Branson, Mo

At this point in the trip we have decided to leave the camera behind as the remaining activities of the trip do not lend themselves to being photographed. Our Fantasy/Creative World RV tour of Branson, MO, which we won at Lazy Days in Tampa last winter, was a very interesting experience. The area is hilly and marked by large stacks of rocks which give Table Rock State Park in Branson its name. It reminded us of a combination Pigeon Forge, TN, and Myrtle Beach, SC – long strips of restaurants, shops, theaters, and LOTS of congestion, even though there was considerably less traffic now than during the summer. Our first day included dinner at the Dixie Stampede which began with bison running around the arena. The most outstanding feature of this show was the marvelous horsemanship. There was singing and comedy as well the “fingers only” dinner. A bit messy! Silver Dollar City was our destination on Sunday. George and Irene focused on the blue grass musical performances. Irene also enjoyed seeing the craftsmen’s demonstrations, especially the basket weaver and glassblower. Monday morning we attended the Buck Trent morning show, an energetic, fast-paced production. Buck, a banjo virtuoso, is an ex-Hee Haw cast member. In the evening we boarded the showboat Branson Belle for dinner and a show which rivaled any cruise ship’s evening entertainment. Two couples sang and danced, highlighting show tunes. A ventriloquist held a conversation with his Boston terrier which was hilarious. A Russian couple’s amazing dance/acrobatic performance was a highlight of the show. The Branson Belle was our favorite event in Branson.

Minuteman Missile NHS/Ellsworth AFB

On Saturday we drove north from Custer into Rapid City, SD where we could see the prairie as we descended the hill into the city. Our mission was to visit Ellsworth Air Force Base on behalf of George’s lifelong friend, Cliff Bagwell who was stationed there as a Minuteman nuclear ICBM missile launch control officer in an underground launch control center. Cliff and June were newly weds when Cliff began his career in the USAF at Ellsworth in 1969. We visited where they had lived in Rapid City before moving to the base two years later. We visited the Air Museum at Ellsworth which included a tour of the base as well as a missile silo training center. On July 24th we had a reservation to visit the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site where we were able to go down into one of the decommissioned missile control centers. This center, Delta – 1, was one that Cliff had served in as a member of the 66th Squadron of the 44th Missile Wing based at Ellsworth. We took many, many pictures to help Cliff and June relive their twenties in Rapid City, SD where their son David was born. George never imagined he would be able to go into the top secret missile control center, so he was very pleased to be able to see firsthand the facility he had head Cliff talk about his entire adult life.

Click HERE to see pictures of Ellsworth and the missile silo.

Click HERE to see pictures of the missile control capsule.

Cathedral Spires/Norbeck Scenic Hwy

Today’s drive partly retraced our previous day’s drive over Needles Highway as we headed to Cathedra Spires to hike the trail there, but we certainly didn’t mind seeing the sights along here again. Unlike the previous day which was warm by mid-morning, today was a bit chilly and quite windy though sunny. We set out on the three mile trail which began through woods and in sections was a bit of a climb over rocks and around boulders. As we hiked, we caught views of the spires from different angles – very impressive. The end of the trail was sort of an anti-climax. It just stopped amid trees at the top of the incline – no views from the top. In fact, there was a sign saying “End of Trail” – not something most trails need. In spite of this, it was a good hike and we enjoyed visiting with a couple from Minnesota at the “End of Trail” area. After lunch, we drove the Iron Mountain section of the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway. Like the Needles Highway, this road has its share of hairpin turns and tunnels. Its three tunnels perfectly frame Mt. Rushmore in the distance. In addition it has 3 “pigtail-shaped” bridges which connect the tunnels to lift the traveler from one level to another without adding miles of road. (Interestingly, the designer of this technically tedious section of road quit school at age 13). We passed by Mt. Rushmore’s entrance and stopped at a pull out where we could see a profile view of George Washington gazing off into the distance. It was a spectacular drive.

