8-15-2019 Hot Springs, SD III

This was written to me was with regard to the rock in the Buffalo Steakhouse.  Brother Bill said, “So you had dinner at the first Hard Rock Café!”  Jeez.  After our spectacular visits to the mammoths, Crazy Horse and Mt. Rushmore to see all those toxic white guys, time to move on.  

But back up the truck a minute and let’s go to Rapid City for the afternoon.  It was named for Rapid Creek which flows through town.  The area was originally established as an Indian Territory but when gold was discovered all bets were off and the government reneged on that one.  There was an ultimately not-so-productive gold rush to the town but disappointed miners promoted the town so that it wouldn’t die.  They stuck a moniker on the town, “The Gateway to the Black Hills.”  This all happened in about 1876.  When Dakota wanted to join the Union, the north and south folks weren’t getting along too well.  So they split into two states, North and South Dakota and Benjamin Harrison admitted them both on the same day in 1889.  There is still an argument as to which state was signed in as the 39^th and which was 40^th.  Harrison deliberately shuffled the papers and left them to fight over it to this day.  What an asshole!

Rob @ the Firehouse Brewing Company

Best white bean chili I've ever had!

Rapid City has a really cool old town district.  It dates back to the late 1800s and the ground levels have now been converted into fun little shops, saloons and restaurants.  The Firehouse is one such building.  Where the fire trucks had originally been parked, there are now long tables and chairs and just outside, umbrella tables on the patio.  Inside is a 360 degree bar and behind glass, the stainless tanks and paraphernalia of their microbrewery.  Perfect for lunch!

Much to our surprise, Rapid City is known as the “City of Presidents.”  I don’t know which sculptor said this, “There are only 4 Presidents on Mt. Rushmore.  Why not put all of them on display here in Rapid City?”  (Not an exact quote.)  I went through the whole list of 44 Presidents and there are six sculptors involved in this artwork.  There is a statue of one of our Presidents on the corners of 20 city blocks of Rapid City.  The information center provides a map so you can take a walk about the town to visit each and every President.  It took us about two hours because, of course, there is picture-taking and laughing and talking with others on the same quest.  We made it, though, and had a whole lot of fun following the map and spending time on each corner with each Prez.

Rob and George Washington

George W POTUS 1

John Adams POTUS 2

Jefferson POTUS 3

My boy, Thomas💗

Madison POTUS 4 and author
of our Constitution

Jackson POTUS 7

Coolidge POTUS 13

Teddy POTUS 26

Ronnie POTUS 40

George W POTUS 43, Barney and Lindy

Riverton, WY is the next stop on this trek.  Traveling along through the ranch land, often the railroad tracks paralleled the highway.  They were busy with long trains of coal cars.  Rob counted about 110 cars per train.  The data on the side of one car said “251,000 LMT WT” (including tare) so each train was hauling 22,770,000 lb. of coal.  That’s a lot of American commerce on the hoof, Baby!  God bless America!  We figure the trains are headed for the factories where they use coal to create batteries for non-polluting electric cars, the steel to build the non-polluting cars and electric generating stations to charge up the non-polluting cars.

We may find some things to do in Riverton but sooner or later, it is time to stop, pause, catch our breath, do laundry, pick up, vacuum and pay the bills, administrative duties that demand attention even when you’re “on vacation.”  The journey continues, fear not!