Custer, SD

Wednesday, August 1.  We left De Smet, SD and drove to Custer, SD today.  Along the way we went through Pierre, SD (the capitol) and encountered our first "over-height warning."  The overpass for the railroad tracks through town is only 11'3" high, our coach is 11'4" tall.  Hmm.  As we approached the overpass a sign began flashing saying we were too tall and to use the detour.  It routed us around the overpass and back onto the highway on the other side.  Cool!  There must've been some kind of sensor for the sign to recognize we were not gonna fit.

After we left Pierre the temperature began rising.  When it reached 94 outside and 85 inside we needed to do something to keep us and the animals cool.  I pulled over and turned on the generator and then turned on the front a/c in the coach.  Ahhh, within a few minutes we were cooling off.  The cats and Jenny were most appreciative.  I've only had to run the coach a/c one other time and that was when I was driving to Tucson last year in August.  I called Sam at the park in Tucson and told him I was hot and he suggested I turn on the generator and run the coach a/c.  Thank you, Sam!!  When we stopped for fuel I noticed the coach in the lane next to us was running their generator as well.

We arrived at Big Pine Campground in Custer about 4:15, just a few minutes after our friends Dick & Barbara from Denver arrived.  Our site was one site over from theirs.  When I checked us in I asked about satellite reception and the husband and wife who own the park said we were lucky because the only site in the park with the chance an opening facing south was the site they were putting us in.  They don't call this campground "Big Pine" for nothing, it is full of huge pine trees!  As we neared our site we came into a slight clearing and lo and behold there was a south-facing break in the trees!  Mike connected the electric and I immediately turned on the dish and within a matter of minutes it had locked in on all of the satellites!  Yay, we would be able to see the Olympics!!

I had already put the dish back down this since we are leaving today but you can see the break in the trees in front of the coach.  Whew!!

Look at all of those huge pine trees!  It's really a beautiful campground.

We would not have gotten satellite reception at Dick & Barbara's site.

It was great to see Dick & Barbara again.  They live outside of Denver and winter in Tucson, that's how we met them.  They are just starting a two month trip to visit friends in WI, MI, Canada and other points to the east.  Coincidence allowed us to meet up with them in Custer, SD.

Thursday, August 2.  D&B wanted to go to Wind Cave Nat'l Park today for cave tour.  We had never been so we went along.  Wind Cave was discovered around 1890 when  cowboy heard a whistling noise and saw the bushes moving.  As he investigated the wind coming out of the small cave opening blew his hat off, hence the name Wind Cave.  The tour was about an hour and a half beginning with an elevator ride 200' down to a starting point.  It is a beautiful cave with miles and miles of tunnels.  Scientists claim that only about 5-10% of the cave has been discovered!

Mike, Dick & Barbara just before heading into the cave.

Quite a bit of the ceiling in the cave is made of Boxworks formations.  Something about the limestone forming the box like formations.  I've slept since the ranger told us the story.  Sorry.

Here we are below ground!

Friday, August 3.  We are leaving today for Denver and Dick & Barbara are heading east.  We'll probably overnight near Cheyenne, WY this evening then drive into Denver tomorrow.  Wish us luck finding a place to stay, we waited to late to make reservations and may have to stay in a Walmart parking lot.  Se la vie!