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Needles Scenic Hwy/Rushmore

Returning to Custer State Park today, we drove the very scenic Needles Highway which is composed of 14 miles of hairpin turns, 3 narrow tunnels, and amazing views of granite formations reminiscent of needles, organ pipes, and spires. We were a little nervous driving through one of the tunnels in the truck because it was very close on the sides, but later we saw a tour bus on the highway – so it must have come through that tunnel, too. Unbelievable! We stopped at Cathedral Spires, really awesome rock formations, and watched 3 rock climbers on one of the spires. When we arrived at Sylvan Lake, we had lunch at the lodge which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Then we drove to Mount Rushmore to see the memorial of four presidents sculpted in the Black Hills under the guidance of Gutzon Borglum who, incidentally, began the Stone Mountain sculptures. Borglum selected the subjects for the memorial: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln representing the birth, growth, development, and preservation of the country. Despite having seen pictures of Mt. Rushmore for years, we found the memorial very powerful especially the profile view of George Washington which can be seen from a nearby highway. The visitors’ center was very informative, and we enjoyed the ranger walk along the Presidential Trail.

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Canyons Tr Wildlife Loop Custer

At Jewel Cave NM we hiked the 3 ½ mile loop trail. The trail descends via switchbacks into lithograph canyon then passes through open grassland into Hell Canyon where the original entrance to Jewel Cave is located. There were some very pretty sections with colorful rocks and canyon walls, though a fire in 2000 destroyed much of the forest land. We returned to the visitors center in time for Irene to take a cave tour which was led by a ranger from Nashville, TN – almost a neighbor to Rome! Then we drove Custer State Park’s Wildlife Loop which was a big success in that we saw bison and burros crossing the road and pronghorn antelopes along side the road as well as deer, prairie dogs, and turkeys. After stopping at Peter Norbeck Visitors Center, we enjoyed dinner at the State Game Lodge. George had pheasant while Irene had a spinach salad with salmon.

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Pompey's Pillar

En route from Red Lodge to Sheridan,WY we visited Pompey’s Pillar, a Louis and Clark national monument which is a 150 foot sandstone column located about 25 miles northeast of Billings, MT. On their return trip, Louis and Clark took separate routes for a month in order to cover more territory. Clark passed by this stone column on which Indians had carved petroglyphs. William Clark carved his name and the date and noted this in his journal. He named the column Pompey’s Pillar after the son of Sacagawea whom he had nicknamed Pomp. This carving is the only surviving physical evidence of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Earlier (9/12/07), in Great Falls, MT, we visited the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center, an excellent presentation of the expedition as they ported the Missouri’s falls in that area. Rather than the half day that Lewis and Clark had anticipated, it took a month for them to portage around the falls, a grueling task. We viewed two videos, one a Ken Burns production about the Lewis and Clark expedition and the other about the portage at Great Falls. The Interpretive Center and Pompey’s Pillar, plus Fort Clatsop at Astoria, OR, make three Lewis and Clark sites we’ve visited on this trip. Click HERE to see more pictures.

Beartooth Chief Joseph Scenic Bwys

What a drive we made today over two amazing scenic byways. We began the Beartooth All-American Road at Red Lodge, Montana, and drove west to the summit at 10,936 feet. To get there, we climbed around 5000 feet from Red Lodge over countless switchbacks, stopping at pull outs along the way for amazing panoramic views. Our first stop was at Rock Creek Vista Point with views of upper Rock Creek Canyon and Hell Roaring Plateau. Twin Lakes, tundra, Pilot Peak, icy slopes, and several other lakes appeared along the way. The road crosses into Wyoming and then back into Montana at Cooke City before continuing to Yellowstone National Park. Before reaching Cooke City, we turned off the Beartooth to drive Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, also an amazing road both for its structure and scenery. The road gets its name from Chief Joseph who led the Nez Perce Indians on this route as they fled from the U.S. Army. While not as high as the Beartooth, Chief Joseph has its share of switchbacks as it goes up and down the mountains. The road crosses Sunlight Creek on the highest bridge in Wyoming over a gorge between two mountains. The color of the rock changes unexpectedly along the route. Just as unexpectedly, a rainbow appeared as Irene was photographing the red rock – a real delight.

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