Prairie Dog Town and Bison Watch
Wind Cave Tour, Wind Cave National Park
Whitewater Rafting, Fort Collins
Aspenglen Campground, Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain's Highway 34 Drive ::: Alpine Visitor Center
Lake Estes Fishing, Estes Park
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Chamberlain, South Dakota
403 miles from Minneapolis ::: about 6 hours drive (Get Map)
We arrived there so late at night and we stayed at Best Western. When we woke up in the morning, I was thrilled to see the beautiful Missouri River and bridges. We found a campground too after we cross the bridge behind the hotel.1880 Town
1880 Town, Murdo, SD
74.7 miles from Chamberlain ::: 1 hour drive (Get map)
It's acutally right on I-90. We had lunch at the 50's Train Diner. It was kinda cool eating in a real train bogey. They didn't have much variety, only soup of the day, burgers, sandwiches, coffee ans soft drink. My soup was really good though. There was more to see. It looked like a museum to us but we didn't get in. Oh, and this town's number of rabbits seems to be increasing "rapidly". :-)
74.7 miles from Chamberlain ::: 1 hour drive (Get map)
It's acutally right on I-90. We had lunch at the 50's Train Diner. It was kinda cool eating in a real train bogey. They didn't have much variety, only soup of the day, burgers, sandwiches, coffee ans soft drink. My soup was really good though. There was more to see. It looked like a museum to us but we didn't get in. Oh, and this town's number of rabbits seems to be increasing "rapidly". :-)
Monday, June 16, 2008
Ghost Town
17 miles from 1880 Town ::: 40 minutes drive (Get Map)
or Exit 183 off I-90
Ghost Town Gas and Rock Shop Okaton, South Dakota
We just saw a sign and decided to make a left turn to visit. It turned out to be quite interesting. It's got a long story. Everything we saw was 'old' and falling apart. We asked the shopperkeeper what was up with the old wild wild west scene and she said someone built the strip to shoot a movie but they never did. There's a post office too, a real one, but it only opens 2 hours a day from 9AM to 11 AM. That was something!
or Exit 183 off I-90
Ghost Town Gas and Rock Shop Okaton, South Dakota
We just saw a sign and decided to make a left turn to visit. It turned out to be quite interesting. It's got a long story. Everything we saw was 'old' and falling apart. We asked the shopperkeeper what was up with the old wild wild west scene and she said someone built the strip to shoot a movie but they never did. There's a post office too, a real one, but it only opens 2 hours a day from 9AM to 11 AM. That was something!
Wall Drug
Wall Drug Store, Wall, South Dakota
85 miles from Ghost Town ::: 1.5 hours drive (Get Map)
All the way from Murdo, we might have seen hundreds of "Wall Drug Store" ad signs. It was crazy but it worked! We stopped by -- had to see why they advertised quite a bit. Commercial commercial commercial... we ended up buying a couple of souvenirs and post cards.
85 miles from Ghost Town ::: 1.5 hours drive (Get Map)
All the way from Murdo, we might have seen hundreds of "Wall Drug Store" ad signs. It was crazy but it worked! We stopped by -- had to see why they advertised quite a bit. Commercial commercial commercial... we ended up buying a couple of souvenirs and post cards.
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Hermosa, SD
77 miles from last stop, Wall Drug ::: 1.5 hours drive (Get directions & map)
Fee
$10.00 - Annual Pass for Cars,Motorcycles and RVs
Yay, it was nice to see the Presidents! If we were there early enough, we could join the Ranger Walk. We enjoyed the scenic drive up there though, it was the first mountain to climb up to since we left Minneapolis. Oh, and good to know the Fireworks will be on July 3, not July 4 this year.
Frequently Asked Questions*
1) Who created the sculpture?
Gutzon Borglum and 400 workers.
2) How much did the sculpture cost?
$989,992.32.
3) How long did it take to build?
14 years . October 4, 1927 - October 31,1941
4) Are the faces eroding?
No, the estimated erosion rate is 1 inch every 10,000 years.
5) Who is the mountain named after?
Charles E. Rushmore, a New York City Attorney, in 1885 who was out here on business.
