Alive & Well in Yellowstone

It has been a while since I have posted & I have a lot of catching up to do with everyone. I am living in Grant Village in the southern loop of Yellowstone. The cell & wifi signal here is almost nonexistent for me. I have trouble receiving & sending calls, emails & texts. If I haven’t responded to anyone, please accept my apologies.

The first day I reported to work, there was a whiteout with blizzard conditions. It normally takes an hour & 30 minutes to get to Grant Village from West Yellowstone; however, it took about six hours this day due to weather & accidents.

I arrived at my campsite & the snow was almost waist high! I had to dig out the electric hookup with a shovel.

The next day I woke up with what I thought was a cold. I was sick for almost two weeks with a cough & sore throat before finding out it was most likely from the high altitude & dry air here. The elevation in Grant Village is about 7,800 feet.

A few days later, I started to feel worse & went to one of the medical clinics here in the park. Unfortunately, I found out I had COVID. Because my oxygen level was so low, I had to drive to a lower elevation until it improved. I stayed in Bozeman until I was healthy enough to go back to Yellowstone.

I am feeling much better, but still am very hoarse & have a nagging cough. I went back to work this past week, so I am making progress.

I hope that all of you are healthy & having a good summer. It has been in the 40s here the last couple of days & we are supposed to have snow tonight. I will think about you trying to stay cool while I have my heat & fireplace running!

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

I have been looking forward to sharing my visit to Mount Rushmore. So many times I see the places I visit in a different light when I am preparing blog posts. The photos here are in order as I drive into the park and see Mount Rushmore for the first time. I hope you enjoy seeing it as much as I did.

The name “Black Hills” comes from the Lakota words Paha Sapa, which mean “hills that are black.” Seen from a distance, these pine-covered hills, rising several thousand feet above the surrounding prairie, appear black.

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Going Old School in South Dakota

Wall Drug

As I was driving across South Dakota, I saw some of the signs for Wall Drug. You can’t help but see them.

I didn’t count them, but someone did. There are over 300 billboards for Wall Drug along the I 90 corridor.

Wall Drug began in 1931 when Ted and Dorothy Hustead moved to Wall, South Dakota and started the Hustead’s Drug Store. It was the middle of the Great Depression, with a 25% unemployment at the time, which meant little to no customers each day. 

By 1936, the Husteads were about ready to give up on the store before Dorothy Hustead thought to advertise and hand out free water to travelers, since there weren’t coolers or resealable water bottles in the ’30s.

Ted Hustead went to the highway that day and put up the first billboard sign: “Get a soda. Get a root beer. Turn next corner, just as near to Highway 16 and 14. Free Ice Water. Wall Drug.” Before he got back to the store, the first customers already stopped in.

You can still tie up you horse at Wall Drug.
Wall Drug still advertises free water and 5¢ coffee.

Dinosaur Park

Located in Rapid City, Dinosaur Park is one of the area’s original tourist attractions. It sits on a ridge of sandstone that encircles the Black Hills. Along this ridge, dinosaurs of the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous have been found. The park has seven life-sized replicas.

Be prepared to get your steps in to get to the top!
There is a full 360° view of Rapid City on a clear day.

Dignity: Of Earth & Sky, Chamberlain, South Dakota

I have a friend in North Carolina to thank for telling me about the Dignity statue. Kay Stolba sent a message saying she thought this would be a great sight to see & she was right.

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Choteau Creek Brewing Company & Diamond A Cattle Company, South Dakota

While traveling across South Dakota, I had two overnight stays at Harvest Host locations.

Choteau Creek Brewing Company

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The Corn Palace, Mitchell, South Dakota

I was excited for the next stop. I had seen & read lots about The Corn Palace, so I was ready!

The Palace is redecorated each year with naturally colored corn and other grains and native grasses to make it “the agricultural show-place of the world”.
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