Article Contributed on: 6/2/2008 2:06:27 PM
The intrepid Sundowner group of Hidden River, Parker has made an annual trip together for the last seven years. Five of the eight couples in the group decided to go outside of Colorado this year for the first time.
On Monday morning, May 19, three cars containing
Denis and Jeanne Barrington,
Dale and Sue Reiman,
Mark and Judy Smith,
Larry and Sherry Hartley and
Joe and Jan McDaniel abandoned their relatively quiet, routine existences and set out on an adventure tour to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Generous portions of food were packed to ward off symptoms of starvation.
Like the pioneers of the 1800's who set out in wagon trains to cross the great plains, the Sundowners traveled in convoy, utilizing walkie-talkies and cell phones to coordinate their activities along the way. Hunger pangs forced the first stop in Sterling, Colorado. A buffet of delicious food was laid out on a picnic table at the well-appointed Welcome Center there.
Heading north we stopped at Cabela's, the huge outdoor outfitter on Interstate Highway 80 at Sidney, Nebraska for an hour. This is worth a stop as a tourist attraction whether one is in a buying mood or not. Gas in Sidney was still at a low of $3.59 per gallon. Arriving in Chadron, Nebraska, everyone realized that we hadn't eaten for over four hours, so Country Kitchen was a timely and important stop.
We had planned to make our headquarters in South Dakota for four nights at the Super 8 Motel in Hot Springs. This was a good choice as it is convenient to the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary (just 14 miles to the south), and to Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore and other attractions, not least of which is the amazing Mammoth Excavation site attraction right next door.
On Tuesday morning we left the hotel at 07:30 a.m. We had arranged to take an 8:00 a.m. tour of the Wild Horse Sanctuary (BHWHS). The weather could not have been more cooperative. We were met by our guide, Shirley, who said we were welcomed to call her "Surely." We walked around the corrals where many of the mustangs and newborn foals were being contained, before getting into "Daisy" the school bus for a 2-hour tour of the huge ranch. So there we were, driving in Miss Daisy.
Spread over 11,000 acres BHWHS is owned by the Institute of Range and American Mustang (IRAM) founded in 1988. Over 500 wild horses run free here, including American Spanish Mustangs, and herds from State Governments, BLM and Forest Service land. The Cheyenne River runs through the heart of the sanctuary. The tour was leisurely-paced, with interesting background and narrative from our guide. We stopped to look out over the Cheyenne River valley where sets for the movie Crazy Horse (1996) still stand. Much of Disney's movie Hidalgo was also filmed on the property. A Native American Ceremonial Site and ancient petroglyphs added extra interest. Along the way we frequently saw mule deer, turkeys, and of course lots of mares with foals, many lying in the grass near their mothers.
Some of the photos here show the sanctuary. At about 10:30 a.m. we returned to the main office where a delicious chuck wagon brunch was provided. We were free to wander around and see the corrals with horses of all colors and varieties.
After our morning adventure we returned to the hotel. Early in the afternoon we walked next door and toured the Mammoth Site. One can walk around a real archeological dig where the remains of Columbian and woolly mammoths are being uncovered. From 27,000 to 11,000 years ago mammoths and other ice age animals were trapped in a steep sided sinkhole and their remains were covered by mud and preserved intact.
Our third day was cloudy and cool but we went ahead with plans to drive north through Custer State Park and to see Mount Rushmore. The Black Hills area is lush and green this year after good recent rains. The relatively mild winter, combined with good grazing has evidently led to a higher than usual number of Bison calves being born. We drove through herds of hundreds of cows and calves. We saw Whitetail and Mule deer, pronghorn antelope, lots of prairie dogs and wild turkeys. In one area of southern Custer State Park is a herd of donkeys. These animals were used as pack animals to take tourists to the top of nearby Mount Harney. When those treks ended, the donkeys were released to roam free. They are accustomed to motorists and approach stopped cars, putting their noses in the car windows. See photo.
