Marvin: Hello All, and greetings from Rapid City, SD. It has been a busy past few days, what with driving and vast, vast, vast expanses of rolling prairie. So much fun. I'm driving the F-150 and while it is a nice ride, the bench seats are killing me arse! All seriousness, a bit of info on where we've been to accompany the pix attached...
Friday...
We went through STL and saw Mallory's sister and her husband. went to eat in the Loop district, at Blue Berry Hill. nice, It's a part of St.L I had not seen before (no ballpark, no arch, no river!). ZFromt here, we hightailed it through the ghetto (I got lost) and onwards to Kansas City and then north. We stayed in Weston Bend SP, camped, roughed it. Well, not quite roughed it as I have evidently brought with me a gourmet chef in Mallory. Making campfire food edible and delicious! yummers! (this has not abated and I do not type this just because she is staring at the screen!).
Alright, the next morning it was on through Missour-ah and into Iowa. If at all possible, skip Iowa. At least the western part of it. sorry, I can see corn in INdiana!
Then to South Dakota. Mal said it best. SD is sleepy. We stayed in southern SD at Snake Creek SP. Josh would appreciate that. It was along the missouri river which is slowed and dammed. So it is a nice resevoir. we walked the beach (check out pics). This was all on Saturday.
On Sunday we woke up, broke camp and made for the Badlands. After some driving (and some more driving) we finally raised the Badlands. Nice, althought he temp is a-scorchin'! After Badlands, we hightailed it to Custer SP in the Black Hills, where there is nary a campsite to be found. Finally found one last night but it was too late. Mallory had already succumbed to hunger and had devoured the garlic herb crackers. (Whew!).
Really, the So Dak. State Parks do not have their shit together. kind of a half arsed operation. Kind of like Custer, who evidently did not have his shit together as well, and they seem to revere him. Coincidence? (anybody remember that he actually LOST the battle of little bighorn?)
This morning, (Monday) we had to change campsites as we are staying in aformentioned half-arsed park. Saw Crazy Horse (cool, but come on...) and Rushmore (I'm feeling more patriotic!). Then we said to hell with it and headed to Rapid City for a day of Brew-ha-ha's. It s Mallory's birthday afterall! Mallory is three sheets to the wind, we are in the public library using the internet and she is trying to pull books off the shelf and harassing little boys in the Harry Potter section. I swear, I can't leave her alone for a minute! Well, I have to go, more from the road later mis amigos!
marvin
Mallory: Marvin is exaggerating...He just can't leave me alone for Five minutes. Its my 23rd birthday, besides...Speaking of which, it's been a good one. What more is there to want for a birthday than travelling across the Western Expanse and trying the local brews? I can only think of one thing, but that would require Robert Redford via 1973, and maybe one of those Spanish bull-riding games. Sorry, Marvin. By the way, just en casa I ever decide to relocate to Rapid City, I've thought of a money-making scheme. I'll open up my own ice cream shop and call it "Frozen Custers." HaHa...I know...I'm a dork....'Til next time!
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