Day Ten.

Six am. After a restless night in which my dreams were a merry-go-round of crazy golf obstacles which I continuously hit with my golf ball while my two friends grinned wickedly at me. I think I woke up more tired than when I went to sleep. An alternating hot/cold shower woke me up. I shaved dressed and went for a short walk. I phoned Chris and had a good catch up chat. On my return to my cabin I passed Pete sat on his porch reading his bible. Pleasantries made he said he would be with me when Smithie emerged.

It was just before seven when they both came into my cabin. We stood in our triangle and I read a little from Luke’s gospel of Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem. We talked about it and Pete and I speculated on which gate he had entered through. I imagine it was through the Golden Gate because it faces the Mount of Olives. Chris (who has yet to visit Jerusalem) thought it would be a much more important entry next time. We prayed again for safe travel.

The charger was once again loaded with suitcases, satnavs programmed and the decision made as to where we were having breakfast made, we set off. We travelled back on ourselves towards the I90. It was a pleasant early morning drive. The day was warm the road wide and the sky a wonderful shade of blue. We passed the ‘The Founding Fathers museum’ and ‘Reptile gardens’ which were located in a dip in the road. The road wound slightly uphill and through some hills. The road flattened out and once again I was looking at distant horizons and vast skies. This time there were mountains between the flatlands and the sky. But they looked a long way away.

A shallow hill climbed and a gentle decent took us into Rapid City. We stopped at a Gas station named ‘common cents’ and each of topped up with fuel, bought drinks and some snack bars.

We made our way back to the I16 and headed north. We soon turned into a ‘Perkin’s Café. We parked alongside each other. After securing our respective vehicles we walked into the café. Chris and Pete ordered coffee, Pete black with milk on the side and Chris a Cappuccino with chocolate sprinkles. I opted for a glass of fresh orange juice. The waitress brought our drinks and a menu each. We chatted around the distance we wanted to travel today, some 445 miles. We decided that we would take a break at a place named ‘Buffalo’. We seemed to be following a theme.

The waiter came back to take our order, she looked a little harassed. Chris started a conversation, it followed the now usual pattern. Soon after we gave our orders. Chris had a ‘Big country skillet’ that seemed to have everything in it. Pete was a little wiser with his ‘Every-thing skillet’. It had a lot but not as much as Chris’s. I opted for the spinach and mushroom skillet. It also has a lot of other vegetables in it and was topped off with two eggs. On the menu it said egg whites but they were happy to give me the yolks as well. There wasn’t much talking as we ate. It tasted lovely. Not a full English but still good.

Coffee cups drained and my orange juice drank we decided that we would head towards a place named Greycliff about four hundred and fifty miles away. Our lunch stop would hopefully be Buffalo. After the bill was settled and the tip having put a smile on the waitresses face, we headed out to our vehicles. It was already a hot day and it promised to get a lot warmer.

The air-con in the charger worked a dream and it rapidly cooled the interior to a comfortable temperature. Pete I assumed was doing the same. Chris would need sun cream on any and all exposed areas. I hoped he had some. We set of north and soon joined the I90 as it wound its way north and then west as it skirted the Black Hills National Forest. Pete was leading, I was following him and Chris was bringing up the rear. I noticed Chris picking up speed and roaring past me then Pete indicated right to exit the highway at Sturgis. We followed, me wondering what was going on.

Chris continued towards Sturgis, past a huge white cross outside a large, presumably, white church building. (the building was white) Past the usual building trades stores, then into a quite attractive residential area. Houses all in good repair and gardens looking pristine. I saw the sign for Harley Davidson and thought Chris was heading there. He roared past. He kept heading north then suddenly made a right and then a left. We parked up and got off/out of our vehicles. We sat on a Bench neatly placed in front of ‘Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame’. Pete and I exchanged rolled eyes and briefly conferred about how Chris knew there was such a place. It appears that Chris saw the signs for the place and we did not.

We all trooped in and paid for our tickets and enjoyed a wander around. Chris looked like he had entered motorcycling heaven. Pete and I and probably Chris were amazed to find out that each year there is a motor cycle rally in Sturgis. It started nearly eighty years ago with just a few and last year had over four hundred thousand attending. There is a Hall of Fame filled with names I had never heard of. Apparently they had all contributed in some way to motorcycling. Chris entered into many conversations and I was surprised how many folk knew of Triumphs and Nortons. It was interesting and after a cool drink we departed to re acquaint ourselves with the I90.

We joined it after a mile or so along the thirty four. We were soon up to speed and eating up the miles. It was good to drive along well paved roads that had good scenery, hills on both sides, forested areas and place names that evoked memories. Dead wood – sung by Calamity Jane others for Sundance – great film. Osage – someone I knew was part Osage indian.

