2024 South Dakota Adventure # 2

And, on we go with the next few days of the South Dakota Adventure I did September 13-23, 2024! Don’t worry — you don’t necessarily have to read these in order, but it might flow a bit better if you read # 1 first…..but it really won’t be confusing to do them out of order.

When I closed out post # 1, we had just traveled three days from Batavia to the Avid Hotel in Sioux City, IA. So let’s start here with waking up in Sioux City….sound good?

Day # 4 – Monday, September 16th: After breakfast, we loaded the bus at 8:15 so we could leave the hotel by 8:30 am to head towards Mitchell, SD. YAY – that means that we would finally make it to South Dakota – our destination and where we would spend the next four nights in the same hotel! 🙂

Our Tour Manager, Kathy, greeted us that morning wearing a lighted candy corn necklace, announced it was going to be a “corny” day, and our daily sticker was also a piece of candy corn! Our first stop was going to be the Corn Palace! I’ll tell you all about that in a little bit.

First — on our way there, we saw some cool stuff along the highway…..like this scene – as we got right by it, I realized that the people standing around aren’t real – they are part of the display! hahaha Couldn’t tell what else was out there, but it was cool!

We had a LOT of laughs on this trip…..a ton of jokes and puns and wise cracks and situations to laugh about! But, I think by far, my favorite of the “funnies” came on the way to Mitchell, SD. Here’s the story:

We had to go through a weigh-station. There were jokes about hoping we didn’t eat too much for breakfast….etc! Then this:

Someone: “what happens if we’re ‘over’?”

Driver: “one of you gets tossed off” (you’d think that was the funniest part….but wait for it….)

Wise guy near the front: “do we get to vote?”

Well, our fearless leader DID tell us it was going to be a “corny” day!!!

But I digress…..I’ll move on…..When I posted on my Facebook page that I was excited about going to South Dakota, my niece Jennifer – my brother-in-law’s daughter – commented asking if I was going to be at the Corn Palace cause that is close to where they live and she’d love to meet up with me! We chatted and I confirmed that I was going to be at the Corn Palace and that we’d be there at lunch time! So, we made plans to meet up for lunch! We were set to go inside and see a video and have a short tour, but I did that the last time I was there…..I committed to not “skip” anything just because I did it before because it would be a whole new experience! But….this was different — I hadn’t seen Jennifer is several decades – she was a teenager the last time I saw her and she meant a lot to me when she was a little girl…..we’ve kept in touch on FB, but I really wanted to maximize my time with her! So, I let Kathy know I would be venturing out on my own at this stop.

When we pulled up, there was Jennifer waiting on the sidewalk. The people around me all knew I was meeting her so they asked if that was her…..I said “yep – everyone, meet Jennifer” – so as they all got off the bus they all greeted her with a warm “hello, Jennifer!” It was really quite special!

We had a lovely lunch and conversation at The Depot – a restaurant she likes. I may not have seen her in several decades, but she’s still the same sweet girl and I love her to pieces and was so very happy to spend this time with her! We had lunch and then strolled through some of the shops before I had to get back on the bus.

By the way….Jennifer brought an amazing gift for me – a bottle of wine – a nice Riesling! haha Actually, it was amazing because it wasn’t just any bottle of wine! While she and her husband were stationed in Germany, her husband, Tim, researched his Wolberg family crest and a vintner friend created a label with the Wolberg name and crest on it and labeled a bunch of their wine for them to take back home for family and friends! How special is that? And, now I have one!!! I told her I couldn’t bare to open it…..she urged me to do just that and enjoy the wine…..so, I will, but, I’ll keep the bottle forever!!!

So, back to the Corn Palace…..I may not have gone inside this trip, but I did get a few photos and can offer some information about our stop at the Corn Palace. First the photos I took:

The Corn Palace is in Mitchell, SD and is the only Corn Palace in the world! It was built in the late 1800’s as a way to highlight South Dakota’s healthy agricultural climate. Today, it is a major tourist attraction with more than 500,000 visitors annually, home of an annual festival, and is used for conventions and graduations and so much more. The main feature, though are the elaborate murals on the outside of the building. They change the murals about this time each year – they are made exclusively with corn cobs, using somewhere in the neighborhood of 325,000 corn cobs every year! Every part of the cob is used and they are painstakingly nailed to the artwork to create the beautiful murals.

In I was there in 2016, the theme was “Rock of Ages” and depicted Rock ‘n Roll greats like Elvis – it was really cool! This was taken in September 2016 before they started working on the 2017 murals.

