August 1, 2022
I decided to do another smoking experiment today. Last night I mixed up ground beef, cheese, and rub. Stuffed it into uncooked manicotti shells and then wrapped each shell with 2 slices of bacon. Let them sit overnight so the moisture helps to soften the shell. Then before I smoked them I sprinkled some BBQ rub on them. Then when they are ready, I put a BBQ sauce glaze on them. I invited Steve, Kathy, and Belinda to come try them. Steve is on his own for a few days. Everyone said they liked them. I attempted to adjust the cook time due to altitude and I think I overcooked them. I didn’t get too many pictures. I was too busy eating them. May have to try them again with Italian or breakfast sausage.
July 31, 2022
Tonight was game night. We played Mexican Train Dominoes with Belinda and Kathy. It was another fun evening talking, playing a game, being competitive, and having a couple of drinks.
July 30, 2022
We got word today that Jack and Cora were going to leave tomorrow. They were the 4th work camping couple. Steve and Kelly and family will pick up the slack. They will not ask any of us to do extra. So now we may have campers next door from time to time.
July 28, 2022
Nancy decided that today she wanted to travel the Needles Highway again. But this time she wanted to drive. So off we went. It is different in the passenger’s seat but she did good. She also had an ulterior motive. We found Center Lake, which is off Needles. Just so happened that Belinda and Kathy were there fishing. After sitting around and talking for a few minutes it was decided that fishing wasn’t great so we would go get some lunch. We went to the Blue Bell Lodge in Custer State Park. Great food, good beer.
July 25, 2022
We had a camper come in today and offered to do a free concert at our covered pavilion. Steve said yes. His name is Eric Laubach. He is a singer/song writer. He was very good. Only a few people showed up but the rest missed out. He was heavy on the blues. So for about an hour we had a nice time talking and listening to music and even some sing along. Fun evening.
July 24, 2022
Since I got the smoker I’ve been wanting to smoke a Boston Butt to have pulled pork for sandwiches and for a recipe. Last night I prepped the butt and since I work the early shift today, it was a great time to put the butt on the smoker. It went on at 09:00. It did not seem like it was cooking as fast as it should. It was only about 4 pounds. I had forgotten about the whole 5,300 feet above sea level thing. I pulled it off the smoker at 21:00 hours and it finally reached temperature at 22:45 hours. I pulled it from the oven and had to let it sit for 20 minutes before I could pull it. It was still good, tender, and moist. Very pleased.
July 23, 2022
The plan for today is to go fishing after we have some lunch. The initial plan was to eat at the State Game Lodge. On the way to the lodge, we had a small traffic congestion. Apparently some pronghorn antelope wanted to take their time crossing the street. Once we got pass the we arrived at the lodge. It was too pricey so we opted to backtrack to the Legion Lake Lodge. Belinda and I had eaten there on our last fishing trip. On the way we stopped in to the Off The Hook Picnic Area. It was a beautiful spot and had a couple of very nice looking fishing spots. We tried our luck for a few minutes. I caught a very small trout and promptly threw it back in. The coolest thing was across the stream from us a deer decided to come down the hill and take a drink of water. As the fishing was bad, and everyone was hungry we arrived at the Legion Lake Lodge. We had Bree with us so we dined outside on the covered patio. Most places are very pet friendly in the area. They even served her a bowl of water.
After lunch we went to Bismark Lake. Kathy and Belinda launched their kayaks. Belinda opted to fish from her kayak. There was a boardwalk around the lake and a trail. We ventured up the boardwalk to a nice pier area. There was a gentleman there who invited us to fish along side of him. He caught 4 trout very quickly. I eventually caught one small trout but I was going to throw him back in. Unfortunately for him, he swallowed the hook. I could not remove the hook without hurting it. It was just barely big enough but I put it on the stringer. The gentleman decided to leave and gave us his fish and his stringer. He left and I kept fishing for a while longer. Nancy had to take up guard duty at the stringer. First one and then two turtles decided to circle the fish. Belinda and Kathy paddled in and Belinda had caught nothing. So we packed it in.