Another fuel stop for Chris and a top up for Pete and I at a Placed named Moorcroft. There was a stainless steel bull at the entrance to the place and once again a ‘Subway’. We managed to replenish water supplies and avoid more food. We were soon on our way again.

The road seemed unerringly straight but obviously must have had some bends in it, just very slight. The land seemed quite barren with occasional glimpses of greenery, presumably where a creek (stream or river) flowed or had flowed. There were small hills that in my mind’s eye I could visualise Indians outlined against the sky. The stage coach driver whipping his horses, Winchester rifles being fired from both protagonists. This reverie broken as my wheels hit the rutted edge of the road. Back to concentrating, on with the radio and focus.

We passed a train, it was long and I mean long. It took us several minutes to pass it. It felt like it must have been about half a mile long. Apart from the road going round Gillet and a sign giving directions to ‘Sleepy Hollow’ that’s about as exciting as it got on that stretch. Still better this than the dead flat we had recently passed through. And is there really a place named ‘Sleepy Hollow’?

The road surface had changed from concrete to red top. The horizon, which seemed many miles away still held the promise of mountains. The cloud formations looked amazing. Still a few miles east of Buffalo I drove to the front of our mini convoy and took a turning of the road then under the road and into a rest area for a comfort stop. A much needed one judging from the way we all parked near to the toilets and headed straight for them when we got out/off our vehicles. Out of the air-con it was hot.

We congregated in Pete’s roomy cab to decide where we would have lunch. I think at times we are just too polite to each other. We each had thoughts but seemed to constantly defer to another. ‘I fancy steak.’ well I fancy chilli but I’m happy with steak.’ ‘No – I wouldn’t mind chilli!’ Pete suggested the paper brick game with the winner deciding. I got blunted twice and Pete lost out to Chris in the final. Chris who initially wanted steak graciously decided we would find a chilli house.

Out with our phones and onto our search engines. We concluded that it would have to be ‘Albertino’s Authentic Mexican’. Chris and I made the very short journey to our vehicles. Pete and I laughing as Chris took his seat and almost immediately jumped off. Rather hot I imagine. Some water on then off the seat – sat nav set we followed Pete out from the rest area and back onto the I90.

There was a silly sign that informed us that there were dinosaurs in 125 miles. Fortunately we would have had to leave the I90 to find them. Observing the 65 MPH speed limit we approached Buffalo. Leaving the I90 and joining the 16. The outskirts of the city were quite typical, lots of space, various businesses and several chain hotels. It seemed a tidy city. We passed under the 25 and turned right onto Northern bye-pass. Immediately right and parked up in a little shade near the restaurant which turned out to be mainly a takeaway but had a few tables inside.

Pete and I walked up to the counter and Chris reserved us a table by sitting at it. ‘Buenos tarde senior, para mi un burrito con frijol y queso. Para amigos un carre asada con carne y guacamola y salsa y un chilli verde. Tambien a beber un cafe solo y cappuccino y coca cola zero y la taza de frio la leche por favour.’ He replied ‘Si senior.’ I turned to Pete and asked him was eating in ‘comer isi?’The server told me he was American and could speak English. As he was serving our food Pete and I decided not to debate with him whether he could indeed speak English or not. We thanked him and joined Chris who was sat chuckling to himself at my obvious discomfort.

The food arrived and looked good. We thanked the server and tucked in. I think I am getting in the habit of eating way too much food. I felt my belt was too tight and that I didn’t need to eat for a week. I also knew that I would be eating again later. I quite envied Chris who seemed able to pack away copious amounts of food easily. I suppose it’s him having been ex army and a lorry driver for many years.

We chatted about a few of the sights we had seen during the drive up from Rapid city. About how are vehicles were behaving and what we thought of them. The ‘Charger’ was a dream to drive, comfortable, responsive and everything I needed to touch was in easy reach. I was surprised at how quickly I had gotten used to the car and the instrument layout. Pete raved about the Ford and it’s power as did Chris and his Harley. Chris asked if either Pete or I wanted to swap vehicles for the afternoon. Pete and I looked at each other and speaking at the same time replied ‘no – but thanks.’ I think for both of us it was the words of a nurse who referred to motor cyclists as ‘organ donors’ rattling through our minds,

The food didn’t just look good it tasted even better than it looked.

