[a/s] Rapid City, SD - June 21, 2000

[HHamp5246@xxxxxxx]

Hi Gang,

Haven't written for a few days, too busy (c:

We stayed in Buffalo, Wyoming for two nights.  The only sightseeing we did 
was take the drive through Crazy Woman Canyon.... seemed somehow appropriate 
(c:

It is just that, a canyon..... has a river running along side it.... walls 
straight up on both sides of the road at one point. The only animals we saw 
were some Pronghorn Antelopes and two little tiny baby antelopes.  We weaved 
through ranch country heading back to town.  Then we walked around 
"downtown".  Before the day was over I was the proud owner of a buffalo head. 
 It's being shipped back to South Carolina... to wait.

The drive from Buffalo to Rapid City was uneventful.... we made a quick stop 
in Spearfish where Don and I both had mail waiting.  Mine from Escapees mail 
service. They really are wonderful. I just email them and tell them a city 
and they send my mail...General Delivery.

We decided to try our new Coast to Coast memberships so we drove to the Hart 
Ranch Resort.... WOW!!!  It's a 195 acre camping resort nestled inside the 
13,000 acre Hart Ranch.  They have 400 full hook up sites, 100 dry sites and 
50 rental units.  They have every activity imaginable, trail rides, a golf 
course, a buffalo herd .... lots of grass and a million rules (c:  The ones I 
care about pertain to the dogs... NO DOGS OFF LEASH!!  We found a church 
nearby that has a great Frisbee lawn though.  I have the end campsite so I am 
looking out over the Black Hills.

We were fortunate to get in so we are staying here for $6.00 a night!!!  
Zowie.... such a deal.  We will be here for 5 nights before we take off for 
Bismarck.... which I hope is drying out.

The day we got here we just veged out and went out for a Chinese dinner. 
Yesterday we did downtown, checked it out and found Sam's Club to restock.... 
I needed Marguerita makings for the Airstream list get together...... :D 

Last night we went to the show here at the resort... a singing group... The 
Carpenter Family.... <sigh>  I'll be generous and just say they weren't the 
most talented group I've ever heard.  Sprinkled throughout the show was a 
horse trainer from McAllen, Texas... and his "Spanish Dancing horses".  He 
first came out on a grey Andulusian stallion.... "Dancer"  Did a lot of "high 
School" moves, dressage type stuff to music.  He also sings )c:  The horse 
was terrific.  Then the Carpenters, and he came back on Dancer's father.... a 
horse who was more comfortable doing his job. Lots of flying lead changes, 
some on every other and some on every step.
More singing... finally he came out on a Palomino QH stallion.... he was 
wonderful... Spanish Walked to music exactly in tune. More singing.... 
sheesh.  The horse was the talent. When he finished his third ride we split 
before the Carpenters came back on.

Today we went to Ft Hays, the set where they filmed Dances With Wolves .... a 
movie I hated (they killed the wolf and the buckskin horse).  It's now a 
restaurant/dance hall, western town and gift shops.... we had breakfast... 
pancakes...99¢ for all you can eat!  ...and the worst coffee I've ever 
tasted.  There is an antique shop upstairs.... I now own a table/desk that I 
believe could be a Thomas Molesworth..... yikes.  It's living in the back of 
the truck.... 

Then we went to Bear Country USA..... It's a wildlife park you drive 
through.... the first animals we saw were reindeer.... I opened my window and 
one stuck his head it for scratches. Very cool. A reindeer in my truck.  Then 
we drove through Rocky Mt. Goats and Dall sheep... Big Horn sheep, buffalo, 
three mountain lions (caged),A Grizzley (caged) and the black bears... tons 
of black bears... um, a few of them...working on making more black bears much 
to the crowd's delight..... (I have pictures).  In with the bears were 
families of timber wolves.... they were so sweet, very affectionate with each 
other.  We wondered why there were no baby bears, this being spring/summer 
and all...we found out when we went to the "Wildlife Center". You walk 
through it, there are babies there.  A baby coyote who was found abandoned in 
a snowstorm, baby wolves, a lynx, a bobcat, a skunk... and the baby bears.  
There were about 20 of them..... all playing and climbing trees. They have a 
pool with a sprinkler and one was playing with the water.... awwwwww! 

They leave the baby bears n the den with mom until they are 8 weeks old, then 
remove them to the center where they are bottle fed and socialized to humans. 
They have to or the males will kill them. 

I wanted to see the ponies so we walked over to the pony ride section... four 
little guys hooked up to a hot walker in the shade... a few more were in a 
paddock to we walked over.  That's when I noticed one of them couldn't 
move.... it was a back leg. I felt the whole leg, no swelling.... no pain... 
hmmm.... it must be a hip (?) I got the girl and she came right over and 
checked him... she also felt it was a disclocated hip... poor little guy he 
was dragging that leg. She ran to get a vet and we left....

Our next destination was Mt. Rushmore.  We got to the entrance, but decided 
not to go in because we could see it just fine from the highway and didn't 
see what more there was to see.... then we went to the Crazy Horse Monument. 
It's not finished.  The odd thing is, when the girl at the gate said it would 
be $16.00 for the two of us I cheaped out and said no thanks.... she said she 
didn't blame us and sent us in anyway.... we went for a terrific walk in the 
woods with the dogs....   they rocks there look like they have diamonds in 
them... little pave diamonds.  Also lots of quartz. Rose quartz and white.... 
The diamond rocks gleam in the sun.... 

Then we went to Custer and Custer State Park.  Took the "wildlife loop".  The 
first "wild" things we saw were donkeys.... many of them spotted, all of them 
adorable.  They walk up to the cars and stick their heads in looking for 
treats.... they obviously get a lot because they were all fat.  I got out of 
the truck and played with some of them... fed them some grapes.

Then we came on buffalo herds.... hundreds of them, buffalo not herds. They 
were walking around on the road much to all the shutterbug's glee. Lots of 
mamas and babies... one massive daddy stood out of the crowd.

The Black Hills are black..well, actually they are very green with lush grass 
and dark green pine trees.... but the underlying rocks are very dark..almost 
like charcoal so I assume that's why the name (?).

Saw quite a few Airstreams today...all heading north. We will be joining them 
on Saturday... Will arrive in Bismarck Monday. This place lets you wash 
vehicles at your site so I'll be washing the truck and trailer before we hit 
the mud.

Having a blast!!

Hunter