July 22, 2022
Back in Rapid City this morning for an appointment. It was a very early appointment. So, I had read about a highly rated donut shop in the area. After the appointment we visited Jerry’s Cake and Donuts. Yummy donuts and a huge selection. Good thing this place isn’t in Greensboro. Wow!
After we dined in the truck on milk and donuts, we headed to Sturgis. The first stop is going to be Sturgis Brewing Company. A couple of weeks back I had a beer at a restaurant. It was made by Sturgis Brewing Company. And it instantly became my favorite. So we had time, and I can’t find it locally, so why not go to the source. The beer is Black Hills Blonde Ale. We decided to eat some lunch there and it was really good. Since I knew I liked one beer, I tried a flight of four more. Our waitress also brought me one more to try, her favorite, Sky Lodge Lager. She has good taste. I enjoyed that beer. The four I chose were, Purple Grain, Sturgis Pale Ale, Fools Gold Light Lager, and Red Cut Red Ale. All of them I would buy again. Before we left, I bought 2 sixes of the Blonde Ale and a crowler of the Sky Lodge. Smooth and good.
It was time to ride around Sturgis and sight see. First stop, Sturgis Harley Davidson. One wall of custom shirts with Sturgis HD on the back. And this walls is about 40 feet long. Fortunately my son-in-law, Brian, and his friend, Chad, brought me one a few years ago. My attention and Nancy’s was on the back wall (60 feet long) of Sturgis Rally shirts. Of course we had to purchase one. Nancy and I had our eyes on two designs. So we bought one in my size and the other one in Nancy’s size. Both awesome shirts.
We drove through the town of Sturgis. It is very different than I had imagined and it is very different than what I imagined from the Sturgis Rally shows I’ve watched. The Rally actually encompasses a hundred square miles or more. It is not just at Sturgis. It will be here in Custer, Rapid City, Sturgis, Deadwood, Lead, Wall, and Hill City. I have a much better understanding now. Also glad I won’t be in the throngs of people in the middle of the Rally.
Since we were in Sturgis, we had to visit two of the most “infamous?” bars in Sturgis, The Buffalo Chip and the Full Throttle Saloon. I can now say that I have had a drink in each of these bars. What a shock to see them in person. These venues are huge, gigantic. TV shows doesn’t do it justice. The bars may be small but there is plenty of area around them and lots going. on. Both feature big name entertainers during the rally.
The Buffalo Chip also has a multiple bay garage for repairs. It will have several food trucks on site. The bar is actually called The Big Engine Bar. There is acres of empty field all around the structures. During the Rally, these fields will be filled with RVs and tents. I can only imagine the deafening roar of thousands of Harley engines all running at once. We sat at the bar and enjoyed one drink. There were 5 other people in there. People were in the process of setting up and getting ready for the 2022, 82nd Annual Sturgis Rally. We finished our drink and moved onto the next location.
Welcome to the Full Throttle Saloon. Actually the new FTS. In September 2015 a large fire destroyed the original FTS. Michael Ballard, the owner, rebuilt the FTS in a different location and had it open for the 2016 Rally. Since then he has added a distillery and a boutique to the property. It is billed as the World’s Largest Biker Bar. It had some very heavy duty and industrial decor. I really liked the looks of it. Again, very large grounds to hold campers. A lot of very cool metal artwork all around. Talking to the bartender that served us, she travels the country to various bike rallies to tend bar. She is kind of like a work camper but has a cabin on site. If the Full Throttle sounds familiar, there was a TV show about it a few years ago. We used to watch it.
