Toni's Tribute to All Countries, But Mostly America

 Honestly, why must I endure P-Days. I have less and less patience with this one day each week set aside for laundry and groceries cause there’s so much exploring awaiting me. Hurts my motor to go so slow. Today we hurried through the necessary errands, then headed into … Deadwood, South Dakota, one of the most charming Wild West towns I’ve had the pleasure to explore. The entire municipality is listed as a National Historic Distract because it maintains its historic buildings and old western persona. A booming, rough-and-tumble, gritty, gun-slingin’, shoot-‘em-up cowboy town of the 1870’s when gold was discovered in them thar hills, the place is now a quiet, uber-clean, family friendly tourist attraction. We coulda spent a lot more time here, but we hit these highlights: * a reenactment shootout on Gold Street and Main based on actual events from wild days now past, * a tour through Saloon #10 where Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, and Calamity Jane drank, partied, and generally caro...

 Between church this morning in Dickinson, North Dakota, and our nighttime stopover at a primitive forested campsite near Spearfish, South Dakota in the Black Hills, we paid a visit to and took a walk around one of the most iconic landmarks in the United States, Devils Tower. Six Native American tribes consider this ground sacred as evidenced by the many prayer rags tied to the ponderosa pines throughout this national monument. We also witnessed a group from one tribe holding a ceremony, their drums and chants evidence of their respect for this special place..  Devils Garden sits in a gorgeously bucolic pine forest surrounded by the lush green Belle Fourche River valley. The short trail around the tower was simply stunning and worth the hour spent. Three amazing things: #1- faithful, devout saints with whom to worship each Sunday no matter where we find ourselves, #2- the beauty of The Black Hills, and #3- the blessing of electricity. Bambi’s solar failed to charge the battery...

An hour drive away from yesterdays South Unit lies this national parks North Unit. More compact, more remote, and markedly less visited, this was actually our favorite part of Theodore Roosevelt. It almost felt like we had the quiet vistas and stunning scenery to ourselves. Today we encountered a large herd of bison as well as mule deer.  We hiked a 5 mile loop trail through the heart of the park and enjoyed stellar overlooks into the badlands as well as the Little Missouri River. We trudged up a coulee canyon (one formed by eroding rains) and even blundered around a corner into a bison grazing about 15 yards off the trail. He was massive and intimidating but appeared nonplussed by our presence. Quite made our day! Tomorrow we bid farewell to TR National Park, and it saddens me to leave. I have rather fallen in love with the quiet beauty of this tranquil park with its rugged badlands, it’s sweeping vistas, the placid winding Little Missouri River, and the millions of acres of verda...