Sun June 28.09

What day is it anyway?? Oh ya, we're on vacation.

Headed west from Custer SD along a twisty road with lots of tight switchbacks, beautiful scenery on a warm cloudless day. Prefect bike day. I can see why they refer to this area...Montana and Wyoming as big sky country. Forgot to mention the overly friendly donkies that were in Custer State Park...they worked the vacationers like hookers on the street corner. Stopping every car, sticking their heads in the cars looking for treats.

Looking over the rough terrain you have visions/holograms of the pioneers, the hardships they endured, bumping along in their covered wagons with the red clay stuck to the wheels, like in a James Lumbers print.

We saw remnants of a massive devastating forest fire...miles and miles, acres upon acres of charred trees. So sad.

Interesting there is a yellow wild flower/weed in full blossom coverng the hills, that has been here since we arrived in Rapid City. It has the sweetest scent..like honeysuckle that has made Teds allergies not happy. One morning when the boys got up to give their babies their morning bath, the bikes were covered in a fine yellow dust.

We saw trains carrying car loads of coal, rolling hills dotted with black angus, small oil rigs bobbing up and down, lots of small deer. Beautiful rugged landscape.

Drove past Devils Tower, US's first national monument.

Dave brought it to our attention that is was 2pm and time to stop for our after noon beer. Found a neat old bar in Hulett Wy and sat out side swapping stories with the locals picking up travel tips.

Continued through more barren terrain to Sheridan Wy to find a great motel with a huge room and a rib dinner...again