When we finished at FTS, we drove through Sturgis. Of course to get there we had to drive past Bear Butte State Park. It is a beautiful area. Bear Butte is considered scared to many Native Americans as it is their belief that it was the “place where the creator has chosen to communicate with them through visions and prayer.”* Sturgis is a small town but you could see that they were preparing for the onslaught of bikers. There were many, many bars and restaurants. Some of the vendors were starting to set up in tents getting ready for the rally. We drove through Sturgis and took the long way home. Through Deadwood. It looked like a really neat town, at least the historic section we drove through. It is on our list to go back and spend a day there. Just south of Deadwood is Lead. We didn’t drive through Lead as our route home had us turn. However we did pass by Pactola Lake. It is the Black Hills largest reservoir. Absolutely beautiful!
*https://www.blackhillsbadlands.com>parks-monuments/bear-butte-state-park
July 21, 2022
If anyone remembers our story, the first day we arrived here at Fort Welikit, we couldn’t put one of our kitchen slides out. Fortunately, we found True Grit Mobile RV Repair. He came out and was able to get the slide out. He took all the information and worked on getting us parts covered by our extended warranty. Well today is the day that Mikkel arrived to install the new parts. The slide is working again. HURRAY!!
Also today I decided to try a new smoker recipe. I made Apple Pie Baked Beans. Everyone who tried them liked them. Except Nancy. She didn’t care for them. Oh well. I’ll find a recipe she will like.
July 20, 2022
It is time. Time to return to the Alpine Inn in Hill City for the wonderful $16 filet dinner. Belinda and Kathy and Nancy and I got to the Inn around 4:30. Dinner isn’t served until 5:00 but you put your name in and they give you a pager. The range on the pager is about 1/4 of a mile, so we were told. Belinda put our names in and was told we would be in the second round, probably 5:45. So we took our pager and walked down the street to find a place to have a beer before dinner. We happened upon the Twisted Pine. A wonderful little place. We ordered a local brew and since we were hungry and still had an hour or so to go we ordered a cheese and meat tray. It was also wonderful. As we were 2/3 of the way finished with the tray and still had drink left, the pager started to buzz. We had to guzzle the rest of the beer and took the rest of the cheese tray with us in a to go box.
Apparently they miscounted and we wound up in the first sitting. As usual the food was wonderful. We decided for dessert we would go to Horatio’s. They make their own ice cream. We really like it. However, Belinda and Kathy preferred another local place. They get their ice cream from a large company. Nancy and I haven’t tried it yet, but rest assured, we will.
After ice cream we returned home and learned yet another game. Belinda and Kathy came down and we played Mexican Train Dominoes on the picnic table outside. We really enjoyed this game also. Beginners luck. I won!
July 17, 2022
Day 3 of Custer’s Gold Discovery Days. Very early in the morning, like 6:00AM, the hot air balloons were scheduled to lift off. We are scheduled to work the late shift so Nancy and our next door neighbor Cora, got up early and went to see and photograph the balloons. I also did not make the pancake breakfast but I was told by Belinda and Kathy that I didn’t really miss anything special.
Nancy had a great time. After the balloons they walked the Mickelson Trail a little. Through Custer it is very flat so when cooler weather comes in we’re going to ride the trail on our bikes. An interesting picture Nancy took was of a bike station along the trail. After the trail they also visited the Gordon Stockade Historical Landmark.
July 16, 2022
Tonight we headed down to Belinda and Kathy’s place. Not for a campfire but to learn another new card game. Tonight we learned how to play Hand and Foot. Very interesting game. A lot of fun. Another night of great fun with great friends.
July 15, 2022
Today starts the Custer Gold Discovery Days festivities. This event is a celebration of the discovery of gold in the Black Hills. This discovery was led by Lieutenant Colonel George Custer and the 7th Calvary in 1874. They have 3 days of activities planned. Included is a Lions Club Pancake Breakfast, local crafts vendors, amusement rides, a 5K run, parade and a hot air balloon launch. The end of the event is the Legends in Laser Light Show at the Crazy Horse Memorial. Crazy Horse is about 5 minutes out of Custer.