When we were there last week, they were in the process of beginning to change the murals. The side was still the 2024 theme – “Famous South Dakotans” – including Bob Barker, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Wild Bill Hickock, among others:

But, the front was just showing the beginning signs of starting the 2025 theme – “Wonders of the World”

We left the Corn Palace at 1:00 and headed toward Wall, SD. But, first, we had a rest stop with an amazing point of interest! The stop was in Chamberlain, SD with an incredible statue of Sacagawea called “Dignity of Earth and Sky” – it was dedicated on September 17, 2016. We also had a nice view of the Missouri River from behind the statue and a Cultural Center!

From her biography: Sacagawea, the daughter of a Shoshone chief, was captured by an enemy tribe and sold to a French Canadian trapper who made her his wife around age 12. In November 1804, she was invited to join the Lewis and Clark expedition as a Shoshone interpreter. After leaving the expedition, she died at Fort Manuel in what is now Kenel, South Dakota, circa 1812.

This Sacagawea Monument stands 50 feet tall and 32 feet wide. It overlooks the Missouri River on I-90 between exits 263 and 265 at the Chamberlain Welcome Center. She is absolutely STUNNING!!!

There is also a Cultural Center at this rest stop – here are some photos from inside:

The next photos are the Missouri River from behind Sacagawea and also from the highway as we left….as well as a shot of Sacagawea from the back…..yeah, I know, it’s not polite to photograph a women from behind, but somehow I don’t think she’ll object! 😉

Nest stop was Wall Drug in Wall, SD. The folks at the front of the bus counted 104 Wall Drug signs along the highway….WOW! Wonder if they missed any???

Wal Drug is a roadside attraction for tourists located in the town of Wall, SD, adjacent to Badlands National Park. A collection of cowboy-themed stores, including a drug store, gift shop, several restaurants, and various other stores, Wall Drug is a must see in South Dakota that boasts 5 cent coffee, free water, and homemade donuts. Of course, I wandered through all the stores and the new back yard sections that I don’t believe were there when I visited in 2016. But, the main thing I did was the same thing I did in 2016 — I went to the soda counter to get an old fashioned ice cream soda – all chocolate – chocolate syrup, chocolate ice cream, and soda water!!! And it was absolutely delicious!!! I love it when I find a soda counter that does real old fashioned ice cream sodas – they are hard to find these days – the real ones, anyway! I remember watching the movie “Murphy’s Romance” with Sally Field and James Garner – in one scene, Sally’s character goes in to James Garner’s character – Murphy’s drug store and sits at the soda counter….she’d had a bad day and he asked what he could get for her and she said “give me a chocolate soda – all chocolate” – like she was ordering a double whisky straight up! hahaha It stuck with me as something that could fix even the worst day, so I love ordering one and love even more getting to enjoy one!  

There are LOTS of selfie opportunities with interesting subjects throughout all the stores! 🙂

And…..Wall Drug is the only place where Jackalopes actually exist – a cross between a jackrabbit and an antelope! hahaha……just kidding…..but, you will find a lot of signs that if you truly believe, they just “might” be more than a fictional animal!

Like this HUGE one we saw as we were leaving Wall Drug to head back to the highway! WOW!!!

The sky was gorgeous as we drove down the highway on our way to Rapid City

Our dinner stop was a pre-paid dinner at Outback Steakhouse in Rapid City. We had to choose what we wanted from a limited menu – I chose the 6 oz sirloin dinner and it was cooked perfectly – very good! We were very impressed at how great the staff handled a bus group….with one exception….one of the waitresses was new and didn’t know that the drinks were included – just alcoholic beverages were “extra charge” – and we didn’t question when a few of us were given a bill for our soda’s. So, Kathy talked to the manager and was given a bunch of free appetizer cards for any Outback Steakhouse to hand out on the bus – they were forgiven! LOL

Our destination hotel for the next four nights was the Baymont Inn and Suites in Sturgis, SD. Both times I was in SD before – 2016 and 2018, we drove by Sturgis, but never stopped there. So, I was happy to be able to say I slept in Sturgis! LOL

The hotel was VERY nice! Clean, comfortable, perfect bed and pillows, and a very nice shower! The complimentary breakfast was good, too….I would have liked to have bananas and bagels, but the English muffins were a nice change – good start to our very full days of sightseeing! At this hotel, I had two double beds — the others were all one king — so, I contemplated trading off and sleeping on a different bed each night, but behaved and just messed up the same one bed the whole stay! hahahaha

