A Visit from the Wicked Witch of the East

The roar of engines, the sea of bikes—all are now just a memory!  The 75^th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is over, and the number of visitors at Crazy Horse is decreasing.  We are entering the season of “newly weds” and “nearly deads”.

 

But look what the wind blew in!  None other than my Mom’s sister Laurie!  We haven’t seen her for 8 months!  I call her the Wicked Witch of the East ‘cause she was a bit mean to me when I was just a tyke.  She once hung me in the closet to hide me from Mom when they had an argument!

 

Anyway, she and Uncle Rob had a great time visiting the Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse monuments.  We escorted them through Custer State Park--they were thrilled with the prolific wildlife, seeing everything from buffalo to prairie dogs, not to mention the wild donkeys!

 

Buffalo Mother and Child

How Many Jackasses Do You See in This Pic?  (Only kidding Uncle Rob!)

 

 

We toured the Badlands with them.  It was interesting to see the prairie grasses and wildflowers in full bloom—much different from when we visited in late April.    And no visit to South Dakota is complete without stopping at the iconic Wall Drug, home of Rex the Dinosaur, Singing Sam, the coin operated piano-playing gorilla, and the giant jackalope, whose back has had to endure the fat butts of literally millions of folks through the decades!

Rex - A Wall Drug Attraction

Singing Sam - Can You Believe I Spent 50 Cents to Hear Him?

I Don't Care What Dad Says - Jackalopes DO Exist!

Aunt Laurie, Uncle Rob, and Yours Truly!

 

Thanks to recommendations from Mom’s co-workers, we enjoyed some outstanding meals, too!  Sylvan Lake Lodge and Botticelli’s both earned a Rambling RV Rat 4-cheese rating, the first restaurants during our tenure in South Dakota to achieve such high distinction! 

 

 

Aunt Laurie and Uncle Rob spent their final day in Deadwood, satisfying Aunt Laurie’s attraction to gambling (she’s a Ruby Level VIP at the casino near her home.  I think she should call 1-800-GAM-PROB)!    Unfortunately, she dropped $160 buckaroos in Deadwood—her “donation” to the Deadwood Historic Building Restoration Project.

That evening we shared more good times in Deadwood —a car show and music festival, topped off with a delicious steak dinner at Gem Palace.  Best of all, the sisters spent 5 days together without a feud!  Now that is truly monumental!

 

Talk to you soon!