Mammoth Site

Hot Springs, SD, is home to the Mammoth Site. I was trying to figure out why it took us three summers before we finally went to visit. I think perhaps there are so many tourist attractions in the Black Hills, that the claim to being a real dig site seemed a bit suspect. I don't know. 

At any rate, we decided to go this time since we were staying in the area. The weather guessers were calling for afternoon rain, and the dig site was inside. How many archeological dig sites do you know indoors? 

We both came away more impressed than we thought we'd be. It's one of the few places where you can see mammoth bones in situ. The site was discovered in 1974 when a bulldozer doing sitework for a development hit a tusk. The next day, the bulldozer hit another bone. The owner realized the significance and called in a university professor.

The dig site is now in a building which protects the clearly defined site from the elements. The site is a sinkhole pond where mammoths came to drink water. The sides of the sinkhole were a slippery shale and once in the water, the large mammoths could not get back out. It was a natural mammoth trap. Thus far they know that over 60 mammoths died there. From core drillings, they believe the sinkhole sediments go down another 45 feet from what is exposed. Who knows what the future will turn up at the site.

Tools of the trade

Tusks and teeth

On the edge of the sinkhole slope

Another angle

Only two skulls with tusks intact

Where Are We Going Next?

Hanging Out in Hot Springs, SD

We decided to spend some time in the southern end of the Southern Black Hills this year. In the past we've not spent much time in this area. It's a good hour drive from Rapid City, and like most people, we simply drove through the area while driving loops through the area. Hot Springs might be a lunch stop. However, we've always liked the sandstone buildings in Hot Springs and thought we'd enjoy spending a little more time there. 

Our first stop was at Angostura Recreation Area. They have four electric only campgrounds and we enjoyed the relative quiet. There's a five-mile paved bike path that we rode a couple of times. Harold even played a round of disc golf. We had played disc golf once before a couple of years ago. This time we did not lose a disc in the chasm on hole 9.

Angostura disc golf

We moved on to the KOA outside Hot Springs. I really like full hook ups. We took a day trip over to Shep's Canyon Recreation Area. It's on the far side of the Angostura reservoir. We ruled out the campground at Shep's because it was six miles down a dirt road. 

Hot Springs is a road construction mess right now with width and length restrictions on the main road. Ugh. We did our part to help the local economy by treating ourselves to malts and milkshakes after walking the river trail. If you want a good stair climb, try the Battle Mountain Grand Staircase leading up to the VA hospital! On 9/11, Challenge Dakota holds a stair climb.

Hot Springs is home to a number of hot springs as the name suggests. Though sorely tempted to try the adult only spa-like setting at Moccasin Springs, we opted to try the original Evans Plunge. It opened in 1890 and is currently operated by the town. The water is around 87° and is refreshed at a rate of 5000 gallons per minute. It's a water park, primarily indoors. The outdoor portion hadn't opened for the season when we were there. We're glad we tried it, but would recommend a morning time before school lets out. It got a bit noisy and crowded by mid afternoon. 

We didn't get photos of those gorgeous sandstone buildings in the area. Not quite sure how we missed those photos other than with all the road construction it was hard to get a decent photo.

Cascade Falls

River trail falls

Kidney Springs 

Evans Plunge

Where Are We Going Next?

Along the Pioneer Trails

Nebraska is not as flat as you might think, at least the panhandle area isn't. Rolling hills and bluffs are plentiful. It was this area that first alerted the earlier pioneers that they were nearing the Rockies. Chimney Rock National Historic Site and Scotts Bluff National Monument tell the stories of the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails as well as the Pony Express Route. All crossed through the area, following the North Platte River. 

The challenges those pioneers faced were tremendous. In the museum at Chimney Rock, we tried our hand at an interactive exhibit where you load a wagon with needed supplies without overloading it. Ha! Even with our RV downsizing experience, we didn't fare well with the wagon loading. 

At Scotts Bluff, the covered wagon display along the trail reminded me of how small and frail the pioneers were in the vast expanse of the west. Yet onward they went, persevering and determined. 

Saddle Rock Trail to top of Scotts Bluff

Hand hewn tunnel on Saddle Rock Trail

Scotts Bluff View

Blue arrow points to the covered wagon

All three vehicle tunnels in NE are on the road to the top of Scotts Bluff

Remember the blue arrow from the above photo

Chimney Rock

Where Are We Going Next?