More fun on the bus…..getting in the mood for a lot more “cowboy” fun!!! 🙂

Day # 5 – Tuesday, September 17th: After breakfast, we again loaded up on the bus at 8:15 to head out for the day by 8:30 am. What time are we to be on the bus? 8:15…..8:15…..8:15…..8:15!!! Hhhmmm – it’s just not as funny writing it out rather than hearing us chanting it like something out of the Walking Dead!!! hahaha

Day 5 was a BIG day….all our days while in South Dakota were, but this one was especially jam packed! The theme for the day was Red, White, and Blue — most of us wore the colors and the sticker of the day was an American Flag! We arrived at Fort Hays at 9:15 to pick up a step-on guide that would be with us all day to tell us all about what we were scheduled to see – his name was Jerry!

The first stop of the day was the Borglum Historical Center at 9:45 where we watched a video and explored the museum to learn all about Gutzon Borglum and his family. Gutzon was the sculptor of Mount Rushmore and his entire family was involved in various ways over the years. He also created a beautiful memorial to Abraham Lincoln – the phots below are a replica of it. The Big Foot carving was seen in the chainsaw carving shop next door to the Gorglum Historical Center – Gutzon didn’t do that one! 😉 I didn’t get to go through the Borglum Historical Center either of my other times in the area, so I was happy to get to learn more about Gutzon and his family this time!

Next we went to Mount Rushmore! The first time I saw it in 2016, I was impressed – it is something every American needs to see at least once in their lifetime, if at all possible! But, I thought – OK, been there, done that, got the t-shirt! Then, it was on the itinerary for my 2018 Caravan Bus Tour….I thought it wouldn’t be a highlight of the trip, cause I’ve already seen it…..WRONG…..it was just as emotional and I found myself being so glad I got to see it again! Now, seeing it yet again in 2024, I was just as filled with emotions and so very happy to be there!!! It’s an amazing piece of Americana…..makes you proud to be an American and have the opportunity to see sights like these!

The sculpture features the 60-foot-tall heads of four United States presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, each chosen to represent the nation’s birth, growth, development, and preservation, respectively.

As soon as we got there, Jerry took us to the observation deck for a group photo with the monument behind us…..if I get that photo from Kathy, I’ll add it to a post of other photos I receive later. Then…..my priority was to do what has become my traditional recreation of a photo my brother took of me in 2016…..it is of me helping poor George Washington pick his nose…..after all, he obviously can’t do it himself – Gutzon didn’t give him any arms!!! Here are the photos – the first is me in 2016, the second is me in 2018, and the third was taken on this trip in 2024! That’s probably it cause I likely won’t get another chance to add to the collage — but, then again, I didn’t think I’d ever see it again after 2016……hhhmmm!

My new friend, Wendy, helped me line up the photo and get it just right…or close enough!!! 🙂

And, now for more serious and appropriate photos…..

Our lunch time was while we were at Rushmore – both other times I was there, I had something made with bison meat – first time I had a bison burger – it was OK, but wasn’t crazy about the strong taste….the second time I had the bison chili and a bison hotdog – I did not care for the chili at all and the hotdog was OK, but the texture was really weird! So, this time, I had a chicken sandwich and fries!!! hahaha I ate outside with a view of the Presidents, but there were several bees that really wanted my sandwich more than I did! There were also several chipmunks scurrying around – I threw one some of my bun and he was very appreciative!

After I finished my lunch, I went for an ice cream — I was told that the Thomas Jefferson vanilla was amazing and I discovered that they make it with a special recipe right there! So, I purchased a dish of Thomas Jefferson vanilla and this time I sat inside to eat it – I wasn’t about to share it with the bees and chipmunks, this time! I found a seat where I could enjoy it with President Jefferson looking on to see how much I enjoyed it!

When we got back on the bus, Jerry directed Rachel (our driver, for those who haven’t read post # 1, yet) to a spot for a perfect photo-op! It was a small clearing where you could only see George Washington – the others are set back further – and this gave us an incredible view of Washington’s profile! Awesome!!! I got the same opportunity in 2018….and it was just as spectacular this time!

We then drove through Keystone and got some beautiful views of the country side from the bus window:

Next up, we drove through the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park to see how many critters we could find! We were not disappointed!!! We saw pronghorn, prairie dogs – hundreds of them, a whole herd of bison, and were delighted with the burros!!! The highlight for me was getting to get off the bus and feed the burros some apple slices that Jerry had for us. Usually, it is not wise to get out of your vehicle with bison nearby, but we were a safe distance from them and they were just chillin’ and grazin’, so it worked out that we could spend a little time with the wonderfully friendly burros!

