A little more adventure than we planned.

We started the morning with a hayrack breakfast. They loaded us up on an old hayrack outfitted with benches and took us on an early morning ride across a grassland and up into the Buttes where a "chuckwagon" breakfast was waiting for us--eggs, big slice of ham, appropriately greasy,  crunchy fried potatoes and pancakes, plus some powerful cowboy coffee. We consumed enough calories to round up plenty of cattle. . .however we rode the wagon back to the Fort.
     There are lots of back roads around here and decided to see if we could find some interesting ones.  We read a blurb about Sowbelly Canyon over by Harrison and sounded intriguing.  However, we couldn't find much info about it or good directions until we finally got to the right person at the Fort information desk. We knew heavy rains earlier in the summer had done a lot of damage around here so we wanted to be sure the "primitive " road was passable. So with her assurance and map in hand, we headed out.  Soon obvious there had been lots of damage from water erosion but good attempt to repair had been made.  We were having a great time, enjoying the rugged scenery, the curvy vistas until we suddenly had a flat tire!  But not to fear, we managed a flat spot where Will was able to change the tire and save the day. Interestingly enough, the road smoothed out about here and we cruised the last 6 miles into the town of Harrison where we found a tire shop for a fast fix.

now, as we are leaving Sowbelly Canyon road we passed this sign that we could read in our rear view mirror. No such sign when we entered. . .so even though our CRV made it through just fine, we probably should not have been on that road..

Fort Robinson

This is Nebraska ' s largest and most historic State Park.  It was an active military post from 1874 to 1948. Crazy Horse was held captive and killed here,  Walter Reed served here long before he discovered cure for Yellow Fever or had a military hospital named after him,  to name a few of significant western history that occurred here.  It survived Indian wars as a post - Civil War Indian Agency protective post, it was the nation's quartermaster remount depot where horses were bred, trained and supplied to military posts all the way thru WW1.  Dogs were trained here for military use during WW2, a German POW camp, a beef cattle research station after it closed as army post in 1948. Finally a state park in 1956. So much history here and it's all told thru interpetive re-creations, museums, preservations, along with family recreation opportunities of all kinds. It is located in the far northwest corner of Nebraska, directly south of the Black Hills.
This is our 3rd visit here and it always seems new to us with lots to explore and enjoy.

view of the Fort from the bluffs

The bluffs behind the Fort

Restored officers quarters, now you can rent rooms or the whole house!

What can I say. Words to live by. This icecream shop is in Crawford, Ne and is particularly good place to stop.

One more day in the Black Hills

After the big storm went through the area the other day, the temps cooled down, the air dried out and it is so spectacular here that we decided to stay another day.  Went to a fun Chuck-Wagon Dinner Show last night, short hike around Sylvan Lake today, took a cave tour at Jewel Cave, saw lots more wildlife driving around, and couldn't leave without seeing Mt Rushmore.  Always impressive.  There are motorcycles absolutely everywhere for the Sturgis Rally this next week. They are expecting 400,000 people in the "Hills" for the 75th anniversary of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally starting Aug 3rd.

Aeri is walking!!!

She figured it out!  She has been pulling up and walking while she is being held up but now she has let go.  Pretty proud of herself, huh.

 

And then the rains came

The four of us spent the rest of the day together touring and talking and ended up at our "place" for a pot luck cook out. Unfortunately dark clouds were gathering.  We keep thinking maybe the storm was going around us and maybe it would miss us. . .until we were driven inside by a full on hail storm. Luckily there was no wind but hail that sounded so loud on the RV roof that we could hardly hear each other, and looked like a winter snow when finished. Plus we had a river running under RV.  All ok. Just a little exciting while it lasted.

