Running Amonk
I realize puns are not the most elegant of communication tools. However, they make me smile, and will likely continue. 😎
This morning, job one was getting the blog entry published. Carrie was exhausted last night, and was falling asleep while processing pictures, so no entry last night. In between showering, dressing, and packing, we got the pictures selected and uploaded the blog. We loaded the car and headed to Mount Rushmore. On the way, we saw the Crazy Morse monument.
We made it to the parking garage, and strapped on cameras and the like to head to the memorial. The last time I was here was when I was on the road with JP - nearly 30 years ago. Needless to say, it has changed since then. We took some great photos of the memorial from increasingly close range. As we walked closer, we saw a group of monks taking pictures and selfies. They ended up photobombing several of our pics. It was a little surreal.
As we left to walk on the trail, we saw a Native American exhibit with a Lokota representative telling stories of the challenges his tribe had to endure. He also sang some traditional songs. He told the story of his grandfather who traveled to Washington DC to attempt to get the US government to honor their oft-broken treaties. He really just wanted all of us to have an appreciation for the struggles in their history, and currently.
After the presentation, we continued on the trail, talking and taking photos. We ended up in the gift shop to get some souvenirs for friends and family. There was an artist (from Oklahoma - Boomer!) sharing her wares. She had been an Artist-In-Residence at Custer State Park for several years, so we talked about the things we saw yesterday. Carrie purchased a painting, and got a photo with the artist. She insisted that we all needed hugs, and thanked us for stopping by her booth. She gave us a warning that there was supposed to be severe weather where we were headed - like hail, strong winds and rain. Carrie heard “Monstrous Tornadoes the like of which have never been seen before.” We thanked her for the advice.
Back in the car, we headed off to see the Badlands. The exit off of the interstate was in Wall, S.D. If you have driven the I-90 corridor, you have seen signs for Wall Drug. Calling it a drug store is like calling The Colosseum a theatre. There are tons of specialized “stores” all part of the same complex. We didn’t avail ourselves of the “Free Ice Water”, but we did check out all the overpriced knick-knacks.
We loaded back in the car, and debated our next steps. The sky wasn’t really angry yet, but we could see clouds forming. We decided to dip into Badlands, and take some pictures, then head to Deadwood, our home for the night. We got some great shots, and felt the wind really picking up. We drove the hour and a half to Deadwood, and started getting some bursts of rain. Luckily, there was a parking garage, so we could unload without worrying about any incoming showers or hail.
After we checked in, we went to the exterior entrance to get a luggage trolley and saw a Noah-esque downpour. We had missed driving through that, which I was thankful for. We got everything loaded up, and set up the ladies’ painting stations. I had a relaxing afternoon, and they enjoyed painting.
We went downstairs for dinner. Pat enjoyed her salad. I think Carrie and I weren’t overjoyed with our steaks. She was surprised that I ordered my filet medium-rare. I usually do these days, because most non-Ruths Chris restaurants overcook their steaks. Mine would have been more suitable for a former-JP friend whose standing order for steaks was “98.6 degrees and 35 miles an hour.” The strange thing was the grilled onions were also extremely undercooked. They should not crunch - JMHO.
After dinner, I got Pat set up to watch the debate. Carrie is working on pictures, then probably going to paint another work of art. Tomorrow will be a long driving day, so I’m planning on hitting the hay soon.