Simply priceless photos…..I had just fed this sweetheart the last of my apple slices and posed for a photo that I asked my new friend Ed to take….just as we were ready to snap the photo, the burro decided to nuss me ever so sweetly!!! What a hoot!!! It made my day!!!

More photos from the Wildlife Loop of Custer State Park:

Sadly, I didn’t get any good photos of the prairie dogs or the pronghorns — we saw lots of them, but not easy to get a good photo!

When we got back on the road, Kathy surprised us with a SECOND sticker of the day — a bison sticker – because we did get to see some and had to commemorate the sightings!!!

There is a LOT more to Custer State Park than the Wildlife Loop — unfortunately, big buses can’t make it through the narrow, winding roads and tunnels of the rest of the park…..the Needles are especially amazing, but no way a bus could get up there – it was touchy in the rented SUV we drove….there is also one spot where you are just about to the end of a tunnel and you can see Mt. Rushmore framed by the tunnel walls….amazing!!! But, again, a big bus would never fit through it. There are a lot of good places to see Rushmore from a bit of a distance that are just stunning…..if you’re ever in that area and have an opportunity to drive through all of Custer State Park with with your car/SUV or by renting one to use, you really should do yourself a favor and do it!!! I’m so glad I had that experience in 2016!

Kathy also passed out several props for the rest of our evening…..we were to turn into real cowboys before we arrived at our next destination! So, everyone got a mustache and a handkerchief and some got hats and some got sheriff stars and some got buck-teeth!!! We put on our new personas and arrived back at Fort Hays at 5:30 pm for our evening meal and entertainment! We had the BEST time!!!

There’s a new sheriff in town, by golly!!!

When we arrived, we wandered around the property looking at all the old west “stuff”…..there were vehicles and things to take photos with and buildings that were used on the “Dances With Wolves” movie set and a rollercoaster thing to ride and so much more! It was really cool!

Then it was dinner time…..the Supper Bell rang at 6:30 for us to gather for a Chuckwagon meal and entertainment. After we gathered in our assigned seats, one of the guys in the band gave us instructions for the chow line……first, we were to pick up our tin plate and then proceed to the chow line where the first station was the baked potato – we were told to set our tin plate on the edge of the bin with the potatoes and hold on tight so that the server could “smack our tater” onto our plate (some of us had fun telling the guy to go ahead and “smack our tater”) – this put a flat bottom onto the potato so it wouldn’t roll around and smash it a bit…..then, we got our beans thrown onto the plate…..then we were to choose if we wanted beef or chicken (I got the beef)…..at that point, the instructor said that with all that hot food, we would then get some cold applesauce and it would be wise to move our hands under that cold applesauce and away from the hot food that would heat up that tin plate – he said we’d thank him later for that tidbit of advice! Then, he said we’d get a piece of wax paper put on top of our food so that they could keep the “wet” stuff and the “dry” stuff separate – they would put our biscuit and cake on the wax paper….then we could pick up our tin cup with our drink in it! When we got to the chow line, it was very clear what to do and it was a riot to experience!!! (full disclosure…..I took off that mustache before I went to get my good cause I didn’t want the fuzzies that were shedding to get in what I needed to eat! hahaha)

The food was good and the experience was such fun…..but, the entertainment made the night!!! The band was AMAZING – they played everything from Western Swing to big band swing to 60’s & 70’s rock to country to sing-a-longs to Elvis dancing on the tables!!! So good…..and they had an AWESOME girl fiddle player – she brought me to tears she was so good!!! It was so much fun!!!

“Elvis” came out into the audience and sang to and flirted with the ladies in the front row — a couple from our bus — and they did a great job “swooning” over him – then he got up on the table to do the thing Elvis did best — bump and grind his way along the table top singing! hahaha We all laughed and sang and danced in our seats and just had the BEST time!!! The band ended with a patriotic song that brought the audience to their feet cheering!!!

There were a couple other groups there that night, but the band and crew liked us best…..none of the others dressed the part and got into it like we did! They even came on the bus after we got loaded up to thank us for showing how much fun we were having and playing along!

