HILL CITY, SD  Day 2.  Today we drove south to the Mammoth Dig in Hot Springs, SD.  It was nearly an hour's drive, but the traffic was light.  Very beautiful scenery.

Betty Taking Photos of Dig Site

Many Mammoth Tusks Visible at This Site

Femurs Clearly Among the Bones

Pelvis and Tusks Included Among Bones

Large Dig Site

Hebior Mammoth Skeleton

Rendering of Fully Fleshed Mammoth

Rendering of Fully Fleshed Mammoth

 Once we got back, we returned our attention to the service engine light that came on in the motorhome when we were about 12 miles from reaching the RV park yesterday.  Never had a light like that come on. We called around for diesel mechanics who could service it,but only one man could come by tomorrow, and he has no diagnostic equipment to determine the problem.  We may have to drive it back to Rapid City to get it serviced.

HILL CITY, SD.  We have arrived at Rafter J Ranch RV Park two days before the start of the Yankee RV Tour of the Northwest.  For us and the several other members of the tour who also have arrived early, there was a fireside smores and snacks session tonight.  (It will be a struggle to keep our weight down on this tour).  Everyone on this tour is from Florida, likely due to the tour company being located in Florida (despite its name).  There are 16 motorhomes on this tour including the wagonmaster and asst. wagonmaster.  The wagon train lingo is intentional since we shall be touring locations along the Oregon trail which 300,000 pioneers traveled in covered wagons during the 19th century.  Our "covered wagon" is far nicer, safer, and more convenient.  And conflict with native tribes is long past.

There were more motorhomes on last year's tour, but the comaraderie of this group is greater.  Many of the couples at the fireside session tonight had been on several tours by this company, which is surprising since one couple owns and runs the company, and are present on every tour.  Last year's tour company was huge, with many employees running very many tours, and is headquartered in Las Vegas.  This tour should be an improvement over last year's experience.

Tomorrow is open for exploring the magnificent local beauty.  Many more photos will follow.

Rafter J Ranch RV Park

RAPID CITY, SD.  Attended church this morning at the Black Hills Community Church, a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America.  Pastor Art Sartorius is an old friend from my days in Jacksonville while a member of Christ Church.  His wife, Janet, was out of town visiting relatives in Arkansas.  Did not have much time after the service to catch up on old times, so hope to stop by again some day in the future.

Steven, Betty, and Art Sartorius

Front of Church

Back of Church

After church we made lunch, then drove west on I-90 to Spearfish Canyon.  Heavy thunderstorm warnings were in place, with some threats of hail.  We got no hail but did get some rain.  We ventured on, hiking some trails and taking some photos with our phones in between rain bouts.  Light was too poor to get great shots but I did include below a couple of the falls we saw.  There were falls of various sizes everywhere.

Spearfish Falls

Bridal Veil Falls

It is 64 degrees, real feel of 61 degrees.  Hard to believe it is the 29th of July.  Imagine what winter is like here.  I hear they can get 4 feet of snow in a single snowfall.

Steven at Falls Along Spearfish Canyon

BLACK HAWK, SD.  It was a relatively short drive here from Midland.  We both were surprised by how hilly and green this part of South Dakota is.  There is prairie grass on rolling green hills with trees and bushes puctuating the landscape.  A nice cool and relatively dry environment that makes it a joy to be outside.  We shall stay two days, attending a PCA church in Rapid City tomorrow.  This RV park is a surprise, since entry from the highway looks very uneven and poorly maintained.  It is situated close to I-90 and a railroad track.  However, once beyond the RV park office, one finds grassy rolling hills and a tidy RV park. 

Turns out that the reason for so much grass is that this park caters to the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.  Soon bikers will be pouring into here and setting up camp in tents on the grass.  Picnic tables and water faucets are there to facilitate their camping needs.