6) Were there any deaths during the carving?
No.
(*from National Park Serive Website)
77 miles from last stop, Wall Drug ::: 1.5 hours drive (Get directions & map)
Fee
$10.00 - Annual Pass for Cars,Motorcycles and RVs
Yay, it was nice to see the Presidents! If we were there early enough, we could join the Ranger Walk. We enjoyed the scenic drive up there though, it was the first mountain to climb up to since we left Minneapolis. Oh, and good to know the Fireworks will be on July 3, not July 4 this year.
Frequently Asked Questions*
1) Who created the sculpture?
Gutzon Borglum and 400 workers.
2) How much did the sculpture cost?
$989,992.32.
3) How long did it take to build?
14 years . October 4, 1927 - October 31,1941
4) Are the faces eroding?
No, the estimated erosion rate is 1 inch every 10,000 years.
5) Who is the mountain named after?
Charles E. Rushmore, a New York City Attorney, in 1885 who was out here on business.
6) Were there any deaths during the carving?
No.
(*from National Park Serive Website)
Elk Mountain Campground
Elk Mountain Campground is very near to the Wind Cave visitor center, the Southern Black Hills off 385. 44 miles from Mount Rushmore ::: 1 hour drive (Get directions & Map)
We were driving around to pick a campsite, we saw 2 mule deer, a buffalo (probably a bison) and a bunch of prairie dogs. This campground has no showers... no eletrical hookups but it's got bathrooms and water taps all around. The fee is very low, 6$ a night. It was so amazing how isolated and wild the place was. We heard dense wildlife's noise especially the birds' in the early morning.
We were driving around to pick a campsite, we saw 2 mule deer, a buffalo (probably a bison) and a bunch of prairie dogs. This campground has no showers... no eletrical hookups but it's got bathrooms and water taps all around. The fee is very low, 6$ a night. It was so amazing how isolated and wild the place was. We heard dense wildlife's noise especially the birds' in the early morning.
Cool fact from Wind Cave National Park
28,295 acres of mixed-grass prairie, ponderosa pine forest, and associated wildlife are the main features of the park.
A Rocky Mountain bull elk weighs between 700 - 800 pounds. Rocky Mountain elk were introduced to the park in 1914 and 1916.
Prairie Dog Town & Bison Watch
One of the Prairie Dog Towns is off 385 too, the opposite side of Elk Mountain Campground. (Get map)
We saw a big piece of hilly land full of mounds and hundreds of prairie dogs. There were a bunch of bisons around too. Some bisons rolled on the sandy dusty ground which I thought it might have been the prairie dog's mounds. I don't know why bisons do that. To keep bugs off?!? The land is so bold, no grass, though, them prairie dogs eat grass to keep it cropped short so they can see if predators or enemies approaching.
Cool Facts from Wind Cave National Park
Fire is an important factor in protecting the prairie. Historically, fires burned across the prairie every 4 to 7 years. Fires burn the small trees that march across the prairie turning the grasslands to forest.
We saw a big piece of hilly land full of mounds and hundreds of prairie dogs. There were a bunch of bisons around too. Some bisons rolled on the sandy dusty ground which I thought it might have been the prairie dog's mounds. I don't know why bisons do that. To keep bugs off?!? The land is so bold, no grass, though, them prairie dogs eat grass to keep it cropped short so they can see if predators or enemies approaching.
Cool Facts from Wind Cave National Park
Fire is an important factor in protecting the prairie. Historically, fires burned across the prairie every 4 to 7 years. Fires burn the small trees that march across the prairie turning the grasslands to forest.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Wind Cave Tour
Wind Cave National Park, 26611 US Highway 385, Hot Springs, SD (Get Map)
Wind cave is the world's 4th largest, most complex maze-cave systems and contains an amazing amount of the very rare formation called boxwork. The cave was discovered in 1881, when the entrance was noticed by two brothers, Jesse and Tom Bingham. They heard a loud whistling noise, which led them to a small hole in the ground. It is the first cave in the world to be designated as a national park. That occurred on January 9, 1903.