While we were inside, we had the first bad weather of the trip…..a big storm with thunder and lightening and a major downpour roared outside while we were having the time of our lives……Rachel went out to check the bus cause she had left her driver’s window open! But….it was all over by the time we left and it didn’t spoil anything! We left for the hotel at 8:30 and were exhausted from a very long, full day of fun and emotions! I know I slept like a log…..thinking most everyone did!

The whole Chuckwagon meal and Fort Hays experience was also new to me — didn’t do it on either of my other trips, so that was an exciting NEW experience for me!

Day # 6 – Wednesday, September 18th: After breakfast, we again gathered onto the bus at 8:15 for an 8:30 am departure for another fun filled day!

First up was the Journey Museum in Rapid City. This was a very interesting stop — something I didn’t do before and really enjoyed!

A new exhibit for them was the Painted Tee-Pee….a local Native American Artist painted it to honor all veterans and donated it to the museum – very pretty!

After the Journey Museum, we went to Hill City — another place that was “new to me”…..it was a sweet little cowboy town where we had lunch. It was quite windy and a bit chilly, so I bought a new sweatshirt to wear! I think it will be my new favorite sweatshirt this fall and winter – it is a peachy/sherbet color and says “Forever Chasing Sunsets” and The Black Hills on it! Love it!

When we first got off the bus, the lady from the Chamber of Commerce told us to go around the corner to see the World’s Largest Chainsaw Carving of Smokey The Bear…..yep, it was pretty big!!!

I had lunch with my new friends, Anne and Ed, at the Bumpin’ Buffalo. I had the spicy honey glazed chicken sandwich with onion rings — so good – I had them put the spicy honey on the side cause I was concerned it might be TOO spicy…..it did have quite a big kick to it, but I drizzled a fair amount onto the chicken and it was really delicious!!! The place was really neat, too…..there was an antique safe from Buffalo, NY!!!

After lunch, we headed to the Crazy Horse Memorial — this is another sight that I experienced twice before, but was so excited to get to see it again. This time I was most excited to see what progress was made on the carving….you see, it is being completed solely with private funding – no government funding, so it is taking a very long time to finish…..but, even partially done, it is incredibly impressive and I can’t imagine how awesome it will be when it is completed…..unfortunately, that won’t happen in my lifetime!

The progress between my 2016 and 2018 visits wasn’t that noticeable — there was progress, just not as obvious as it was this time. Here are the photos from 2016 (left) and 2018 (right):

Now, in 2024, Crazy Horse’s finger stretching out from his hand pointing onward is much more defined and show distinct progress!

Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowsk was commissioned to design and carve the memorial to Crazy Horse a Lakota leader of the Black Hills by Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear – a maternal cousin of Crazy Horse. Korczak agreed to accept Standing Bear’s invitation to carve this memorial and arrived in the Black Hills on May 3, 1947. He worked on the project until his death on October 20, 1982, at age 74. During his nearly 36 years of working on the Mountain, he refused to take any salary at Crazy Horse Memorial and was adamant that no government funding would be used so that no one would ever be able to dictate the design, timing, or progress. He saw that the government had cut funding and continued progress at Mt. Rushmore and was committed that it would not happen at Crazy Horse. He was also more committed to education and preserving the culture of Native Americans than just carving a memorial. After his death, his children have continued his legacy and even his grandchildren are involved and are committed to finishing the work.

Crazy Horse Memorial® is located in the heart of the beautiful Black Hills. The elevation on the Mountain is 6,532 feet above sea level and ranks 27th highest mountain in South Dakota. It is made of pegmatite granite and was chosen by Korczak and Chief Standing Bear for the memorial. The entire carving is 641 feet long and 563 feet high. To give perspective of the size……see that gray area in the rough section behind his face about even with his eye in the next photo? Well, Mt Rushmore can fit in that gray area!!! It is the largest memorial in the world!!!

Here are some more photos taken at the Crazy Horse Memorial and the Cultural Center:

This is a smaller scale version of what the vision is for the memorial at its completion with the actual memorial in the background — showing what it currently looks like and what it will eventually look like. The photos that follow are from when we were able to take the bus down to the base to get a close-up view.

Later in the evening, we went for dinner and entertainment at the NAJA Shrine Center in Rapid City. Diamond Tours – the company First Choice Travel uses to put on some of their bigger trips, like this one – hosts a party night once during the trip – usually inviting all the Diamond Tour buses currently visiting the area. We were actually the only bus they had in the area this time, so it was just us, but we still had a great time! They put on a delicious buffet dinner and had an excellent band as entertainment – they played classic rock, mostly, and it was great….lots of dancing involved!!! I was pretty sore and sorry the next day, but it was a blast and well worth it!!! Everyone seemed to have a great time — once the ice was broken and we all started dancing!!! And…the lead singer’s name was KIM!!!

