Monday, May 16, 2016

Wyoming, you're up next

We made the short trip from Custer, SD to near a little town called Rozet, WY.  There is a small RV park near there, nice but not near anything.  From there though is just a short drive to the beautiful and majestic Devil's Tower.  This is an amazing landmark.  We did the hike around it, stopping occasionally to enjoy the views and snap some pictures.





Time to head south to our next Wyoming destination: Curt Gowdy State Park


Tuesday, May 10, 2016

South Dakota Highlights

Arrived in Custer, SD in early October.  A great time to visit- no crowds, great weather, and beautiful fall views everywhere you look. We did a lot of hiking, biking, and got to see Crazy Horse Monument and Mount Rushmore, buffaloes on the side of the road, and all kinds of other wildlife.  The weather was gorgeous the whole time we were there.  
While we were there we had a few setbacks.  Shannon (my wife) got sick (flu or ?).  So far on our adventure (27 states and counting) it is the only serious sickness any of us have got.  We all have had the occasional stomach ache or headache but no flu or colds.  Crazy!
Then while she was sick and I was in town picking up groceries and pizza for dinner I got a call from my son that my daughter fell on her bike and chipped her 2 front (permanent) teeth.  And they were loose and bleeding.  Shannon was still sick and didn't want to be putting her hands in our daughter's mouth trying to stop the bleeding etc.  I hurried home and took a look.  She was shaken up but calmed down by the time I got back.  I called some dentists but it being a Saturday night in a small town I couldn't get ahold of anyone.  Our dentist from back home didn't answer either but the bleeding stopped and she was doing OK so I said let's call again in the morning to see what we need to do.  In the morning I did receive a call from the local dentist who said don't worry about it until you see a dentist in Colorado or back in Nebr. when we stop back (about a week or 2 later).  We ended up going to a dentist in Colo. and got the teeth repaired there.  My daughter's teeth looks good as new!




 Campsite in Custer, SD
 I dare you to touch me...
 Didn't try to take the camper through this one.  The truck's side mirrors barely fit.

 Obligatory President's heads photo

 Wild donkeys eating out of our hands
 "I know you have more in there"
 L, don't tell your mom you went that high
 Crazy Horse Monument, still a work in progress
Onward to Wyoming...


Thursday, May 5, 2016

50 states of wine

When we hit the road, I decided to try to get a bottle of wine from every state, drink and enjoy it, and do a quick write up about that bottle.  So far we are 26 states into our adventure, and in only 1 state was I not able to procure a local bottle.  Still working on that state though, as we may be back close to it late summer.  Time to get some writing done.

First up:

This was a red "Oakwood Table Wine" from Schade Winery in Volga, SD.  I didn't get a chance to visit the winery itself, instead picking up the bottle from a local store in Custer, SD.  This was a $14 bottle, however the wine itself was not a very good red.  Drinkable but more along the lines of a $6 bottle.  Not a bad start to the 50 states of wine goal, but hopes are high.  Not a huge selection to choose from when I did try to find a South Dakota wine.
Next up: Wyoming.



A delicious 2012 Cab from Buffalo Jump Wines in Cody, WY.  Very approachable, deep and flavorful.  A delight to drink, and I wished I would have picked up another bottle or 3 before heading to Colorado.  I don't recall and couldn't find the price that I paid for this.

Side note: most of the bottles that I buy are in the $10-30 range.  Occasionally a little less than $10 if that is all that is available or looks appealing.  Also I mostly look for regular reds or whites- I'm not too adventurous yet to try things like Blackberry or Blueberry wine.  Maybe I should expand my horizons...


"L'enfer est plein de bonnes volontés ou désirs"

Time for an update.  I may have missed a day or two on this blog since we have been on the road (sarcasm).  We are currently in Montana.  We have been on the road since Oct. 1.  All is well.  Life is awesome.  26+ states down, many more to go!

A few pics from the 1st month of our trip:

 South Dakota

 Devil's Tower, Wyoming

Curt Gowdy State Park, WY

Many more updates coming soon.  I will try to catch up on our adventures.
See you soon!