Camping Vacation post, part 1
Aug. 8th, 2006 09:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
radlilimSaturday was nothing special, I got up early, emailed Jimmy (whom I have not heard back from yet--might just cut my losses on this one) and drove to the Twin Cities. I then got into my sister's car and we headed West. Got as far as MItchell, SD and camped.
We were woken up at 6am by a lot of bikers, all of whom were getting up to go to the Sturgis rally. It wasn't until then that we check and found out that yet, hundreds of thousands of bikers were headed to the same place we were going. I really should have listened to Bob.
We drove though South Dakota, saw the badlands, which are cool. As we were leaving, the direction I wanted to go was voted down. We had decided that a 2 to 1 vote was needed to decide a direction. Unfortunately it seems Laura will usually pick Rob as who to vote with. We are getting along fine, just I sometimes get out voted. We continued to Wall Drug, which was just covered in bikers. I am really starting to hate them. Not to mention that Wall Drug is touristy and totally nasty. On to Custer Park, where we stopped at Mount Rushmore. Much more commercial than it was 10 years ago. There is a multi-teir parking ramp. Rob seemed to like it, though.
That was the beginning of Custer Park, which is beautiful. We had a hard time finding a camp site, there were bikers everywhere. We finally did and then we went for a shot walk. After 2 full days in the car I needed the break. I just don't sit that still anymore. I have pictures of Custer and will post when I get home.
It rained a lot that night and we had to eat cold sandwiches since we couldn't get the stove working.
Monday we got up and went to Wind Cave, just south of Custer. It was really cool. We missed the 2 hour, candle light tour (where you walk in the caves with only a candle) but went on an hour guided tour. It was really neat to see and our guide was totally hot. Plus he was friendly and clearly loved talking about geology. He even ended the tour with a poem about caving that he wrote himself. I think I have found a new hobby I will get into when I have more money. One person on a caving expedition is the "sketcher." He/she follows the group and sketches the areas they fine. While everyone else takes measurements and writes down hard data, he or she makes sketches so the actual feel of the cave can be recorded. I can do that
After that we went to a mammoth dig site which was interesting also. Then a lot of driving though the middle of Montana, which was very boring. At about 10pm I was driving and a deer jumped out from the side of the road and I hit it with the car. Everyone (well maybe not the deer) is fine, the car has a bit of damage but i just sucks since it's my sister's car and she just got it.
Today we will get to Uncle Tom and Aunt Diane's. Also, sometime during the rest of the trip Rob is going to pop the question. I feel bad that I've been thinking they have been engaged for months now.
One thing that I've been thinking about is actually doing something like this with someone special. I've been reading a gay romance/drama on the trip and I like it. I keep imagining that during various parts I have a nice, cute boy next to me who also likes to hike and stuff. Laura/Rob doesn't help, not that they are doing anything overly PDA, but still. Third wheel as usual.
We were woken up at 6am by a lot of bikers, all of whom were getting up to go to the Sturgis rally. It wasn't until then that we check and found out that yet, hundreds of thousands of bikers were headed to the same place we were going. I really should have listened to Bob.
We drove though South Dakota, saw the badlands, which are cool. As we were leaving, the direction I wanted to go was voted down. We had decided that a 2 to 1 vote was needed to decide a direction. Unfortunately it seems Laura will usually pick Rob as who to vote with. We are getting along fine, just I sometimes get out voted. We continued to Wall Drug, which was just covered in bikers. I am really starting to hate them. Not to mention that Wall Drug is touristy and totally nasty. On to Custer Park, where we stopped at Mount Rushmore. Much more commercial than it was 10 years ago. There is a multi-teir parking ramp. Rob seemed to like it, though.
That was the beginning of Custer Park, which is beautiful. We had a hard time finding a camp site, there were bikers everywhere. We finally did and then we went for a shot walk. After 2 full days in the car I needed the break. I just don't sit that still anymore. I have pictures of Custer and will post when I get home.
It rained a lot that night and we had to eat cold sandwiches since we couldn't get the stove working.
Monday we got up and went to Wind Cave, just south of Custer. It was really cool. We missed the 2 hour, candle light tour (where you walk in the caves with only a candle) but went on an hour guided tour. It was really neat to see and our guide was totally hot. Plus he was friendly and clearly loved talking about geology. He even ended the tour with a poem about caving that he wrote himself. I think I have found a new hobby I will get into when I have more money. One person on a caving expedition is the "sketcher." He/she follows the group and sketches the areas they fine. While everyone else takes measurements and writes down hard data, he or she makes sketches so the actual feel of the cave can be recorded. I can do that
After that we went to a mammoth dig site which was interesting also. Then a lot of driving though the middle of Montana, which was very boring. At about 10pm I was driving and a deer jumped out from the side of the road and I hit it with the car. Everyone (well maybe not the deer) is fine, the car has a bit of damage but i just sucks since it's my sister's car and she just got it.
Today we will get to Uncle Tom and Aunt Diane's. Also, sometime during the rest of the trip Rob is going to pop the question. I feel bad that I've been thinking they have been engaged for months now.
One thing that I've been thinking about is actually doing something like this with someone special. I've been reading a gay romance/drama on the trip and I like it. I keep imagining that during various parts I have a nice, cute boy next to me who also likes to hike and stuff. Laura/Rob doesn't help, not that they are doing anything overly PDA, but still. Third wheel as usual.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-08-08 10:32 pm (UTC)I don't recall much gay romance in the first WC book....although I think there was some...
no subject
Date: 2006-08-14 05:56 am (UTC)When we drive until like 10:00, we 'camp' at hotels.