We did Natural Entrance Cave Tour, 1.5 hour walk down 300 stairs, learned about the exploration, equipements used and cave formation. We also experienced a short moment of the real darkness in the cave. Very very very dark! One time I was told by the guide that we were at about 21 stories 'down.' It freaked me out "how can we go back up there again!?! I'm not gonna climb 300 stairs up!" -- but I was too shy to ask. "Oh well," I thought, "there seems to be no way else and I humbly except my situation." :-) It turned out that we got to ride the elevator,where, again, I was told that it was the tallest elevator in South Dakota. Nice!
Wind cave is the world's 4th largest, most complex maze-cave systems and contains an amazing amount of the very rare formation called boxwork. The cave was discovered in 1881, when the entrance was noticed by two brothers, Jesse and Tom Bingham. They heard a loud whistling noise, which led them to a small hole in the ground. It is the first cave in the world to be designated as a national park. That occurred on January 9, 1903.
We did Natural Entrance Cave Tour, 1.5 hour walk down 300 stairs, learned about the exploration, equipements used and cave formation. We also experienced a short moment of the real darkness in the cave. Very very very dark! One time I was told by the guide that we were at about 21 stories 'down.' It freaked me out "how can we go back up there again!?! I'm not gonna climb 300 stairs up!" -- but I was too shy to ask. "Oh well," I thought, "there seems to be no way else and I humbly except my situation." :-) It turned out that we got to ride the elevator,where, again, I was told that it was the tallest elevator in South Dakota. Nice!
This type of tours operates every 1.5 hours from 9 AM to 4.30 PM everyday. The fee is 9$.
Estes Park, Colorado
Estes Park is 337 miles (5.5 hours drive) from the last stop, Wind Cave National Park .
(Get directions and map)
Rocky Mountain National Park and Roosevelt National Forest surround the village of Estes Park with beautilful mountain scenery, lots of wildlife habitat, miles of hiking trails and scenic drives. The 32 miles drive from Loveland to the entrance of Estes Park was awesome, full of scenic beauty like rugged cliffs and high mountains, especially the Big Thompson Canyon Road... made us feel very welcomed and hinted us a lot of wonderful new experience yet to come. Had to keep the eyes wide open for wildlife and pieces rocks though. We saw a number of elks right by the road eating some grass, we tried not to hit them. Pieces of rocks that fall onto the road are sharp and can easily blow us off the road too. So, we paid a little extra attention. :-)
(Get directions and map)
Rocky Mountain National Park and Roosevelt National Forest surround the village of Estes Park with beautilful mountain scenery, lots of wildlife habitat, miles of hiking trails and scenic drives. The 32 miles drive from Loveland to the entrance of Estes Park was awesome, full of scenic beauty like rugged cliffs and high mountains, especially the Big Thompson Canyon Road... made us feel very welcomed and hinted us a lot of wonderful new experience yet to come. Had to keep the eyes wide open for wildlife and pieces rocks though. We saw a number of elks right by the road eating some grass, we tried not to hit them. Pieces of rocks that fall onto the road are sharp and can easily blow us off the road too. So, we paid a little extra attention. :-)
We camped at Estes Park Campground that night. We paid 39$ for the site and 2 stacks of firewood including internet and hot shower. There're some sites that have electrical hookups too. Nice view! It felt nothing like Elk Mountain Campground in South Dakota though - that was totally 'into the wild.'
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Longmont, CO
We visited our aunt Devona and Brian in Longmont. We were excited, especially me :) -- my first time to see them. They have a very lovely home with a beautiful terrace, garden and of course, a good view of the mountains. Most of all, they are wonderful people and we enjoyed every minute there.
For lunch, we went to Pumphouse Brewery on Main St. Burger was the best choice coz it comes with beer. :-) We had Black & Bleu and Chipotle & Bacon. Very very good!!! There're 6 different kinds of original hand-crafted brews. We loved the Pyro Porter, dark and chocolate stout-like.
For dinner, we felt like Italian so we went to Tony Rigatoni's. They have a nice outdoor area under a big tree. We had Penne with Sausage & Peppers and Penne Al Pomodoro. Very good! All pasta comes with salad and bread too.
