Six Saturdays And A Sunday: Retirement At Its Best

My way home has been very interesting. All went well with Carol taking me to the Gillette airport at the two hours early suggested time only to be the first person checking in for my flight. That was all good because it gave us a chance to squeeze in a few more minutes of our never-ending visiting. Finally they opened the security area so Carol left and I headed through what I thought would be a no problem security check.  I was surprised with a complete pat-down, a hand search of my carry-on which resulted in the relocation of the hot sauce Carol had sent home for Doug. The security people were very nice about everything, even taking the hot sauce to my checked bag. Oh well, not so bad but they also thought I was trying to sneak my computer through security because with everything else going on I forgot to take it out and place it on the conveyor belt. I guess after all these years of flying I just had a brain fart about how to get through without a hitch. But now I'm in the Denve...

Our last day of our 65th B-day Tour has been just as exciting as all the rest. It's hard to believe we are now in our last hotel of the trip. My suitcase is repacked to hold the goodies for my family, I've checked my return flight times, and now thinking strongly about getting to sleep. Vacations are wonderful but exhausting! I'm lucky that I got to be the passenger this whole week so I could sit back and enjoy. Tomorrow I fly the friendly skies so no more scouting for wild animals along the roads or looking for that perfect t-shirt. Homeward bound, sad but glad. We started our day bright and early, on the road to Hot Springs by 8:00, after eating a free breakfast that was enhanced by a conversation with a very chatty woman from Oregon. We now know that she has school friends that she travels with at times, she manages two dental offices, her boss has a vacation home that he lets her use, she has a daughter in D.C. she flies a lot, they bought a vacation home north...

I guess our hotel is safe, at least we woke up in one piece this morning. It turns out that Custer is a pretty quiet little town with only the main drag being filled with tourists. Speaking of tourist, we fit the bill, I think we only have one more thing on Carol's list of must see sights. Tomorrow we will hit Hot Springs before heading back to Gillette for the night. I fly home on Tuesday so we have to get closer to the airport. I guess I should look to see when my flight leaves, it would be too bad if I missed it and had to stay a few more days. This has been a glorious trip, I can't believe it's almost over! The painted buffaloes that decorate the streets of Custer are so stunning. We started our day by posing with this beast. So pretty. Years ago, in the early 60s, my family took a trip to South Dakota. It was a big deal because our usual travels only included a week to church reunion at Guthrie Grove, Sunday day trips around Iowa, and occasional trip to Cal...

Today was a long day in the car but we have sure enjoyed every mile and every minute. Carol is a great tour guide and taxi driver. She knows the roads and the scenery which makes it more enjoyable, even with the raindrops and other crazy drivers this was a fabulous day! It is important to mention that Carol and I have been on very good behavior because every time we turn around we run into Iowa people! Yesterday three couples on bikes from Lyon County were in Deadwood, during lunch today a man from Denison started a conversation with us, prompting the people from West Virginia to join in. We had a longer lunch than planned but it sure was fun to meet others enjoying South Dakota, too. Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed the day. Our first stop of the day was to the great town of Sturgis, so small, so quiet, so getting ready for the influx of all the bikers and other onlookers the first week of August. We saw or heard many bikes already burning up the streets. ...