After paying and saying our adioses we left and made our way back to our vehicles. Pete and I started our engines and waited for the air-con to cool the interiors before getting in. Chris was using water to try and cool off his seat. After a few minutes the seats in the car were cool enough to sit on and the steering wheel cool enough to handle. With about two hundred and fifty miles to travel to our next lodgings Chris and I followed Pete back to the I90. Just before we joined it Pete pulled over and picked up a young couple who were hitching a lift. They looked to be early to mid twenties, they had wedding rings on and looked ‘safe’. As we pulled away from the kerb and onto the I90 I was reminded that Bonnie and Clyde had looked a nice couple – in the film anyway.

I haven’t hitched a lift for nearly half a century and even then not very much and usually in uniform. Pete had hitched his way around Europe. I enjoyed company but am very happy with my own company. Pete is similar but much more gregarious than me. I wondered where the couple were from and where they were heading and what they were hoping to do. I thought I would probably hear over our evening meal if they were still with us.

Back on the road the vehicles eating up the miles we ran past a place named ‘Garyowen’. I never expected to see that name outside of Wales. According to the signs we were not very far from ‘The Battle of Little Bighorn’ site. Soon after we left the I90 and entered ‘Crow Agency’. Past a Baptist church building and a four square church building and soon pulled into ‘Teepee Services’. Not a Teepee in site. We had seen one from the road at a site called ‘mystic warrior’. We didn’t speak much as the place looked a little sad. Not as pristine as other places we had refuelled. We three huddled and prayed for the area. A lot of blood had been shed nearby and we asked for God to cleanse the land and the people. After availing ourselves of the facilities and having paid we were soon on our way.

I had asked Pete where were the couple travelling to. Apparently they were newly married and had just enough cash, provided they hitched, to get them to Bethel Church in Redding. So anywhere in that direction. We had decided to travel on to Big Timber, mainly because the name sounded nice.

Back in our vehicles we were soon back on the I90. The road headed northerly for about twenty five miles and then turned towards the west. There were hills or mountains all about and the land looked fairly green. The road was good and the miles were consumed comfortably. Billings to our right looked to be a biggish place. There were light industries on either side of the road with housing estates, nice white and tidy, set amongst them. Off to our left was the Yellowstone river mending its way from the Rockies to the Missouri River and on into the Mississippi river.

The sat-nav was showing about eighty three miles to our hotel in Big Timber. So just over an hour hour and twenty minutes to travel. My right leg was beginning to ache, I think I need to have a walk preferably a long one. I set the cruise control (after a bit of trial and error) and did some seated exercises and stretched my legs as best I could.

We passed a few large polly tunnels that were on our right and pasted a sign that we needed to take the next right if we were visiting ‘Yellowstone National Park’. As we weren’t, we carried on along the I90. We zoomed past a huge ford dealership which was opposite what looked to be a Petro chemical plant. There was a reservoir on our right presumably for the housing for the folk working at the plant.

It felt like suddenly we were on a two lane highway it felt strange to have vehicles coming towards me albeit on their side of the road. We were soon back to two lanes either side of a central reservation. The land either side of the road looked good for farming to me. Green vegetation and a smattering of trees around. We followed the road as it wound its way round ‘Park City’. The road followed the valley created by the Yellowstone River.

There were hills to our right for a little while and farms to our left whicth the occasional glimpses of the river. The old I10 was also to our left although I didn’t see much of it. That’s where the sat-nav displayed it as being. Our carriageway got separated from the other as we climbed a little. As we crested the rise we were back partnered with the adjacent carriageway. The road descended after shirting Columbus eventually crossing the river. It wasn’t the biggest river we had crossed but it looked clean and fresh, maybe it was just the light but it looked great. With the river now on our right we continued to follow the valley it created.

We drove past Reed Point and Quebec the road generally heading north west. The valley broadened out and we were soon bypassing Greycliff and a sign that informed us that we had just seven miles to to to Big Timber. There were mountains straight ahead, a rail track to our right and a herd of cattle beyond that.

As the road swung to the left the rail track continues straight going to the north of Big Timber as the road went to the south. We came off the I90 at exit 367 and followed the road round. We passed the Super 8 motel, a couple of Gas Stations and saw our hotel on our right. Passing the sign ‘Entering Big Timber’ we turned right and after passing ‘Montana Taxidermy’ we pulled into the hotel parking area.

It had been a long drive and I for one was happy to be stretching my legs and moving my back. Chris and Pete looked to be doing similar. They young couple were looking at us and Pete explained that stiffness through inactivity seems to increase with age.

