Thursday July 3rd We said our good byes to Mark and headed south on I-25 to Camping world for some work on our house. We took the FIT and drove back out to Estes Park to Snowy Peaks Winery . Spent a couple of hours enjoying Estes Park again while our house was being fixed. When we returned to Camping World it was too late to start our trip to Forest City, IA, so Camping World let us spend the night at their facility. They had water and electric, but only 30 amps. We prefer 50 amps because it allows us to run everything at one time. With 30 amps we have to watch what we run. Like we can only run one A/C instead of running both. We’ve gone with 30 amps enough times that it’s not a problem. Actually we have a Power Control System (PCS) that monitors our ampere usage and will shut down appliances before tripping circuit breakers. When on 30 amps or less it will show us how many amps we’re using so we can decide what to run or not run.

 

Friday July 4th

 

 

We drove to Fort Laramie, WY and spent the night at a tiny mom & pop campground. After setting up we drove over to Ft. Laramie National Historic site. Didn’t realize they had an all day celebration of which we missed most of. Ft. Laramie is part of The National Parks system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The town of Ft. Laramie has a population of 200 something, but they put on one of the best fireworks display we’ve ever seen. It seemed to go on forever. Three times we thought it was the finale, but they just kept shooting up more fireworks. Saturday July 5th Today was a travel day. We drove to Heartland RV Park in Hermosa, South Dakota. This was the view out our front window. There were about six horses that would greet you in the morning or anytime of the day if they were out. Unfortunately I missed getting a picture of them playing.

Sunday July 6th We went to the Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorials. This is the view as you walk into the Mount Rushmore Memorial.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a trail that will get you to the base of Mt. Rushmore.

 

 

Views from the base.

 

 

 

Next was the Crazy Horse Memorial. In 1939 Korczak Ziolkowski was working on the Mount Rushmore project. He also won first prize for a sculpture at the 1939 World’s Fair. Due to his notoriety Chief Standing Bear asked him to create a similar monument for the North American Indians. Korczak worked on the project until his death in 1972 at age 74. He and his wife had 10 children. Six of whom still work on the project. It is funded entirely by private funds. Several times they have turned down offers of government funding. View from the parking lot.

 

 

 

 

There was lots to see and do at the memorial.

 

 

 

 

Monday July 7th. In the morning we went to Sturgis South Dakota. If you’re a biker you’ve probably heard about Sturgis. There is a rally there every year in August and the town is over flowing with motorcycles of every kind. We were there a month ahead of time so very few bikes.

 

 

 

 

 

The famous Buffalo Chip.

 

 

In the afternoon we went to Deadwood South Dakota. Deadwood is famous for gold being discovered in 1874 by General George Custer, and Wild Bill Hickok was killed by Jack McCall. Hickok never liked to sit with his back to the door, but this day the only seat available was with it’s back facing the door. He sat to play and Jack McCall walked in and shot him in the back of the head. He was holding “Aces and Eights” now known in poker as a “Dead Man’s Hand.” The town was also made into an HBO series Deadwood.

 

 

Staged gunfight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday July 10th We finally made it to the 2014 Winnebago Grand National Rally in Forest City, Iowa. We will be camped here for 11 days and then start the trip east to the Family Picnic.