Pearl Street Mall, Boulder
After lunch at Pumphouse in Longmont, we went to see Boulder.
First stop in Boulder ::: Pearl Street Mall (Get directions and map)
It's 15 miles or half and hour from our aunt's place in Longmont. This open-air pedestrain mall is in the heart of downtown Boulder, hosts all kind of restaurants, galleries, cart vendors and bars on a 4 block stretch. We loved the tree lines filled with flowers, wooden benches and sculptures. There were magicians, musicians and jugglers entertaining for tips too.
First stop in Boulder ::: Pearl Street Mall (Get directions and map)
It's 15 miles or half and hour from our aunt's place in Longmont. This open-air pedestrain mall is in the heart of downtown Boulder, hosts all kind of restaurants, galleries, cart vendors and bars on a 4 block stretch. We loved the tree lines filled with flowers, wooden benches and sculptures. There were magicians, musicians and jugglers entertaining for tips too.
Flagstaff Mountain, Boulder
Second stop in Boulder : Flagstaff Mountain
5 miles from the last stop, Pearl Street Mall (Get directions and map)
We think this is a must-see when you're Boulder. The 3.4 miles up Flagstaff Road then 0.5 miles on Flagstaff Summit Road was really a fun drive. At 6,850 feet, we got a breathtaking view of the plains and Boulder Valley to the east. We could even see Denver from there. (Denver is 30 miles away) Very romantic too. :-)
Cool Facts
It's only accessible from May through October. The fee is 3$ for a daily permit, to be paid one of six self-service stations.
"One of the toughest yet most rewarding climbs in Boulder, the road up Flagstaff may leave you panting but the views will leave you breathless." Jon Dorn, Bicycling.allsportsgps.com
5 miles from the last stop, Pearl Street Mall (Get directions and map)
We think this is a must-see when you're Boulder. The 3.4 miles up Flagstaff Road then 0.5 miles on Flagstaff Summit Road was really a fun drive. At 6,850 feet, we got a breathtaking view of the plains and Boulder Valley to the east. We could even see Denver from there. (Denver is 30 miles away) Very romantic too. :-)
Cool Facts
It's only accessible from May through October. The fee is 3$ for a daily permit, to be paid one of six self-service stations.
"One of the toughest yet most rewarding climbs in Boulder, the road up Flagstaff may leave you panting but the views will leave you breathless." Jon Dorn, Bicycling.allsportsgps.com
Whitewater Rafting in Fort Collins
Fort Collins is 40 miles from Longmont (about 40 minutes drive on Google Map, includes traffic it could take 1-1.5 hour though)
It was Tuesday (June 3, 2008) we called Mountain Whitewater Descents (in the morning leaving from Longmont after saying tata to two sweetest people)to book for a half day thing. They said this time of the year, there's nothing milder than the Plunge, so... the Plunge that is. The 15 minute safety policy introductory meeting was held at the office in Fort Collins. After we put on wetsuit, helmet, bootie and so on, we went on Da Bus up the mountain. It felt like a long way up (about 40 mins). Along the way on the bus, we got to see 'the river' and rapids after rapids, I have to admit a thought of 'not doing it' or 'quitting' came into my mind sevelral times. Matt was pretty calm about the whole thing so... that helped. :-) When we were already in the raft though we felt like we were being counted on and we didn't want to let anyone down. That helped too. :-) Matt got to be the lead paddler. He was the only boy in the group excluding the guide. No one in our group became a 'swimmer' (fell off into the crazy water) though but the lead guide did and that was the most exciting and scaring part (funniest too). Our group pulled him off the water. All in all, we rafted 12 miles (4 hrs), faced a couple of Class IV rapids and we did hit a gigantic rock, bam!!! Everyone stick-ed to each other like sticky rice though - that way made us safe in our raft. It was one of our most impressive 'teamwork'. We did it!!! And we are glad we did it!!!
