Comfort Inn Deadwood

Then I drove down to Spearfish, So. Dak. Spearfish Canyon is in the Black Hills - so called because the evergreens on the hills are so dark green that they look black in the distance. Spearfish Canyon is beautiful any time of year, but is especially gorgeous this time of year, when all the aspen and birch turn golden. The gold trees are interspersed with the deep green evergreens ...

Today's drive was a lot better than yesterdays. South Dakota reminds us of home a little. Lots of mountains, trees and wildlife, beautiful. We made our way into the Black Hills Nat. Forest, and stopped in a old west town, Deadwood. Which is where Wild Bill was shot. Pretty much just another touristy town filled with shops and a few museums, which of course we ...

... If the last 23 miles wasn't downhill, we would've been calling roadside service! We went 349 miles on that tank...that's a tidbit for you, Corina, if you are reading...Ms. new to the Sienna mini-van world. :)<br><br>After filling up, we literally waited a half hour at a road construction stop in downtown Buffalo. I was about ready to ask the flagger for one of her smokes! ****** cell phone service the rest of the night ...

... up on time for breakfast. Only had noodles this time because the inn didn't offer continental breakfast. Oh well! We then left for the national park again in the morning. It was amazing to see how huge the park was because it took TWO hours to get to the north side of the park for Big Mammoth springs! We were coming from the south side, by the way. <br><br>In Big Mammoth springs, we were able to witness the beauty and the smell of hot springs in their glory! It was sad to see ...

... though he was an extreme wack-o, and we are convinced that he has done some very bad things, he was definitely the King of Pop. Sadness. We scanned every radio station listening to all of the songs played in tribute. <br><br>Things we did in Deadwood:<br>- Arrived in Deadwood much, much later than expected, so all touring had to be pushed to tomorrow morning. <br> - Checked in at lackluster KOA with postage-sized sites piled on ...

... the monument, with only the face being completed and it still cost $10 to go in. I think I was there for about 10 mins!! Mt Rushmore was $10 to get into as well.<br><br>I stopped for lunch in Keystone and then through the Black Hills area to Deadwood. Once I got to Deadwood I went for a quick drive around town to see what it was like before going back to the hotel to drop the car off and walk into town (in case I had a few beers!). Dropping the car off was a great ...

... was injured and Jonas got to bond with Auntie Michelle, Papa Morris and Grandma Janet and with Grandpa George and Grandma Judy. We also celebrated Jonas's birthday and both the kids got lively Easter presents. We had lunch in Rapid with Papa Morris. Not our usual Easter celebration, but it was lovely all the same. Departing was sad as we knew it would be a long ...

... us left telling us that they loved our accents - yes, even Andy's. We found out that they own Shire horses and they invited us over to see them. After they had gone a table full of Black Country folk moved in and Stewart cracked up when they asked for a cup of tea (Andy had only yesterday told the Noddy Holder Cup Of Tea/Kipper Tie Joke) - that started the banter and the waitress seemed to have two tables full of British Isles trouble with accents. We stopped in at Pete's ice ...

... the stunning Crazy Horse monument is slowly being molded out of mountain. It is awe-inspiring seeing Crazy Horse which is the largest mountain carving in progress in the world and a moving tribute to Crazy Horse, the Lakota leader and native American hero who fought and died for his people. To be honest, as beautiful as Mt Rushmore was with it's famous images of Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington and Roosevelt etched in stone, it paled ...

... and you didn't have a bunch of big rv's turning it into a big parking lot. And Beaver Creek was very basic, and it was full when I got there but I found a spot to park. But this was the magic time of the year-Sunday and the end of the weekend. By the time it got to late afternoon I was the only one still there. It was me and the woods and a little streamlet.<br> After ...