Day One: We’ve Arrived in God’s Country!

Welp … after a REEEEEEEAAAALLLLLLLLLY long travel day … and currently on our third Time Zone in less than 24 hours … we’ve arrived at our hotel in Keystone, SD!!

(I will have to insert photos another time, because I am currently having difficulty uploading on the “super fast” Wifi at our hotel.  LOL …**Adding now – 7/6/17)

Having arrived at Newark Airport a little bit after noon for our 2:45 PM flight, we eventually found ourselves seated near our flight crew, who were discussing (what else?) the fact that our flight would be delayed (!!!)   Nonetheless, look who was excited about the trip!

All worked out well, however … our boarding was delayed by a few minutes, but our arrival on Leg One (to Chicago) was right on time!

And what a lovely blessing:  darling daughter Mary met us in the baggage area, and brought some homemade chicken salad sandwiches and fruit!!

   

We had a nice long visit (yes, in O’Hare baggage claim, LOL, but it was spacious and quiet! 🙂  We had three hours between landing, and Leg Two (to RAP) taking off, and it was great to see my dear daughter’s face & give hugs!

Lulu was so pumped after seeing her sister, she played a game of Candy Crush at the free Ipads.  (She had to explain it to me … LOL)

We arrived at RAP (Rapid City, South Dakota, for those who mayn’t know) at around 8:45 PM Mountain time (by then 10:45 PM according to my body clock), collected our bag from the teensy baggage claim area, and walked 11 steps to our car rental counter.  Our vehicle, in which we will spend the next 12 days, is a Ford Fusion (a hybrid).  VERY nice.  

A Ford, with the last digits on the license plate: 58.  (Fun fact: My maiden name is Ford, and I was born in ’58. 🙂 )

The drive to our hotel was about 40 minutes … As we are in this part of the world to experience Mount Rushmore in Keystone, SD, the closest major airport is Rapid City, that distance away.  Really got a taste of “God’s Country” on the drive … even a dusk the landscape was gorgeous, and peppered with fireworks displays going off in various locations as we drove.

We ALMOST MISSED — OK, I drove past it, and had to turn around and go back!! — the K Bar S Lodge, home for the first 2 nights of the trip.  Very rustic, and no such thing as a neon sign here, son!!

(This is a daytime shot … at night you literally see NOTHING!  LOL)

Nice, serviceable, free breakfast, and really slow free Wifi.  What more could anyone ask??  Oh … well, how about a view of the dead presidents on the hill from our room??  Yup!!  Now … folks … don’t think full on, in your face Rushmore faces, but rather, “Oh! What’s that white blob at the top of the mountain in the distance?”  😉

(Zoomed in!!)

Busy, busy day on July 4 … until next time!