Stray Kat

Leaving the Little Bighorn Battlefield, I worked my way back south westerly, and discovered Bighorn Canyon and the Yellowtail Dam.  The drive there was through more of the grasslands of eastern Montana, and a lot of farming there seems to be centered around making hay. Bighorn Canyon was quite pretty, and considering that I had never even heard of the dam, it turned out to be really significant. Along with eleven other dams, it forms part of the Pick-Sloan Missouri…

Read More Read More

I visited the battlefield of Little Bighorn because I’ve heard of “Custer’s last stand” all my life, but only vaguely remembered the details from my school history classes.  I had generally planned to head west again from Devil’s Tower, but Little Bighorn was only about two hours out of my way, and two more back, and a four hour detour has really become no big deal for me on this trip! Going to the visitor’s center there, I was just…

Read More Read More

I’ve made a discovery!  It is quite possible to find excellent coffee in the US, you just have to search for “espresso bars” instead of cafes!  Using this discovery I quickly found Alternative Fuel Coffee House in Rapid City, South Dakota, and spent a peaceful morning drinking great lattes and getting caught up on my writing.  Ahhh…. When my phone and computer batteries gave out, it was time to move on, and I drove westward again into Wyoming.  My goal…

Read More Read More

Driving south trough the Black Hills of South Dakota is a relaxing experience.  The roads are winding and there’s little traffic, with dark but widely spaced pine trees on all sides, and there are occasional river crossings and camp sites.  I saw more bison warning signs, although I never saw the bison, and the idea of them wandering though this dark forested landscape gave the place a primeval feel.  I could almost see what it would have been like here before…

Read More Read More

About 25 miles south of Rapid City, South Dakota is a place that I think everyone has seen in pictures, Mount Rushmore.  I drove down to see it though the lovely Black Hills, taking my time, and just enjoying the scenery. I expected a famous site like this to be more crowded in the summer months while kids are all on school holidays, but although there were certainly plenty of people there, it never felt overcrowded.  It’s designated as a…

Read More Read More