Sister Visits Continue

We left the Colorado Springs area and headed just an hour or so north to Aurora, CO. Harold's sister, Annette, lives there. We were able to get into Buckley Space Force famcamp. To my surprise, it was quieter than expected in regards to city noise. However, the famcamp was next to the runway and if the jets weren't flying, the helicopters were. Buckley is home to the Colorado National Guard as well. So there's a decent chance that they were the ones practicing. 

We didn't do a lot of touring, unless you count trying to find a muffler man and visiting a "ghettofabulous" surplus bin store called Black Fridays. Annette wasn't kidding when she said we might want to wear gloves for rooting through those bins. We did actually find a few things though.

Updated: Some of our bin finds

As I say we didn't do much, we did get around some. We visited Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum. Harold and Annette's dad was involved with the Apollo program as an engineer, so we never miss an opportunity to visit an air and space museum. We got a kick out of the Star Wars fighter and pod racer. Annette posed with some Frontier Airlines model planes. She is one of their flight attendants. 

Frontier smiles

We also drove through the eleven mile loop road in the  Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. It is one of few areas where you can get a relatively unobstructed view of the front range. If you're lucky, you may even get a few bison in the foreground. 

Annette is also an artist. The walls in her home are filled with her art. She gifted us with some coasters she made. I had fun picking out the colors I wanted. 

The left one reminds me of earth viewed from space

No visit to the Denver area is complete without a stop at Johnson's Corner. We're stopping on the way in or out. Harold has fond memories of stopping there on family trips. If the kids were good, they'd get cinnamon rolls. I still haven't figured out how Harold managed to behave, but the cinnamon rolls are legendary. The rolls are gigantic and covered with glaze. I watched our server scoop out an ice cream scoop full of glaze to drizzle over the warm roll. Granted, most of the glaze ends up on the bottom of your plate and mostly uneaten, but it's a sight to be sure.

Harold was a good boy

Where Are We Going Next?

Sisters in the Springs

We headed to Colorado Springs to visit with family. My sister Kathy and her family live there. Thanks to Blaine, her husband, and his frequent flyer miles, they were able to fly my sister Karen out for a long weekend. 

Immersed in family life, we attended a soccer game, a ninja warrior competition, and even helped with errands. Harold replaced the rear brakes on one of the vehicles, taking advantage of the auto hobby shop on the US Air Force Academy grounds, where we were staying. 

Popsicle sisters

#6, the reason for being popsicles

Entrepreneurial niece

Warrior training 

Blaine and Kathy

Ridge walk

About the only touring we did was Glen Eyrie Castle. The property is a bed and breakfast and conference center that caters to the Christian community. It is a great place for a personal or couples retreat. The grounds are beautiful, and we noted several hiking opportunities, not to mention a flock of wild turkeys and some big horn rams.

We took Karen to Mountain Shadows, a triple D restaurant in Old Colorado City. I think we found a place that has cinnamon rolls even bigger than those at Johnson's Corner. 

The restaurant's last cinnamon roll half fed all three of us

Another Triple D in the books

The springtime weather proved its ever-changing attitude with a couple of April snow showers. So much for the 80° weather Kathy said that they had before our arrival!

This is April

USAFA

 Where Are We Going Next?

Capulin Volcano National Monument

We stopped for a couple nights in Raton, NM, on our way from Albuquerque, NM, to Colorado Springs, CO. Most people just overnight there, but we opted to stay an extra night, giving us a longer break. Plus, we were very happy to find a car wash with an outdoor bay that would accommodate our dusty, dirty rig. 

Originally, I had toyed with exploring the roads to the Taos and Angel Fire areas by Jeep. We'd have a better idea of what to expect if we ever took the bus that way. There are some high-end RV resorts in that area. The roads can't be that bad, can they?

At any rate, after checking the driving time to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains area, we opted instead for a more leisurely drive to Capulin Volcano National Monument.  There is a visitor center at the base as well as a couple of hikes. You can drive to a parking area at the top and then take a one mile hike around the rim. 

The rim trail is paved, but don't let that fool you. With a 12% grade on a portion and an altitude ranging from 7800 to 8200 feet, you can find yourself huffing and puffing more than you'd think. We experienced high winds when we were there too. I found myself actually being pushed from time to time. However, the 360° views were amazing. So, despite the wind, we were glad we took the time for the hike. 

Lava flow views

Lightning Strike damage

Peeking down into the cone

Going down the trail

Where Are We Going Next?