Amazing

It was just another day of touring the Black Hills. Wanted to see the Mammoth site down in Hot Springs so we packed a lunch and hopped in the car and began our day. First stop was breakfast at State Game Lodge in Custer State Park. Very nice. This was President Calvin Coolidge summer White House and now a grand lodge in the park.  On the way to Hot Springs we ran into another big herd of bison which was a fun delay as they took their good ol' time crossing the hiway.  Mammoth site was so interesting and tour of archaeological  digs that date back 26,000 years was hard to imagine.  We just finished our tour, checking some of the museum exhibits. . .Turned around and . . .
       There was Jack and Wanda, our friends from Pennsylvania!!! How we happened to be in the same place at the same time--each of us, hundreds of miles from our respective homes is just incredible! !  You figure out the odds!!
Needless to say it was a joyous reunion and we spent the rest of the day together renewing our friendship.

Custer

We moved to near Custer.  Deadwood is too busy, looking for more quiet. Also to get away from Sturgis as the annual motorcycle rally is starting next week and they are already gearing up for it. Huge event here and already there are a lot of bikes on the roads. 
    Checked out Needles Highway, went looking for Bison in Custer State Park, got a grand view from on top of the world from a stone fire tower.

when using the cell phone to take a picture, make sure the camera is pointing the right direction . . .I got an unintentional selfie.

Black Hills tonight

As soon as we crossed the bridge over the Missouri River we entered Mountain time zone which gave us an extra hour to get to the Black Hills. We traveled through the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation and also Cheyenne Crossing Reservation as the landscape steadily and surly changed to grassland. And then ubruptly we began a steady increase in altitude into the lush, green, northern entrance of the Black Hills of South Dakota.
  Did a scenic loop through Spearfish Canyon where we found a couple of spectacular water falls, checked out Deadwood where we stayed for the night. Heard there was a rodeo going on so made work of getting tickets. Was a good time.

Missouri River

'Slipped into South Dakota this morning. Stayed on the same hiway 12 that we took across Minnesota. Continuing west to the town of Mobridge where we found Indian Creek State Recreation Area on Lake Oahe. This backwater is behind the Oahe Dam 100 miles down steam at Pierre, SD! And the created lake of the Missouri River extends farther upstream a long way also. Was shocked to realize how huge it is.  The campground is up on a bluff overlooking it all with a great view of sunset.

Sitting Bull is buried on a bluff overlooking the river.  Louis and Clark, of course passed thru here also.  Its a much different river today.

We are heading West.

Final destination. . .well, the next destination is Colorado. But tonight we found a nice place to stop at Big Stoney Lake State Park on the Minnesota/South Dakota border. Hot, muggy day but we had a shady spot and didn't move around a lot so we survived.

Few more days in Minnesota

Back to Minnesota for a few more full days.  So many people to see, so little time. . .but it's time to move on.  So many thanks to our gracious hosts who let us park our RV in their front yard and hang out. Dewain and Linda--you are the BEST!!

I felt really "punk" after we left. I think I was just missing everyone.

Lia turning 4

Since all us DeBoer's were gathered for the weekend we had an early Birthday party for Lia also.

Love those presents.  She also moved up to the "big girl" (her words) class at preschool this summer.

Arie turns one year old.

Arie's Doljabi (first birthday celebration) was thoroughly enjoyed by family and friends.

She wore her traditional Korean outfit very well!

Aeri needed lots of encouragment to "choose her future" . . .too many interested people watching but she finally reached out to grab her choice.  

Cousins with character balloons!

Then it's off to New Jersey

  Locked up the RV for a long weekend and flew out to celebrate Aeri's first birthday and also Lia's 4th birthday. Time with those grandchildren is amazing. Aeri is pretty partial to her Mom and won't let us pick her up, but stroller rides with grandpa are a big hit.

Grandma Park and Aeri and Lia with Grandma and grandpa D. In the mirror

Can't get enough of these reunions

Dewain and Linda G. hosted a picnic at their home, (also the Goff RV Resort) and we got to see not only dear friends  but D and L's all growed up kids and THEIR families.