Our RV Adventures

Jan and I were out the door by 11am, heading south to Hill City and the 1880 Train ride about an hour away..

We had allowed plenty of time because if you miss your train, you’re out of luck. No refunds. So since I bought our tickets yesterday online, all I had to do was pick them up at the train station, and then wait.

The locomotive came backing into the station pulling the train behind it. Which meant at the other end of  the route, Keystone, they didn’t have a wye or a turntable, but used a runaround track to move the locomotive to the other end of the train for the trip back to Hill City

The engine uncoupled from the far end of the cars, coming back to the other end to take on water at the tower before coupling to the new head of the train for the next run.

The trip to Keystone at the other end of the track, and near Mt. Rushmore, takes about an hour to travel the 10 miles, so you do the math. A speedster it’s not.

The enclosed cars are immaculate, unlike some trains we’ve been on. Really nice, with comfortable padded seats.

Getting to Keystone, they brought the engine out onto the runaround track for a little servicing and some more water.

Then they coupled it to the other end of the train, which is how it ends up running in reverse coming back into Hill City.

So while we were the first car behind the engine on the outbound run, we were bringing up the rear coming home.

We arrived back in Hill City about 3:30, which was the final run for the day. Then after hitting the gift shop for a couple of things, we had some time to kill before dinner.

So while we were waiting for the Alpine Inn to open at 5, we decided to make the 10 mile drive down to the Crazy Horse monument. We were interested to see if they had made any noticeable progress since we last visited in 2008.

And the answer is . . .

2008 Visit

2017 Visit

So the answer is NO!

The only thing really different is that they’ve cleared the rubble along the side so you can now see the full outline of where the horse’s head is going to be.

Since they started working on it in 1948, 70 years ago, I figure it’s going to be at least another 70 years before they finish.

Here’s what it’s supposed to look like when it’s finished.

I think I would be worried that the pointing finger will break off under its own weight, as well as the arm itself. Maybe that’s why they’re going so slow.

If something falls off, they’re screwed. Doubt they can glue it back on.

Getting back into Hill City and the Alpine Inn a little before 5pm, we found we didn’t want to eat there tonight. We had come for their well-recommended German cuisine, but it turns out that they only serve that on the lunch menu.

The dinner menu is prix fixe, with only two items on the menu – a bacon-wrapped filet, and a German noodle dish. Neither of which we wanted. We’ll catch them for lunch another time.

Checking Yelp, we chose Desperados, a place right down the street.

Turns out it’s housed in the oldest hand-hewn log building in South Dakota. Built in 1885 as saloon and hotel, it’s also been a newspaper office, a fix-it shop, a fly-tying  shop, a book and gun shop, a stained glass shop, and a bunch of other things. In fact it’s been continuously occupied since it was built.

Quite a record.

And now as a restaurant, it was still great.

Jan had the Chicken Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and sautéed green beans,

while I had the Chicken Fried Steak with mashed potatoes and sautéed green beans..

Yes, it’s the same photo, since they both looked exactly the same.

This was a great meal. The breading on the meat was really good, as was the gravy. Just perfect.

And while we were at the restaurant I saw this photo on the wall, showing the face of Crazy Horse from the outstretched arm.

Looks a lot better this way. And I guess they must have an elevator of some sort to get all those people up there.

Coming back home by another route, we passed Mt. Rushmore but really couldn’t see it due to the sun being in our eyes. We’ll be coming back here after the holiday is over.

Back in Rapid City, we made a quick Safeway stop for a few things, as well as Starbuck’s Cinnamon Dolce Latte’s for the road, finally getting home about 7:30.

I’ll flesh out some more of today’s adventure in tomorrow’s blog.

O,h, and Sheldon will be happy to know that the train cars used the Janney coupler, and not the original link-and-pin coupler or the Miller hook & platform.

Thought for the Day:

My sense of humor may offend your feelings. I suggest you get over it.

ghdghdgh

By ‘Back Home in South Dakota’, Jan and I have been official South Dakota residents since March 28, 2008.

We bought our 2004 Dodge Dakota toad in Pearland, TX on December 15, 2007, and our 1999 American Eagle coach in New Braunfels, TX on December 28, 2008. But we didn’t register them in Texas, but in South Dakota.

I had already established an SD address with MyDakotaAddress in Madison, SD so all I had to do was to send them my bills of sale and other paperwork, and a week or so later I received my tags in the mail.

At that point we had 90 days to actually get to South Dakota to get our Driver’s Licenses, which we did on March 28th on our way to Alaska. And to do this, we drove from Billings, MT to Sturgis, SD on the afternoon of the 27th.

Unfortunately we had to make the trip in the middle of a snow storm. In fact it got so bad that I think the only way we made to Sturgis was that we were able to follow a snowplow into town. We spent the night in a motel, planning to got down to the community center the next morning to get our licenses.

But the next morning, we came out to this.

That’s ice, solid ice. It took me almost an hour to chip my way into the truck.

Because they have so many small towns out in the middle of nowhere, South Dakota has traveling licensing offices that move around the state on a regular schedule. And in this case they were in Sturgis on Friday, March 28th.

The traveling office consisted of two ladies and six big equipment cases, about 3’ x 3’ and about 18” high. The cases contained everything they needed to process and check your old licenses, administer the vision test, and then print and laminate our licenses. So 45 minutes later, after filling out our voting registration forms, we were on our way back to Billings, early enough that we thought about detouring out to see Devil’s Tower, but the roads out there had not been plowed yet.

Around 4pm we drove into Rapid City to have dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings. Our last visit was in Las Vegas a month or so ago so it was about time. Unfortunately we missed Half Price Wings Tuesday, but it was still delicious. Just a little more expensive.

Jan got her wings with Asian Zing Sauce and a side of Mango Habanero while I got mine with Mango Habanero and a side of Blazin’, their hottest sauce.

One thing I like about BWW over Hooter’s is that they don’t nickel and dime you. I got my wings all drums, and also asked for an extra Ranch dressing. Both would have been extra cost at Hooter’s, but not at BWW.

Tomorrow we’re driving down to Hill City to ride the 1880 Train from there to Keystone and back, a two hour round-trip. Leaving at 1:15 and back at 3:30, we’ll then have linner at the Alpine Inn, a well-known German restaurant in the area.

We chose to ride one of their steam locomotives rather than the diesel models.

It will be interesting to see if they’re still using the original link-and-pin coupler, or the Miller hook & platform on the passenger cars. But it will probably be the Janney coupler, since they also have to hook up to the more modern diesel.

Thought for the Day:

The Road To Hell Is Not Paved With Good Results.

dghdghdgh

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