West on I-90 to South Dakota

White Lightening arrived just in time for our first journey; taking I90 West through S. Dakota where we decided to spend Fourth of July weekend seeing a few famous US landmarks, National, and State parks.  Our first stop was in Sioux City, IA at Stone State Park. We arrived late so it was basically a place to sleep before heading out early making the long trek across the state of S. Dakota.

As we made our way along I90, I found a small roadside drive-in called the Frosty King in Kimball.  On the menu, homemade blackberry cobbler, I'll take one please! It was a quick stop and next we needed to think about lunch.  We continued West and decided to take a break at 1880 Town, in Murdo.  Although we didn't do the tour, we did take advantage of the picnic tables so we could make some lunch; nothing better than a ham sandwich, pasta, chips and an ice cold beer on America's Birthday.

Our next stop was the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site; not only another stamp in our passport book, but a quick yet informative tour illustrating the history of the Cold War.  Back in the van and onto The Badlands! One word - incredible.  This place is nothing like I have seen before.  Layered rock formation, towering spires, steep canyons, and views for days leave you feeling in awe and very small.  Just shy of 243,000 acres, you can spend hours here taking in the scenery and wildlife. Be sure to take the Badlands Loop Road and make a stop at the Ben Reifel Visitors Center.  Another passport stamp for us!

Our final destination for the day was Custer State Park, where we reserved a site at Center Lake Campground.  There are many campsites to choose from but since we hadn't reserved in advance, this was the only place that allowed same-day reservations and we managed to book the last spot! Upon entrance into the park, we were greeted with a lone Buffalo walking the highway.  We had had such a good day but then he appeared, and his presence gave us the perfect ending. 

Until tomorrow✌
Shona

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Roaming the Streets of Hot Springs

Recently we took a little venture South.  We loaded up the car and took off at 8 pm to start an extended Holiday Weekend in Arkansas.  A few normal stops along the way for coffee and gas station snacks and we arrived in Fayetteville around midnight on Thanksgiving night.  Up early the next morning for breakfast and back on the winding roads to our first destination, Hot Springs.

The weather was abnormally warm for the end of November and the quaint little town was bustling with people as we drove the drag toward our hotel.  We stayed at The Hotel Hot Springs, dog-friendly of course and located at the edge of town. Perfect location to be able to walk everywhere.  We set out to explore, admiring the history and architecture of the town before running into a little gem called the Aristocrat...where they may or may not have let us buy tall-boys with which we were able to dump into styrofoam cups and continue our journey around town.  This is gangster land folks, so it's fine.  We had an escape route if needed.  We did a bit of window shopping where I found the perfect patch for my denim vest, before making a stop at the Copper Penny Pub for a snack and cocktails, after-all it was happy hour.

We checked out the hotel bar, it's tradition, before continuing the evening which consisted of sparkling Christmas lights and filthy martinis at the infamous Arlington Hotel, where it was still nice enough to be on the patio before heading on to find live music.  We started at a place called the Ohio Club, the oldest and apparently most popular place in town, it was packed so we decided to move on finding a place called, Maxine's Live. Jackpot! Live music and informal, the perfect place to belly up to the bar before ending the evening.  Maxine's was named after Maxine Temple Jones, the once Brothel Queen of Hot Springs in the mid-1900's, which was located on the second floor and used to be named the Crystal Saloon.

The next morning I introduced the BF to The Pancake Shop.  A well-known breakfast spot in Hot Springs but worth the wait.  By the way, order the pancakes...along with eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, apple butter, coffee, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. I am being serious too.  You will want it all. One last stop to pick up a few holiday gifts before packing up our bags to head into nature for the next two nights.  Before leaving, we filled up our water canister for camping with the natural water from the springs, it's right in the center of town...Stay tuned for our experience's in the wild mountains of Arkansas!

There is so much history in Hot Springs and it's worth the drive.

Two gangsters just exploring the streets of Hot Springs...
Shona

Whiskey + Mansions

First off, I am going to start by saying by Mom is the best Mom ever!  She surprised my sister and I with a weekend get-a-way for our November Birthdays...we had no clue where we were going or what we were doing.  We have been doing a Birthday weekend for years now, it's our little thing we just do every year.  It's one of my favorite times because I am so thankful we are always able to get away together.

The weekend was filled with so many surprises I am going to split up the blog a bit.  Let's talk about where we stayed.  Whiskey Mansion...a gorgeous bed and breakfast in the heart of St. Joseph, Mo.  Did I mention it's haunted too?  So that just added to the perfection of it all.  Filled with furniture from the time period of the 18-1900's, the grandeur of this space is unforgettable.  We arrived on Saturday and that afternoon we spent time just relaxing in the parlor drinking the tall boys we picked up at the local gas station before heading out that evening. The next morning we enjoyed breakfast in one of the dining rooms.  The room we staying in was labeled "Sarah's Room"...keep reading!

History: It was built in 1885 by Ferninand and Sarah Westheimer from Rimbach, Germany. They distributed whiskey to mining towns out West, with their more famous being Red Top Rye. They raised 8 sons, one of which founded Big Brothers, Big Sisters. The house was condemned in 1992 and faced a fire in 1995.  Olin Cox, a Savannah Missouri native, moved back from Japan and bought the property and began the restoration process.  The whole mansion was restored with period furniture and brought back to life, now operating as a bed and breakfast. A must see in Missouri.
 

Until next year..

Shona