Nancy, Bree, and I decided to check it out today. We walked around the arts and craft vendors. A lot of very nice articles, mostly hand made. Of course there were vendors selling jams, jellies, jerky, etc. Some offered free tastes. YUM!! And naturally there were a couple of food trucks. We checked everything out so we grabbed a burger and water from one of the food vendors. Nancy had elk and I had bison. Elk wasn’t bad. Both burgers were a little dry and over cooked. Bree enjoyed the remaining bit of elk burger. As we walked back to the truck I had to buy a couple of items to try. Love local stuff.
It took us a little bit to find a good parking space. We finally did. It was very close to the event but it was in front of a quilt shop. The Quilted Buffalo to be exact. Bree and I sat in the truck while Nancy went in. We were waiting about 30 minutes but Nancy had a great time.
July 14, 2022
Every Thursday from 3:00 to 6:30 a quaint little bar called Denial, has a “Happy Hour” for locals with drinks buy one get half off the next one. Others have been going but we have not been able to go until today. We joined Belinda and Kathy and Kelly and Steve and Carol and Fred. We sat on the patio and enjoyed some adult beverages. The weather was beautiful.
After Denial, we went to the Custer Beacon. We had dinner and stuck around for the live band. It was a country singer/songwriter named Paul Bogart. Very enjoyable evening. Great music. Great company.
July 8, 2022
So yesterday while we were walking around the Keystone Mall, we wandered into a photo studio called Goodtyme Photo. We decided, what the heck, it looked like fun and was something we wanted to do. So we made an appointment for 11:00AM this morning. So now we are back in Keystone to have a photographic session. But this is not your typical studio. They specialize in late 1800s and early 1900s costumes and sets. It is so neat. Nancy and I chose our costumes with the assistance of the folks working there. They were fabulous. Very helpful. The photographer was helping also to pick costumes and then showed us the various settings we could choose from. We chose two actually. The parlor scene and the saloon scene. The cool thing was we did not have to change clothes in between. It was a great experience. We had done something like this in Las Vegas about 28 years ago. Then we dressed as English royalty. I hope you enjoy the pictures. The two that are sepia were 8X10 prints that were part of the package.
Once we finished the photo shoot we stopped in on Black Hills Glass Blowing. It is a small artisan shop that actually blows the glass the old fashioned way. In addition they also use torches with “stick” glass rods to make small figurines, etc. They actually got their training several years in NC outside of Asheville. The Appalachian Artisan area. It was interesting to watch them work. We’ve been collecting Christmas ornaments at our various stops. We also buy key chains to use as ornaments. We won’t have a big tree but it will chronicle our journey. The latest edition is a hand blown snowman. It’s really nice.
Our next stop is in Hill City. The Sick and Twisted Brewery / Naughti Wines. When we entered I had to go use the restroom and Nancy said she would sit down and wait for me. She didn’t want to do a tasting. I returned from the restroom and found her at the bar doing a tasting. As it turns out Naughti Wines has sweeter wines. She found one that she really liked.. It’s called Erotic Red. All of their wines are the adult double entendre. I did not participate in the wine tasting this time. Maybe another day we’ll go back and I’ll try them. I did however try a flight of 5 beers. They were 1. S.M.A.S.H.E.D. - an American Pale Ale, 2. Aces and Eights - an amber ale (in poker, a pair of aces and a pair of eights is known as the Deadman’s Hand. That’s what Wild Bill Hickok was holding when he was shot, in Deadwood, SD) 3. Natural Blond - a blond ale, 4. Blue Beaver - a blueberry amber ale, and 5. Wild Ride - American Pale Wheat. I enjoyed them all about the same. I would definitely order any one of them again as a stand alone.