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It was Tuesday (June 3, 2008) we called Mountain Whitewater Descents (in the morning leaving from Longmont after saying tata to two sweetest people)to book for a half day thing. They said this time of the year, there's nothing milder than the Plunge, so... the Plunge that is. The 15 minute safety policy introductory meeting was held at the office in Fort Collins. After we put on wetsuit, helmet, bootie and so on, we went on Da Bus up the mountain. It felt like a long way up (about 40 mins). Along the way on the bus, we got to see 'the river' and rapids after rapids, I have to admit a thought of 'not doing it' or 'quitting' came into my mind sevelral times. Matt was pretty calm about the whole thing so... that helped. :-) When we were already in the raft though we felt like we were being counted on and we didn't want to let anyone down. That helped too. :-) Matt got to be the lead paddler. He was the only boy in the group excluding the guide. No one in our group became a 'swimmer' (fell off into the crazy water) though but the lead guide did and that was the most exciting and scaring part (funniest too). Our group pulled him off the water. All in all, we rafted 12 miles (4 hrs), faced a couple of Class IV rapids and we did hit a gigantic rock, bam!!! Everyone stick-ed to each other like sticky rice though - that way made us safe in our raft. It was one of our most impressive 'teamwork'. We did it!!! And we are glad we did it!!!
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Aspenglen Camground, Rocky Mountain National Park
After whitewater rafting in Fort Collins, we drove back to camp at Rocky Mountain. We looked on the internet earlier and just randomly picked the campground. Aspenglen Campground is 55 miles from Fort Collins, a 1.5 hour drive. (Get directions and map) It's off 34, there's a left turn about 1000 feet from the visitor center where we paid 20$ for a 7 consecutive day pass for our car. The rates are various though, check here.
Aspenglen is on Fall River. There're no shower, electrical hookups but there're water and big sinks outside bathroom. We were very happy with the campsite we picked, we could here the river! And at the elevation of 8,200 feet
While setting up the tent, 3 'big' deer came to say hi (well, they came to eat grass at the unoccupied site opposite to us. When I walked back from the bathroom one time, there was a big furry mule deer on the 'narrow' trail in my way. It was quite dark and I didn't see him 'till he was 2-3 yards in front of me. The tip of his ears was as tall as my chin. I didn't know what exactly to do and I was too scared to turn my back on the animal. I just clapped my hand (just like when I stop my cat from climbing a table) and the deer was kind enough to just walk away. Pheeeew! It's the animal's territory, also a bear country -- so there's a tough box (food locker)right by to keep food and other smelly things that can attract animals. There's no tough box at Elk Mountain campground, we heard small ripping sound over our head all night (probably raccoons). So, if you wanna have a good sleep, use the box... whenever available. :-)
Too bad we didn't get the photos of Fall River near campsite.
Aspenglen is on Fall River. There're no shower, electrical hookups but there're water and big sinks outside bathroom. We were very happy with the campsite we picked, we could here the river! And at the elevation of 8,200 feet
While setting up the tent, 3 'big' deer came to say hi (well, they came to eat grass at the unoccupied site opposite to us. When I walked back from the bathroom one time, there was a big furry mule deer on the 'narrow' trail in my way. It was quite dark and I didn't see him 'till he was 2-3 yards in front of me. The tip of his ears was as tall as my chin. I didn't know what exactly to do and I was too scared to turn my back on the animal. I just clapped my hand (just like when I stop my cat from climbing a table) and the deer was kind enough to just walk away. Pheeeew! It's the animal's territory, also a bear country -- so there's a tough box (food locker)right by to keep food and other smelly things that can attract animals. There's no tough box at Elk Mountain campground, we heard small ripping sound over our head all night (probably raccoons). So, if you wanna have a good sleep, use the box... whenever available. :-)
Too bad we didn't get the photos of Fall River near campsite.
Rocky Mountain's Highway 34 Drive
We can say Rocky Mountain's Highway 34 scenic drive (get map) is a must-do. From Aspenglen campground, we drove on 34 just heading to higher and higher road. We saw herds of elks and bighorns sheep along the way. After 10-15 miles, the rain became slushy and the views turned to be just piles of stacked snow on the right and never-ending abyss on the left. When we got to Alpine Visitor Center (21 miles), it snowed and snowed. The snow was nothing 'new' to us but the wind was crazy and amazing. At the elevation of 13,000 feet in late May, views were still very white, toilets were closed coz pipes were still frozen. :-) Oh and the road is only opened from late May to early October. Look for more info at the National Park Service website.