A Very Grassy RV Park

Huge Grassy Area in Foreground, RVs in Background

Panorama of Huge Grassy Area for Bikers on Way to Sturgis

MIDLAND, SD.  The wind died down this morning, so driving was easy today, though road conditions are not as good west of the Missouri River.  South Dakota is much hillier than I expected.  Rather than pass hundreds of acres of corn and soy bean fields, in South Dakota it is green and gold patches, with cylindrical hay bales lying over the gold areas in some places, and combines harvesting wheat, oats, or millet in others.  The green areas appear to be beans.  Very new-looking John Deere equipment is at work everywhere.

We are now on Mountain Time, so gained an hour.  We are in a very "out west" environment here at the Belvidere East KOA.  The soil is dry and bare, and the wind has returned.  Just trying to spray Windex on the windshield to clear off the bugs' remains sends the mist yards away from where you aim it.

View from Rest Area on I-90 Along Missouri River

Steven and Betty in Front of New Monument at Rest Area

Closeup of Steven and Betty

Belvidere East KOA

While I was writing the above mid-afternoon, Betty walked a mile over to the 1880 Town park to see what it was like.  She called me to say it was well worth my walking on over.  (We did not want to unhitch the Jeep since we would leave the next morning).  I walked on over, since I needed exercise as much as she did, and found what is essentially a 19th century "out west" version of Williamsburg.  On the second floor of the entry building alone are exhibits worth the price of admission (actually worth more since seniors get in for $10).   On that floor are artifacts used in the filming of Dances with Wolves, which was filmed in several locations near here.  I took many photos with my phone camera (did not expect it to be worth lugging my DSLR) which I have inserted below.  Once outside the entry building, there are 50 exhibits, mostly old period buildings with period furnishings.  One of the other buildings has the wagons used in the film.  Just outside of this town is an old Presbyterian church, likely built by conservatives since this was long before the intrusion of liberalism.  It is almost like a well restored ghost town except that these are buildings brought here originally to serve as a movie set, then added to over time to become the place it is today.  At several locations throughout the town are speakers that continuously play the movie score of Dances with Wolves, one of the most beautiful movie scores ever written.  The atmosphere is like stepping back in time.  We stayed until almost 8 pm as a beautiful sunset lit the horizon.  It threatened rain for a while, but we walked back to the motorhome dry.  A wonderful afternoon and evening for our 5th wedding anniversary.

Star is Location of 1880 Town.  Numbers Are Filming Locations.

Building Used in Movie as John Dunbar's Cabin

Tipi Used in Movie Where Dunbar Meets with Chiefs

View Inside Tipi

Mechanical buffalo were used in scenes where they were shot with arrows or made dangerous falls.  No real animals were harmed in the making of the movie.

Mechanical Buffalo Used in Movie

Explanation of Use of Mechanical Buffalo

Mechanical Horse Used Where  Dunbar's Horse Cisco was Killed

Native American Artifacts Used in Movie

Native American Artifacts Used in Movie

Native American Survivors of Battle Of Little Big Horn

View Out Back Door of Entry Building to Town Buildings

Far outside of town is Big Foot Pass Presbyterian Church.  In another direction far outside of town is an old homestead.

Big Foot Pass Presbyterian Church

Inside Presbyterian Church

Distant Shot of Church

Distant Shot of Church

Old Homestead

View of Church from Old Homestead

Emporium

Front Section of Emporium

Back Section of Emporium

Walk-up to Doctor's Office

Shingle to Doctor's Office

Doctor's Office Interior

Hotel

Hotel Reception Desk

Personal Residence of Settler

Personal Residence Interior

 

Saloon

Bottom Floor of Saloon

Upper Floor of Saloon

Room on Second Floor of Saloon

U. S. Marshal's Office

U. S. Marshal's Office Interior

Blacksmith Shop 

Blacksmith Shop Interior

Livery

Livery Interior

Wells Fargo Express

Wells Faro Storage Left Side

Wells Fargo Storage Right Side

Housing for Timmons Freight Wagons from Dances with Wolves

Inside Timmons Building

John Dunbar Rode This from Ft Hays to Ft Sedgewick