Stage Four: Rapid City, South Dakota

Depart: Residence in by Marriott, Fort Collins, Colorado

Arrive: Fairfield Inn by Marriott, Rapid City, South Dakota

Miles Traveled: 355.2

The scenery may not been as breathtaking as driving through the Rockies, but there is a lot to be said for the nice, flat, four-lane (i.e. two in each direction) highways of the plains. Indeed the most noteworthy moment of the drive occurred while we stopped to pick up refreshments (no sense in courting trouble by not feeding Christine).

While traversing Wyoming (Dick Cheyney country) we stopped at a store off Route 25. We placed our items on the counter. Christine pulled out money to pay at which point the clerk, a man in his mid-thirties, turned to me and said "what, you're not paying?"

I told him simply that I was driving (the inference being that Christine should pay given all the work I was doing) to which he responded "I can't get used to all these new gender roles."

Women paying for diet coke and Twizzlers ~ what has happened to the America we all used to know?

In planning this part of the trip Christine and I decided to visit Mt. Rushmore before going to the hotel, thereby allowing us the opportunity to remain out of the car, and by the pool, for the majority of our one full day in Rapid City, and it was a plan that worked out very well for all concerned.

The visit to Mt. Rushmore was wonderful; though despite standing as close as we did to the the carved images they simply did not seem real. Despite having allowed the battery on my camera to die (a problem that I was able to rectify since I had the charger with me, and there was an electrical outlet near the men's room by the bookstore) I was able to capture some nice, if not creative, images. Here are a few:




We arrived in Rapid City without further controversy, and checked-in to the hotel which, as many of you have already heard, is attached to the largest indoor water park in the Dakotas. Christine theorized that it might be the only indoor water park in the Dakotas, but as we were heading out to dinner Monday evening (we went upscale ~ TGIF) we saw two other hotels that also featured indoor water parks; albeit embarrassingly small compared to "ours."

(One other item worth mentioning ~ the GPS stopped working shortly after our arrival at the hotel. It was the longest ninety minutes I have had in quite awhile, during which time thoughts of having the car shipped home and booking a flight from the Rapid City airport to John Wayne Airport received serious consideration, at least momentarily. Once it came back to life ~ we are assuming that the battery had run out ~ the sense of relief we all felt (with Christine and the kids relieved that a major meltdown on my part had been averted) was palpable).

Christine, Joseph, and I spent several hours in or near the water on Monday (actually Christine and Joseph spent the better part of seven hours there), while Erin ~ thanks to her Mother's heroics earlier in the trip, stayed in the room to text her friends, watch television, and read the novel "Willow." What fifteen year-old wouldn't want to do that especially when they could have the hotel suite to themselves?

Tuesday we hit the road again. This time we have a stop at Devils Tower (fans of the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" may find it familiar), and then on to Billings, Montana and a long overdue to visit to Little Bighorn.

Thank you for keeping tabs on us, and your comments are always appreciated!

Prelude

Depart: Huntington Beach, California
Arrive: Ontario, California
Miles Traveled: 38.2

One thing that will suck the excitement out of a roadtrip (at least the heady, early moments) is traffic; and no place has more of that than Southern California. So, thanks to our hotel connections we made arrangements to stay in Ontario the night prior to the official start of our journey. Beyond that, nothing says "vacation" like a night in Ontario.

Those who know me best know that what I really enjoy is planning these types of things ~ the actually travel is sort of a pain, though considering the amount of planning involved it is unavoidable ~ and part of that planning includes the purchase of "critical" supplies. Here are some of the toys supplies that will prove to be mission critical to our trip.

GPS
This one is something that even my wife agreed we should have; and now that we have had it for a couple of months I'm wondering how, and why, I lived without it. Of course it sometimes takes a more circuitous route than what I would do if left to my own inclinations; and in those moments I feel something like Dave Bowan standing by as the HAL 9000 comes unhinged in "2001: A Space Odyssey." However it is my fail-safe against my dreadful sense of direction, and it is a purchase that has given us all great peace of mine.


Swiss Army Rescue Tool
This is one where the wife simply shook her head and kept moving. But if you watch this video you will see the incredible value of this item. After all, one never knows when it will become necessary to cut away the windshield of the car, or bust out a passenger window.

Or open a bottle.



First Aid Kit
How many bandages, cotton balls, and other assorted items does one require when going on a trip? About 250 is the answer I came up with. The truth is I will probably use the first aid kit immediately following my first attempt to use the Swiss Army Rescue Tool.


So, having gotten the toughest thirty-eight miles out of the way, and properly supplied, we begin in earnest tomorrow morning. The goal is to be on the road by 6:30AM, but you all know how that goes. Assuming that there is some kind of internet/cellphone access at the Grand Canyon I'll be sure to let you know.