The Black Hills of South Dakota & Colorado Springs, CO
Our Fall excursion continued with a week spent in the Black Hills of South Dakota. One highlight was a visit to Mt. Rushmore.

We arrived in early evening and then stayed until dark when a beautiful patriotic program was presented in the outdoor auditorium. The avenue of state flags lines the pathway.

We played tourist the next day with a drive to Wall, SD to visit the renowned Wall Drug. Ron and Ken enjoyed their buffalo burgers and we all were entertained with the fun photo ops that are prevalent here. Many historical photos of the native tribes and early settlers are displayed.

What an amazing geological landscape awaits the visitor to the immediate south. The Badlands of South Dakota are quite a sight!

What a treat for the Parsons! A knock at the door of our motor home brought surprise guests...friends John and Ginger! We enjoyed a delicious dinner and they took us to a U.S. Forest Service "Moon Walk"...a night time presentation on site at a Black Hills ghost town.

We returned to the general area another day to a GPAA gold claim where we spent a couple hours with our fun hobby!




Of course a visit to a local winery was an enjoyable end to a day. The McClintons have now departed to the north to meander back to Washington and the Parsons are on their way south to a warmer climate.



A visit to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO was fascinating!



The architecture of the chapel at this facility is truly spectacular! The silver spires can be seen for miles and grace the grounds that includes the massive educational buildings, the dorms, the sporting fields, the air field, and the many other features of this expansive area.


The sanctuary must seat several thousand. A beautiful pipe organ and exquisite windows that show the beauty of nature in the hills around are among the features which we found amazing.

Ken enjoyed all the airplanes that were displayed within the grounds.

Now we are off to the Rockies and the Gunnison, CO community.