Although the weather was not particularly nice, our stay at Mount Rushmore was enjoyable as it was not crowded, being too early for the usual big crowds that visit here in the summer. We drove to Mt. Rushmore along Iron Mountain Road where tunnels and twisting "pigtail bridges" were constructed to give good views of the distant carved granite monument. Gutzon Borglund's' s masterpiece in granite remains an interesting and awe-inspiring sight. The soft serve ice cream served in the restaurant is also great. While eating our ice cream outside on the patio, with presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln peering down their noses at us, we watched a marmot eating on the grass, just a few feet away from our tables.
Bonus note: After returning to Parker we rented the Alfred Hitchcock movie North by Northwest starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint. Filmed in 1958, the climax of the film was set at Mount Rushmore with the principle characters hanging from the sheer rock faces next to George Washington's huge face. One scene in the movie took place in the restaurant where we had purchased ice cream. Wow!
From Mt. Rushmore we drove toward Rapid City and visited Fort Hays Chuckwagon Supper and Show. The main building at Fort Hays was built as a principle set for the movie Dances With Wolves. We bought dinner and show tickets and actually walked into the room where Kevin Costner, playing Lt. John Dunbar, received his orders to go to Fort Sedgwick on the western frontier. Gosh, what a thrill!
The chuck wagon dinner was very good. Chicken or beef, baked potato, though I doubt that real cowboys used aluminum foil, beans and cold apple sauce were served on tin plates. The apple sauce provided a spot on the plate that wasn't too hot to hold. Unfortunately the musical entertainment, with one or two minor exceptions, was not very good. The singing at our table was better than that coming from the stage. At any rate, we had a great day and returned to Hot Springs, dodging deer on the highway, and got back to our hotel by about 9:00 p.m.
Thursday was cold and rainy so we settled for a drive to Rapid City and a visit to the Air and Space Museum near Peterson AFB. South Dakota has played a significant role over the last century in the air and missile defenses of our country and some of this exhibit was really interesting. Outside, the rain began to come down in buckets so we aborted other sightseeing plans and headed back to the hotel, where we commandeered the hotel breakfast room for some full-contact chicken foot.
Our last day, Friday, May 23, dawned cloudy and misty. We headed west to Wyoming and stopped in at Fort Laramie National Historic Site. At the visitor's center we watched a very interesting 15 minute movie and then walked around the old, restored barracks, guard house and officer's quarters. This fort was established in 1834 as a fur trading fort but was soon expanded to a post from which troops could patrol and maintain security for a long section of the Oregon Trail.
After a life-sustaining lunch we left Fort Laramie town and drove a few miles to Guernsey where we stop to see the Oregon Trail Ruts - deep cuttings made over rocks by the steel-rimmed wagon wheels of thousands of emigrants and settlers passing this way in the mid-1800's. The weather was getting worse so we made a brief stop at Register Cliff. On this vertical rock wall, emigrants carved their names, dates and, sometimes destinations, here. This early-day graffiti gives us an interesting glimpse of the history of western settlement and migration.
Our adventures were not yet ended. The huge tornado that had struck the Windsor, Greeley Colorado area the day before threatened to reappear along I.25 north of Cheyenne, Wyoming. We drove through severe hail and rain storms and strong winds before stopping at the Little America for, what else but, a 49 cent ice cream cone. The wide screen TV in the lounge confirmed there had been tornados east and north of Cheyenne. I.25 south to Denver seemed to be clearing, so we scrambled to our vehicles and headed home.
The enjoyment of a trip like this is only partly from the sites one sees and the unexpected events that we experience. The real fun comes from traveling with folks that really enjoy one another's company, where no one takes themselves seriously and where everyone can poke fun at the others without taking or giving offense.
We have great respect for Sherry who grabbed the reins of leadership on Day 2 and showed initiative and skill even though no one would follow. She only missed one exit that we know of. Mark and Judy earned Sundowners Rookie of the Year awards. This was their first trip with the group and we are assured of future success due to Judy's obvious willingness to take over responsibility for catering and planning in 2009. Our safety record was not perfect but we returned home with only one injured. Larry, we know you will heal quickly. Note for next year: make sure the first aid kit is well stocked.