Fair Winds and Following Interstates
October 14, 2025
We stopped by the John Deere Pavilion in Moline, IL. It's amazing the technology that goes into equipment these days. You can program the exact nutrients and fertilizers as well as have preventive maintenance scheduled. Of course there's a price tag involved. Anyone for a million dollar harvester?
 |
| Cutaway view |
 |
| Logo through the years |
 |
| Three wheels - all wheel drive |
 |
| Two millionth tractor |
 |
| Got a million dollars? |
September 28, 2025
It was a weekend for getting up early. First there was the Buffalo Roundup on Friday. Then on Sunday we joined a chapel group from Ellsworth AFB for the Crazy Horse Volksmarch.
Twice a year Crazy Horse Memorial hosts, in conjunction with the American Volksmarch Association, a walk to the top of Crazy Horse. Normally, you are not allowed to walk to the top. So, we've pretty much been satisfied with what we could see from the highway without paying the entrance fee. So this exception, which allows you to hike to the top for a small donation to the volksmarch association and an entrance fee of a minimum donation of three canned goods for the local foodbank, makes the event very popular. Over 5100 people participated in the event this year.
September 26, 2025
We finally made it to the Buffalo Roundup in Custer State Park. It's held the last Friday in September. The Game, Fish, and Wildlife Department rounds up the herd for a health check, branding, and a determination of how many and which buffalo will be auctioned off. They like to keep the herd at around a thousand head. This year they will auction off around 400 head of buffalo.
The roundup starts around 9:30 am. The gates open at 6:15 am, with some people pretty much camping out overnight in front of the gate. Over 24,000 people attended last year.
The viewing areas are divided into a north viewing area and a south viewing area. We chose the north since it was a bit closer. We left at 5:30 am and got to the viewing area around 8:00 am. The park's food service offers pancake breakfasts in both viewing areas. After the roundup, they offer lunch near the corrals.
It was closer to 10:30 when the herd made its appearance. Because of the unusually warm temperatures in the 80's, the wranglers were moving the herd at a slower pace. So, no thundering hooves for us. It was still a sight to see - cowboys on horseback (along with a fair amount of pickups) keeping a herd of 1400 buffalo headed in the right direction, dust rising, and the whips cracking.
We did hang out at the car for awhile. Sitting in the shade and enjoying the breeze, watching the endless traffic go by. The park runs you out the same way you came in as opposed to the normal bidirectional loop.
If we ever do this again, we'll go to the south side, probably adding another hour to our morning drive time. The viewing area was closer to the action. Plus, we saw people routed out Lame Johnny Rd, a dirt road to be sure, but one that bypassed a lot of traffic headed out.
 |
| Waiting in a miles long line |
 |
| North viewing area |
 |
| Here they come (and South viewing area) |
 |
| Dust flying |
 |
| Last push into the corrals |
 |
| Almost there |
 |
| Into the corrals |
September 22, 2025
Frequently Harold would say that he wanted to stop by this lot of old cars. He'd heard that there was actually a museum inside the old buildings there. We paid our $5 admission and walked around the couple of buildings. The owner was a former dragster/hot rodder, and he loved restoring old cars and shall we say, improving their performance a bit.
 |
| Tonkas on the wall |
 |
| Brought back memories of when we saw the Wienermobile |
 |
| Sparkplug collection |
 |
| The Airplane car |
 |
| Airplane car history |
 |
| Motorhome history |
 |
| Early motorhome |
 |
| Alaska car jump memories |
 |
| Old buffer |
September 20, 2025
Downtown Rapid City has an annual pumpkin festival. It was a great fall day, and we decided to attend. We were excited to learn that there was a pumpkin chunkin' contest. However, unlike the one we attended in Colorado years ago, this contest had a focus on accuracy. How close could the team get to specific yard lines with the furthest yardage being at 300 yards. If you went further than 300 yards, you were disqualified. The contest in Colorado was distance, distance, distance.
We were amazed by the giant pumpkin contest as well. Several were well over 1000 pounds. Charlie Brown would be impressed.
September 17, 2025
I am not excited about reptiles. Hence this is the first time we have gone to Reptile Gardens, a reptile zoo in Rapid City. I consoled myself that with gardens in the name. The grounds were probably going to be amazing. The grounds overall were not as expansive as we somehow thought they'd be, but there was still a lot to see.
There were more snakes than I ever care to see again. Thankfully, they were all safely behind glass, as were the tarantulas, lizards, and poisonous frogs. The giant tortoises were impressive, and I never knew there were so many different species of crocodiles.
The grounds were beautiful and artfully landscaped. I certainly appreciated something besides reptiles on which to focus!
 |
| Prairie Dog |
 |
| Eurasian Eagle Owl |
 |
| Maniac is 15 ft 5 in. long |
 |
| East African Green Mambas |
 |
| Time to escape! |
