THE BLACK HILLS- GOLD and CRAZY HORSE.

We left early Friday for the 435 mile trip to our campground in the Black Hills. We traveled on I90 and saw 91 Walls Drug Store signs. After you go over the Missouri River, where Lewis and Clark stayed, you notice the environment changes from corn covered prairie land, to scrub brush ranges dotted with black Angus cows in the distance. This area was once a shallow ocean, and that becomes evident when you get to the Bad Lands. There is nothing there except barren land, and some of it looks like Mars. This is the land we gave the Sou ix to live in..we are so generous.

Arriving at Kemps Kamp , Kennedy, SD, around 3pm MT.,this camp is on the side of a mountain in a small valley which was cut out by a stream. The camp was very nice, catering more to tents, with a few RV and pop-ups spots. Each site has a covered picnic area, very nice. We met our neighbors, some cool folks from Ca, or Park City. Kristie and Juan. They were very interested in Mike's Hobo life, and we made them honorary HOBO's.

Saturday, I wanted to go to a cave or mine, so we ended at the BIG THUNDER GOLD MINE. As we drove up to the mine, there was a Western show at the General Store. There was singing and dancing girls, and George Custer, who I booed, everyone laughed. Then I put on my hard hat and went into the mine lead by a cute young man, who I flirted with. Can you say Cougar? The mine tour was neat, the 2 guys who mined it hated each other, and only got about $200 worth of gold for 50 years of work. These guys had gold fever bad.

After the tour, I panned for gold , and only got a few flecks, mainly because I don't have patience for all that. But it was a fun day.

Sunday, we went down town to Kennedy, which is a real tourist town, lots of cool shops,selling Black Hills gold stuff. Also this is where Carrie Ingells, younger sister of Laura, ended up. At 41, she was editor of the newspaper, and married a widower who bought most of the town buildings.

After the shopping spree we drove to the Crazy Horse Monument. We drove past Mount Rushmore. Crazy Horse was having a special night to memorialize the death of Crazy Horse, and the birth of

Crazy Horse sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski. We waited for Evening, after taking turns going into the fabulous museum.There are displays from ever tribe. We met some fine people while we were sitting on the lawn. We talked with Rich and Amy from Florida. Everyone loved petting Dakota. The Lazer Light show was awesome, telling the story of Native Americans, honoring Crazy Horse and Korczak. Also honoring military. Then after the show, was the nightly blast, which was amazing. It was a good day. We got home and were tired. It was very cold that night. Monday, we drove home, but stopped at Wall's Drugstore. It started as a stagecoach depot, where they offered a free glass of water. It is now a whole block of departments of everything from a chapel, restaurant, leather goods, a drug store, museum, tee shirts . We had a buffalo burger, met a lady from Hawaii, bought a few things, and left. No more signs to count. We stopped at Chamberlain on the Missouri and looked over the bluff. Our windshield was covered with bugs, I could barely see. It was a great weekend.