July 7, 2022
Today we had to go to Rapid City for an appointment. We then decided that it might be a good day to go back to the SD Air and Space Museum. The last time we were there the indoor exhibit was closed. We were 2 days early. So we took the very short drive to the Museum. Big sign out front. Closed for private event. We still have almost 3 months to get there. The weather was looking dark and ominous. So we developed Plan B. That plan was to find a good restaurant that we haven’t been to and have a good lunch. After a Google search, we decided to go to Keystone, located on the way home, to a little place called Halley’s West. It’s in the Keystone Mall. The mall basically is about 10 to 12 small shops in a strip mall setting. Once we arrived we decided to walk around the mall before we ate. The weather was nice now. Always some interesting shops. We saw a neat T-shirt with a road map on it. It was SD 16A, Iron Mountain Road. We have driven this road before and found it very interesting. 17 miles long, 314 curves, 14 switchbacks, 3 pigtail bridges, 3 tunnels, 2 splits, and 4 Presidents. It was an awesome road. We finally walked into Halley’s. We both ordered the same lunch, the Buffalo Burger with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles and a side of bacon - cheese hand cut twice fried french fries. We ordered our beer which was served in a frosty glass mug. Nancy had the root version and I finally found a local beer that I will buy more of. Its a Blond Ale made by Sturgis Brewing. Really good. I got pictures of the drinks but didn’t take the time to photograph our delicious food. Will definitely go back again.
After lunch we drove back to Custer. On our first outing here back in April we found the Custer County Candy Company. Nancy had purchased a jar of Chokeberry Jam. She loved it. So we headed there for some more. Well they also have delicious truffles. So we got a couple of them also. And since we were downtown Custer we decided on another round of Horatio’s. That’s some good stuff.
July 4, 2022
Happy Independence Day! Yes we worked today but not a full day. It was our day for the late shift. Steve and Kelly decided that today the office/store would close at 5:30PM instead of 8:00PM. They are hosting a pitch-in at their house around 6 for their family and work campers. Belinda cleaned the small bath house for me so all I had to do was the large one. Once I finished with that, I was told to go home. That gave me time to make my stove top Mac and cheese. Of course before work I had to run to the store for a couple of items. At 6 we headed down for the cook out. It was a very nice time. Lots of stories and good conversations. We opted not to go watch the local fireworks. I heard they were very good.
I had been looking at recipes and I was going to do an Apple Pie Smoked baked beans. However, Belinda beat me to the punch so we opted for my mac and cheese. Overall it was a very nice time.
July 2, 2022
One of my wishes came true a few days ago. I have been wanting a tabletop smoker for the RV instead of our larger, heavier Coleman propane Road Trip XL grill. I finally found a very reasonable price. One of the Walmart’s in Rapid City had them for $197. I couldn’t pass it up.. So now we have a grill for sale. I got it home and assembled in no time. Even had time to do the first burn to get it ready to use. I bought a bag of Pit Boss Competition Blend pellets. I also bought a large plastic pail with lid to keep them dry.
A couple of evenings ago, I smoked hamburgers on it. Wow. Great flavor. Today, I grilled hot dogs on it. It’s more than a smoker. I can grill, bake, etc. The hopper holds 7 lbs. of pellets. Last night I put some chicken thighs in to brine overnight. It’s a recipe Phillip got from How To BBQ Right (Malcolm Reed). It’s easy and delicious. Then tonight I put them on the smoker for a couple of hours. They turned out very moist and tender. I can’t wait to do more on it.
#howtobbqright
July 1, 2022
In our camp store we are licensed to sell SD wines and beers. We have 1 cooler for kid-friendly drinks and a second one for adult beverages. Nancy is not a big wine drinker and one of the most popular questions is “How are the wines?” She has been saying that she wanted to go to the winery for a tasting so she could be more educated on what we sell. Today was the day. It just sounded good and we hadn’t been out for a while. The winery is just up the road in Hill City. It’s Prairie Berry Winery and Miner Brewing Company. The best of both worlds for me. They also serve food. We found out once we got there that they are pet friendly and animals are welcome on the patio.
