crystalmethcrack'ncowboys

Our latest journey took us far West as we set out early Saturday morning from Chicago--our route was not much different from the Griswolds as we headed cross country for the great wide open. We headed north to Wisconsin, and through Minnesota we spotted some late afternoon farmers plowing their fields....except there was no diesel power involved. We witnessed the Amish community plowing the old fashioned way with Belgian draft teams, most likely a father and son in their field, one on a plow team and the other planting--getting ready for the spring crop.I've seen it all, the entire cycle of the crop phase of the Midwest! Just call me Rose Nylund.

We drove on until dusk and stopped off at a local dive for some road grub and ran into some of the bossman's coworkers on their way to Washington state. We decided to buddy up and traveled with them across much of South Dakota. Once 2 am rolled around, we noticed the camper in front of us sharing all kinds of lanes that really didn't belong to him, so we figured it was time for a nap break or at least some diesel and coffee to shake the blues and the zzzz's.
This seemed to do the trick for at least a hundred more miles, but then our friends took the next exit and we parted ways somewhere near Pierre, SD. We chugged a long for another hour until the bossman put the brakes on and made sure we found a hotel with a hot shower---Dolly napped a while, then it was on the road again. We stopped at a rest area somewhere in the plains of western SD and decided to sleep in the camper for a couple of hours. When we woke up it was close to 7 am...I opened the door and saw miles and miles of grassland...prairie and SSSSSSKKKKY. Have to say it like that to get the full effect. The bossman was giddy and ready to keep moving, so I made it quick with the toothbrush and we were at it again. South Dakota is the most beautiful state we've visited so far, besides the western side of Wyoming (of course) --we really enjoyed the wide (and I mean wide) open spaces here. We reached the Badlands at around 8:30...the bossman's dream vacation, he's been waiting to see this since he was 16. Long wait. Get your $15 out when you take the 240 loop off the interstate to see this phenomenon by the way.
The bossman felt his oats I think because I caught him running around yelling, "Tat-O-nka". Finally we made it to Rapid City and we decided to head south to see Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse memorial (we made a promise to Terry!) Hauling a camper through the mountain roads of the Black Hills isn't easy and especially when you're asked to pull through a tiny toll-booth to park / pay / and see the monument for five minutes so we made a U-turn and took pictures from the car (I'll have those on Yahoo soon if you're interested). One more stop at Crazy Horse, my favorite in the Black Hills--and a must see if you're in the area! I don't think this monument will be finished in our lifetime, but still a great sight.
I started to secretly wish the bossman's job was located near Deadwood or Sturgis because the landscape and the Black Hills forest started to call to me....I felt home, almost as if I was in the Great Smokey Mountains (okay, stop laughing). The campgrounds along the river basin were great---scenic, spacious, and close to the little western town of Deadwood (Wild Bill! Wild Bill!). Only 2 more hours and we were "home" in Pine Haven, Wyoming...we did make it with no flats, blowouts, or major catastrophe's or tragedies along the way. The Adirondack really pulled through---970 miles, her longest trip logged so far. We scoped out our campground which is perched along a high ridge near the KeyHole State Park, so our view is....ahem....outstanding, to say the least. Dodging mule deer and antelope along the way, we parked the bad boy and set up by 4 pm Sunday afternoon (Mountain time mind you!) and crashed after a long, long, journey. The bossman has enjoyed his first few days on the boiler---he's made friends with people from all over the nation, a few Native Americans from Arizona who are staying at the guest house here in Pine Haven, a fellow Southerner-turned Westward from Savannah, GA, and "Stoner Hardway" the biker from Nebraska---who wouldn't have it any other way.
We are only thirty miles from...that's right...I said it....Close Encounters! YEAH! Devil's Tower....so that's on the agenda. Yellowstone opens in a few weeks so I'll get to see the park in spring---quite the opposite from snow falling in November, it's been 5 years since I've seen Old Faithful, I'll be ready to get back there again.

If you're wondering about the title of this post...well, there's another side to Wyoming...a little dirty side. An "openyoureyes" side....a blind side that most people don't see---that's because many folks driving through have a Guide to the National Parks of the U.S. on the front seat and a granola bar in their hand or two hands on the steering wheel of a big RV---OR they live here and they don't care.
Our campground is a prime example....we are located 50 miles from any "town" (this means city for those of you who live in big ole places) and meth is pretty popular here with the cowpokes and the hippies....and gypsies...most of the campers here have lived here for more than a year (see tinfoil on all windows). Random, sketchy, cars come in and out all day and night---same campers, every day---pick something up, maybe stay a while, then leave again. So they sell it right here, come and get it. Now if you want a joint, then just roll it, fire it up and toke away right in the open air---nobody cares or says a word---it's pretty much the "norm" here in ole Wyo, everyone here is in "doooood" mode. Wyoming is beautiful, but underneath its shiny saddle, is a dirty, scaly world of trash and drug use much like the inner streets of Chicago and the mill hill of Enoree. So it's just like home!