We gathered around the boot/trunk of the Charger and retrieved our cases. The couple thanked Pete for the lift and he asked where they were hoping to stay for the night. The young man said they were hoping to catch a ride west. Pete said ‘Why don’t you stay here and we will give you a lift in the morning?’The couple looked a little sheepish and tried to explain that there finances wouldn’t permit it. They explained they had enough money to get food and their first year course and accommodation was paid for but they would need to work while studying. Chris piped up well lets see if they have an extra room for you two if they have you stay and we will pay if they haven’t then then you can either be on your way or sleep in the ford.

With that and brooking no discussion he marched off to the reception. He asked the questions and was given answers in the affirmative. Paperwork was signed and keys issued, we walked off to our rooms agreeing to all meet up in a half hour.

The couple looked rather bemused by events. I was no sooner in my room than I got a whatsapp call I think from Chris. So we had a little powwow (we were in Indian country) We agreed that we would pay for their meals and accommodation till they left us. If they protested we would declare that it was a post wedding present. Pete told us his name was Alan and his wife was Ros short for Rosalyn.

A wash and teeth cleaned we five assembled in the reception area. We had decided that we liked the sound of ‘The Thirsty Turtle’ as a place to eat. We walked back passed the ‘Montana Taxidermy’ place and followed the road right to the Eatery. We passed a couple of banks various businesses and some housing. All the buildings were low rise mostly single story houses. Across the road we spotted our destination. It didn’t look too promising. Still we entered and it felt a little like stepping back in time. There was a juke-box and statues ad pictures of famous movie stars. We sat at a table and the server came and asked us if we were eating. Chris responded ‘No but we would like to!’ A polite laugh from the server and we were asked what we would like to drink? Ros asked for water as did Alan but both changed their mind and had beers as we explained that this was our treat. The beers and menus arrived I asked for water for us all. It seems that Ros and Alan had gotten married a couple of weeks before and like us had planned to drive from the east coast to Bethel as their honeymoon. About a week in the car had developed problems which seemed to get worse as the days passed. The car had died as they pulled into a garage. They were told it would need a new engine, which they couldn’t afford. The garage agreed to buy the car as scrap. But they hadn’t gotten very much for it. Neither Ros’s nor Alan’s parents could afford to send cash so they were hitching.

We ordered food and I felt quite relieved that Chris didn’t attempt the Gut Buster which comprised of a 2lb cheese burger, 1lb of bacon, 1lb of fries, 2 grilled cheese buns and all the fixins. 9Whatever they were!) A total of four and a half pounds of food. I think anyone eating it in a half hour got it and the resultant heart attack free!

Pete went for ‘Chicken Alfredo Pasta, Chris for California burger and I went for a Philly steak in a creamy sauce pasta. Ros and Alan looked to be trying to order the cheapest items on the menu. Chris interjected that our Father had been very generous to us so we could be to them. Pete stated ‘It’s more blessed to give than to receive but if no one accepts no one gets blessed. Ros went for a chicken salad and Alan a cheese burger and fries with salad. Over the food and between mouthfuls of food we explained, at their insistence, what we were doing. Chris seems to have the story off pat.

The food was good and with just a little prodding Ros and Alan had desert. Pete Chris and myself aware of our increasing waist lines declined. Tey were from a small town near Boston and had been childhood sweethearts both graduating from university with business degrees and huge debts. They had attended a rather formal church and had attended a Revival Fires conference which had really excited them both. They had looked up the Bethel School of Ministry and decided this is what they ought to be doing. They had saved some cash and had applied to attend year one of the school. They were accepted onto the course and were due to start in about a week.

The meal was consumed as were the drinks. The bill was paid and the tip given and appreciated. We decided we would see if we could walk to the river and back to the hotel that way. We had to cross the rail track where Chris insisted on listening to the track to check if a train was coming! It wasn’t so we made our way to the river. It looked good and we each skimmed a few stones and despite being easily the smallest Ros got many more skims than any of us.

It was getting dark so we made our way back to the hotel. Big Timber seemed a pleasant enough place. The air was still and the myriad of stars looked impressive. A lovely evening to end a long and tiring day. We agreed to meet for prayer at seven thirty. Ros and Alan asked if they could join us. Assured that would be great we all retired to our fairly dated but comfortable rooms.

Home – Common Cents Stores www.commoncentsstores.com

www.fs.usda.gov/blackhills Black Hills National Forrest

www.sturgismuseum.com Sturgis motorcycle hall of fame

Albertano’s Authentic Mexican Food – Mexican Restaurant in Buffalo (business.site)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Bighorn_Battlefield_National_Monument

https://www.visitmt.com/places-to-go/cities-and-towns/crow-agency.html

https://www.nps.gov/yell/ Yellowstone \national Park

www.thirstyturtlemt.com

Posted in A Lockdown Virtual Journey, North America