The do reservations for tastings or walk-ins. We had a 2:40 PM reservation at Bar 1. They have 3 bars. Carol was our server. Her and her husband are also work campers and full-timers. Most people that work the winery are work campers. They built a campground for their work campers on the hill behind the tasting rooms. Really cool set-up. I decided to taste also.
After explaining the reason for the tasting, we also got a couple of extra free samples. We tasted about 6 different wines. Nancy trying the ones we sold and I branched out to a few others that we didn’t. Two of the most popular wines are Red Ass and Rosy Ass. Red Ass wine is 90% rhubarb and 10% raspberry. It wasn’t bad but a bit tart for our tastes. Rosy Ass is 90% rhubarb and 10% strawberry. Less tart and good flavor. We both decided that we enjoyed the Gold Digger the best. 100% pear. Yes, Nancy prefers the sweeter wines. I even tried their new Lighten Up Peach which is less alcohol, less sugar. It was okay but I didn’t taste the peach. We also sampled their new wine aritas. Margaritas made with wind instead of tequila. Not bad but not something I would normally order.
We did buy a bottle of Gold Digger. After the wine tasting, we went down the hill to the Miner Brewing Company. We decided to order some food and I got a flight of 6 - 4 ounce beers. My choice. I tried their Mango Cream Ale, Scarlet Red Ale, Watermelon Wheat, Kellerbier, Crispy Blond Lager, and Chokeberry Brown Ale. Of the 6 I preferred the Kellerbier (a German lager) and Blond Lager. I wasn’t motivated to purchase any but they weren’t too bad.
As for the food. It was great to have something to eat while you were consuming alcohol. We ordered a Chef’s Plate and Nancy wanted a Hawaiian Grilled Cheese sandwich. The grilled cheese was smoked ham, gouda cheese, and pineapple. She ate half there and ate the other half for supper. The Chef’s Plate was 3 meats (andouille sausage, salami, and prosciutto) and 3 cheeses (Brie, Goat cheese, and Monteray) as well as assorted vegetables, olives, crackers, bread, nuts, fruit and some very delicious Prairie Berry made jam. Both the winery and brewery are family owned and family run businesses.
After we left Miner’s we stopped at Hill City Harley Davidson. Had to look around. Next month for the 82nd Sturgis Rally, there are several dealers in the area and the Rally is just not in Sturgis. It will be Custer, Wall, Hill City, Deadwood, Keystone, and of course Sturgis and Rapid City. It’s going to be an experience.
After the day we got home and relaxed. About 8:00PM Nancy decided that ice cream sundae was in order to finish the day. Who am I to argue?? I checked Google. Dairy Queen closed at 8. Another place we heard was really good was Horatio’s. They actually make their ice cream on site as well as waffle cones. They closed at 9. So off we went to Horatio’s. Great decision. The sundaes and ice creams are fabulous. We’ll definitely be back.
June 30, 2022
We haven’t ventured out too much lately. We’re just working and relaxing. Today was a little different. Belinda and I finally got to go fishing. Our first stop was Sylvan Lake. It was very crowded. That’s one of the reason why we haven’t ventured out much. We are in the middle of tourist season. Many, many people. Popular places are very crowded. As Sylvan Lake was crowded we opted to find another spot. We opted to go to Legion Lake, still in Custer State Park. The day was sunny but a little windy. We found a nice spot on a pier, with benches. Belinda decided after awhile to venture to a couple of other locations. All locations produced the same results. No fish. I did have something nipple on my worm. The water so clear that as I was reeling in my line I saw a turtle chasing it. I reeled in faster as I did not want to catch a turtle. Although we didn’t catch anything, we still had a good time. Before we left Legion Lake, we opted to go to the Legion Lake Lodge for a bison burger and a beer. YUM!! Maybe next time.