Country Roads

 

September 4th  With Labor Day behind us we head out. Coming down out of the Big Horns we hit a 12 mile stretch of 8% grade. Geez, Wyoming’s steep grades keep getting steeper, but I am getting used to them and they don’t bother me. Much. 

Today’s travel takes us through Sheridan and Buffalo. Finding no place to stop for the night, it’s another rest area.  Not ideal, but you do what you have to do.

September 5th finds us in Gillette where we find a nice dog park and the boys play for a couple of hours. In Moorcroft the laundry gets done and we buy ice.  We plan to stay here tonight, but the last two rest areas have said no overnight parking. Later I find out that not too many people take that seriously.  Would they really ticket you if you said you were too tired to drive on?  I didn’t want to find out so we spent the night on a side street behind a motel with what looked like one guest.  Before we left the rest area I got this shot of the moon.

I slept fitfully at first, worried that the law would come knocking on my door and telling me to leave.  I must have fallen into a pretty good sleep; after midnight not even the trains going by about a block away bothered me.  No one came knocking asking us to leave so I consider this first night of ‘stealth’ camping a success.

September 6th Today we will be in western South Dakota!  Almost there, but first we take in the Devil’s Tower.  Such an odd looking mountain; it was the perfect backdrop for the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. 

On we go along Hwy 14 to Hwy 24 through some cute little towns along the way, drinking in the scenery and just taking our time.  It’s been a bit of a struggle “taking our time”, but I am getting used to it.  Hard to fathom there won’t be  many deadlines to meet or a schedule to keep anymore, but. I think I’ll get used to it!

We cross over into South Dakota at Belle Fourche where 24 turns to 34 that ends at Interstate 90. After fueling up we motor on into Mt. Rushmore National Park where I screw up and pass by the only turnout where all four presidents’ sculpted heads can been seen. The pay parking lot is full. I have to settle for a profile of Washington and let it go..

 

On tap for tomorrow is Wall Drugs and The Badlands.

Thanks for coming along!  Hugs, Shawna