park. Very nice. Water and electric with dump station. As you can see here there are also pull throughs. Beautiful day.

Yesterday we finally got on the road. We are headed for Alaska (via a Rod's folk's house in Kansas, a friend's house in Nebraska, Christa's cousin's house in Nebraska as well, and my brother's house in Montana). Along the way we'll be hitting a lot of eateries and campgrounds. Our first stop was here at J.R.'s Restaurant in Juction, Texas, for a little lunch. Turns out that a lot of celebs like this place as well, including Troy Aikman, Whoopi Goldberg, and Willie Nelsen to mention a few. And I can see why. I had the Jalapeno Sausage an BBQ brisket plate. I have eaten a lot of brisket in my time, but this was a memorable event. Cooked to perfection (no lie). I gather the BBq is provided by Cooper, but did not get the local skinny on the relationship between them. What I know though, is that if you like Texas style BBQ, this place is a must stop.

While visiting and getting ready to depart for parts north, we went up to Canyon Lake (our future homesite) to look around. If you go up to the Corps of Engineer office, one can access this view point that is pretty fantastic.

Here, Becky and Rod's German Short Hair (Buford) greets his guests.

Not only people had a good time. My son's dog (Vixen, Fox Terrier) and my niece's pooch (I forget the name, but he's a Basset) enjoy a bit of fun in the sun.

Here my sister (Becky) is finishing up some odds and ends before the main crowd arives. Also in the picture is my wife Christa, Mom, and a friend of Becky's from her work at Texas Lutheran University (which happens to be my alma mater by the way).

Saturday 14 May, 2005. Well we made it to Seguin. The main purpose for the visit here was to pick up my Mom prior to our heading north for the Alaska Trip we are about to embark on next month. But as it happens, on the 14th, My sister and bro-in-law had their 6th anniversary, so of course there is a party. Pictured here is my bro Rod finishing up some tasties for the menu. In addition to the chicken coming off the grill here, he cooked up 4 11lb briskets, of which part of one was left.

A quick revisit to the "Aquarium" restaurant. Christa and I ate there tonight. Incredible place with 5 very large fresh and salt aquariums built into the place. By large, I'm talking 55000 gallons with about 50 species in the main tank. Sharks, cuda, sea bass, a sea turtle, and many others. The tank in the entry way is a cylinderical model bout 2 or 3 stories high, not sure of how many gallons, but very nice. The food was super. Christa had the blackened catfish, spicy and deliscious. I had the broiled Captains Platter fixed to perfection. Bring your wallet though, you will be helping to pay for the care of those tanks. Didn't mind though, the meal was excellent as was the service. To add to the evening, a big celebration was going on in the forground courtyard for Cino de Mayo. Live band, kids running all over the place, just a lot of fun. Tomorrow we hoist anchor and move on down the road towards Seguin, TX to visit family.

Finally - the weather cooperated today allowing for a bit of paddling around Via Bayou in Dickinson, TX. Beautiful day with a slight breeze and surrounded by jumping fish. No wonder this is such a popular place for anglers. A nice way to relax after washing the rig and car.

Lucy pointing the way to land.

Off of the main island of Galveston is the smaller Pelican Island. Pelican Island is home to Seawolf Park where the WW II sub USS Cavala rests and is being restored. Parking is $5 per car for the park and fishing pier. An additional fee of $5 per person to tour the sub and the destroyer, USS Stewart. A unique opportunity to see what it was like for the sailors of these earlier warships. Having served on more recent ships, I was amazed at the really tight spaces these sailors lived, worked and even died in. A worhtwhile monument that I recommend everyone visits and toss in a couple extra bucks to help the restoration project.

Here I am taking a photo moment with a prop for the "Aquarium" restaurant. We plan to eat here tomorrow night just because of the unique look of the eatery.

Another city that offers a little treat is Kemah. The big feature that attracted our attention from the State Highway 146 bridge was the Bordwalk. Has kind of an old Jersey shore feel with shops, skill games and amusement rides.

Texas City is a few miles up the coast and has a few nice scenic opportunities. One is the Lighthouse Blvd. Pictured here is a replica of the Texas Lighthouse once set about 2 and a half miles off the coast.

When in the Fisherman's Wharf, not only are you treated to good service and a fantastic meal, but able to look out on the harbor watching ship traffic and various seabirds (which you are advised not to feed) wheeling about.

In the Downtown Historic District are a number of really good restaurants. We set our appetites for the Fisherman's Wharf, great atmosphere to go along with the fantastic seafood dishes offered.

This is a picture of the aqua tunnel (my name for it) just before exiting the aquarium complex. This is a site to see.

While in the Galveston area, we had to stop into the Moody Aquarium and Rainforest exhibits. Exceptional. Comparable to the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga.

A small park and fairly new, but if you're into fishing or boating this is a great RV park. With a Good Sam discount the site was reasonable for a front seat at the water.