Even though we had a VERY full day, we got back to the hotel earlier than we had been – I think I was in my room by 7:30-ish!!!??? As much as I hated for the party and dancing to come to an end, I was happy to have time to wind down a bit before hopping into bed to crash for the night! It was another amazing day!!!

Day # 7 – Thursday, September 19th: What time do you think we were to be on the bus the next morning? Yep…..8:15…..8:15…..8:15…..8:15!!! That became our regular chant whenever Kathy would tell us what time to be back on the bus…..it was almost morbid….but also hysterical at the same time!!!

We started Thursday out at the High Plains Western Heritage Center – another “new to me” stop that blew me away!!! It was wonderful and so very interesting!!! We got there at 9:00 am, watched a little video and strolled around the exhibits for about an hour and a half.

He’s right behind me, isn’t he???

Then we were off to Deadwood, SD……famous for the town that Wild Bill Hickoc was murdered while playing poker holding aces and eights, with the ace of spades and the ace of clubs, and the same suits for the eights – later known as “the dead man’s hand”. I really looked forward to going to Deadwood, again….I had fun there in 2016 and this time was even better because I spent more time and saw more stuff!

We met up with a step-on guide named Mike who was awesome! Such a character!!! He got on the bus and took us on a drive around Deadwood while explaining the history and why it was an important mining town in it’s day. We stopped at the Visitor’s Center and looked out over an old gold mine that is now used by a research group. Then, we stopped in front of Saloon # 10 and Wild Bill got on to welcome us and invite us to witness his demise in a show that was about to start in the saloon.

Inside, he told us all about his life…..and death! And then asked for four volunteers to help him do the reenactment of his murder…..two of the four selected were from our bus!!!

The two from our bus were Don in the blue shirt and Wendy who portrayed the bartender.

Here’s how the story goes: Wild Bill was about to play a game of poker with three other “guys” in Saloon # 10 on August 2, 1876. Hickok was reluctant to play because one of the other guys was in “his” chair and he didn’t like playing with his back to the entrance door. He gave in and sat to play cards with his back to the saloon door. At 4:15 in the afternoon, a young gunslinger named Jack McCall walked into the saloon – Hickok stood up and was about to shoot him, but thought better of it after he saw who it was. Then, McCall came back and approached Hickok from behind and shot him in the back of the head. Hickok died immediately. McCall was tried and found not guilty because he convinced the judge and jury that it was self-defense. He was later retried when it was determined that the original trial was not legal…..he was then found guilty and hanged for the murder of Wild Bill Hickok!

After the reenactment, Wild Bill and Jack McCall hung out for photos — of course, I had to take advantage of that! In fact, I have a photo of me with him from 2016, too…..I showed him the older photo and he laughed and said “wow – welcome back!”

Yes, they are very TALL cowboys…..and yes, I’m standing on the same level they are…..I’m just that short!!! hahaha

And, here’s the photo from 2016:

Several of us stayed and went upstairs for lunch and then we spent the rest of the time exploring Deadwood.

Kathy insisted as many as possible sit on these fun stools for our photos…..they were HIGH and I couldn’t get up, but Kathy was determined, so she and a couple others gave me a boost and the rest is history!

Later, there was ice cream and we witnessed a shootout in the street before heading out for dinner.

The shootout had a happy ending…..both gunmen were pretty poor shots cause all they “hit” was a store window and the leg of an innocent bystander in the store…..the two gunmen shook and made up and walked off without a scratch! hahaha

Dinner that night was at the Pizza Ranch in Sturgis right next to our hotel. They had a pretty good buffet with, of course, pizza, but also fried chicken, mashed potatoes, a salad bar, veggies, and some other stuff….it was a good dinner!

This was our last night in South Dakota…..the next day we started our journey back home….so, this is where I’ll leave this post….cause, it’s a good place to make a break AND it’s past my bedtime and I’m having a hard time concentrating on what I’m writing! hhhmmm…..so, I’ll end here and come back tomorrow for post # 3.

Just as a reminder…..if you haven’t already done so, you can scroll down to the next post for 2024 South Dakota Adventure # 1 and then after that, scroll down one more post for the first “teaser” post with Random Pics of America’s Heartland – just a collection of random photos mostly taken from the bus along the way!

Be sure to check back for Post # 3!!!