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Lake Estes Fishing, Estes Park
We have always fancied fishing in a Colorado's lake or river. So, after the beautiful drive to 13,000 elevation , we had mexican lunch at Casa Grande on Elkhorn Ave. We wanted to look for some stuff to fix Matt's fishing pole and more information about fishing around there. As we walked back to the car, we found a flyshop called "Kirks Flyshop" right on Elkhorn Ave where we recieved very useful info and registered for Two day Colorado fishing license. The shopkeeper was so friendly and she suggested us the Lake Estes' Lakefront Street entrance, a minute away where trouts have been caught a lot (get map). The street is off 34, very easy to access and it's got free parking lot. We fished at the Northeast end of the lake where a small wooden bridge is located. The current was pretty strong that day coz it'd been raining for 2 days. We used some spinners as advised. After casting for a half an hour, Matt caught a brown trout. then, I caught a red spotted trout, then we caught 6-7 more each. They looked small so we didn't keep them. Even though it rained almost all the time and it was really chilly, we fished there the whole evening 'til the sun was gone. Trouts are so beautiful and we had so much fun!
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We haven't tried fly fishing yet though. :-)
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Harrah's Hotel & Casino, Council Bluffs, IA
The morning of June 5, 2008, we woke up realizing how crappy the weather had been all night long. Our tent cover was full of thick ice and snow.
We checked the weather report and it said it was going to be raining slash snowing and T-storming all day in the moutain... so we decided to leave immediately. At 8.30 AM, we packed up in the middle of falling wet snow not knowing what was next or where to go exactly. Good thing we brought a laptop, GPS navigator and wi-fi cellphone with - they were a lot of help. We were about to head back home in Minnesota anyway but it was a long way and we could make one last stop somewhere nice. Matt thought about some nice casino & hotel in Omaha. I searched on the net and found a good deal at Harrah's in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Thursday night offer was awesome, only $89 a night while it could cost as high as $250 on the weekend nights.
It made the arrival at Harrah's so rewarding though. All day we'd been panting running away from storms and had not even showered, bathing in the casino hotel's bath was absolutely sweet. We had dinner at 9.30. The Fresh Market Square buffet was closed so we tried at the 50's style casual which wasn't bad at all. I had a daily special fish dinner, very very good for $3.99!! The rootbeer float was huge... for $1.99!! They had 3 gaming floors. We weren't into playing much but we were so glad they even had Zorro slot, our most fav slot from the Vegas trip last summer. We played for an hour and felt too tired and sleepy though. I just crashed. So comfy bed, we just crashed.
We checked the weather report and it said it was going to be raining slash snowing and T-storming all day in the moutain... so we decided to leave immediately. At 8.30 AM, we packed up in the middle of falling wet snow not knowing what was next or where to go exactly. Good thing we brought a laptop, GPS navigator and wi-fi cellphone with - they were a lot of help. We were about to head back home in Minnesota anyway but it was a long way and we could make one last stop somewhere nice. Matt thought about some nice casino & hotel in Omaha. I searched on the net and found a good deal at Harrah's in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Thursday night offer was awesome, only $89 a night while it could cost as high as $250 on the weekend nights.
It made the arrival at Harrah's so rewarding though. All day we'd been panting running away from storms and had not even showered, bathing in the casino hotel's bath was absolutely sweet. We had dinner at 9.30. The Fresh Market Square buffet was closed so we tried at the 50's style casual which wasn't bad at all. I had a daily special fish dinner, very very good for $3.99!! The rootbeer float was huge... for $1.99!! They had 3 gaming floors. We weren't into playing much but we were so glad they even had Zorro slot, our most fav slot from the Vegas trip last summer. We played for an hour and felt too tired and sleepy though. I just crashed. So comfy bed, we just crashed.
The next morning was so refreshing. Matt got ready to drive another 380 miles/6 hours sweethome and hold our babies, Tamone and Mittzi.
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