Gallitzvanting Retirement Adventure

Hello Everyone!

It has been quite a while since we have revived this blog, but here goes.  Guy and I are heading to Mount Rushmore, the Tetons and Yellowstone.  After the first week we will see where we go next.  We have some new equipment and after some discussion set everything up and are content with our new found knowledge. THANK GOODNESS!

This is our new "truck tent", Penelope and Gracie are always a big help when Papa has a project!

Day 1 We are excited to get on the road and say our farewells to Taylor and Pips and head to Rochester MN, home of the Mayo Clinic to get our first night under our belts.  We decide to jump off the interstate in Madison and head to the Mississippi River.  Thinking this will be a scenic drive to Rochester.  After some confusion in Madison (always a detour) we arrive in Prairie du Chien, such a quaint city and the river is beautiful.  We plug our destination into the GPS and we end up in rural Iowa, pretty drive but not what we imagined.  Five hours later we arrive at the Town Place Suites in Rochester.  Nice hotel with a FABULOUS Pool.  We head out for dinner and settle in for the night.

Day 2 We head down to breakfast and after some friendly banter with guests and employees I hit the pool for a quick workout and then it is back on the road.  Highway 90 is our main artery for the day. We stop for lunch in Sioux Falls and are determined to find the Falls.  They are in Falls Park, right downtown, beautiful cascading water.  They have reimagined the pump house and hydroelectric plant into a cafe and park, really beautiful.

We would have loved to dillydally but head back to the truck and on to the Badlands National Park.  

We finally see the Badlands and have to drive through the park to our KOA on the White River.  It is a great ride and we get a small taste of what our day will be like tomorrow.  It is close to 100 degrees when we pull into the KOA and our glad to find shade and the pool is still open!! We visit with the ladies at the registration desk and find out many of the amenities are no longer available, this will be an ongoing revelation.  After Labor Day it seems many of these places lose their help.  We set up camp and have a cocktail.  Some friendly campers stop by to talk about our "truck tent" and we are the "cool kids" with our fancy equipment.  Our fellow campers are from WISCONSIN!  The gentleman even went to Wauwatosa High School.  Small world.

Day 3  We are up early and excited to get the the park.  We head to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center to get our bearings and make sure we see all the highlights the park has to offer. I first head over to the White River.  It is only muck, the drought is severe here.  The visitor center isn't open yet, but it gives us time to get organized and we are soon joined by many other explorers.  Soon we are inside and getting a great overview of the park and its' history along with pointers from the rangers on "must see" spots.  

We jump in the truck and head to the Badlands Loop!  Guy is disappointed we haven't seen buffalo yet.  We have seen long horn sheep and prairie dogs.  I assure him we will see buffalo but for now we are soaking up the scenery.  It is a foreign landscape and we are amazed by it's intensity.

A few hours later we are heading out of the park and at last Tetonka!

The buffalo are right next to the road and I am having some anxiety but Guy is not deterred and we get a lot of pics.  Gratefully the buffalo are not interested in us and we head to Wall South Dakota.

We don't go to Wall Drug but we do find a saloon across the street and we meet Dion, our bartender, super sweet kid and he makes a killer Bloody Mary or Maria, we split a French dip sandwich, of course, and decide to head to Deadwood for the night.

We don't find a camping spot in Deadwood so we head to Spearfish for the night!  Another nice KOA with a pool, it's only 90 today.  They have a note on the door asking for people to wear masks and we are glad to comply.  To our great delight they have a new baby girl, her name is Genevieve and she is one month old and beautiful!  They compliment me on my RBG mask and I wish I had an extra to give them.  So nice to meet "like minded" people!  We decide to hit the pool and get the heat and dust off and set up later.  Great decision.  The water is cold and we are GLAD!!  We set up camp, make a fire, a cocktail and dinner is served. Another great day!

Day 4  We are up early and another friendly camper stops to talk to Guy about our "truck tent", we really are the "COOL KIDS", only took 64 years.  We stop for gas and the attendant tells of to get breakfast at the Millstone diner.  He insists it is the best!  We are glad for the suggestion and head into town.  This is the Saturday morning meeting place for everyone in town, from  Seniors to High School students, we sit at the counter and absorb the local flavor. The food is great and the ambience is sweet.

We finish breakfast and head to Spearfish Canyon.  We are joined by a multitude of ATV vehicles as there is a rally in the Blackhills.  The scenery is beautiful and we stop at Bridal Veil Falls.  Gorgeous!

I am excited to get to Palmer Gulch, our home for the next couple of days. This is our jumping off point to  explore the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore, so we bid adieu to Spearfish and head to Sturgis! We walk the main streets until we get thirsty and we stop at the Oasis, where we are Michel's only customers.  She is delightful and her husband is at the bar. He wants to move to Sheboygan because he wants to live in Sheboinga, we laugh and visit with them for an hour.  If you are ever in the area be sure to stop.  Michel makes a great bloody Maria!

We continue to Palmer Gulch and I am so excited. I stayed at this KOA campground with my kids 25 years ago.  I have butterflies thinking about how magical this place was then and hoping it will be close to the same experience. 

We check into the lodge and find out it is POLKA PALOOZA weekend.  There is a band and German food.  Brats and sauerkraut. GOD HELP ME!  No matter how far you travel from home you can't really get away.  First day the couple from Wisconsin at the KOA, we met a couple from Eau Claire while we were looking at memorial bricks on the sidewalk in Sturgis. Then we check in to the lodge and the women who greets us is also from EAU CLAIRE!  I am not making this up!  

We check out the bar and campground and are too tired for POLKA PALOOZA!