The Wild (Mid)west Adventures of the Shushing Librarian - Part 4

After a night in a "hammock," it was time to get on the road again. Time to say good-bye to C’s family and head back to Omaha to repack the Harley for a week-long Road Trip to the Black Hills.
We divided the nine hour drive to the Black Hills into a two-day ride: five hours the first night, with an overnight stay in Valentine, NE; then onto the Black Hills.

We were excited to see the landscape change from the sandy, rolling hills of western Nebraska to the towering ponderosa pines that blanketed the Black Hills. Our private log cabin was located in Custer State Park, home to 1,500 free roaming buffalo. As we entered into the park, posted signs warned us not to feed the wildlife and that buffalo are dangerous. SERIOUSLY!B and C chose to stay at Blue Bell Lodge, one of the four resorts located in the state park.

Trivia note: President Calvin Coolidge made Custer State Park the “summer White House” in 1927.

B and C now understand why. The dirty Harley was happy to come to a rest after a long drive – and so was B. (I did offer to drive, but he didn't take me up on that offer, for some reason!)The cabin was especially cozy and contained a small kitchen, large king-sized bed, bath, sitting area and a fireplace (complete with traditional décor). But it was the unobstructed views of the Hills which B and C loved the most. (My friend C, the nature model!)

All was pretty peaceful in the Hills and everyone immediately fell into a relaxed pace. The mornings, however, proved to be a bit exciting. Every morning, around 6:00 a.m., the neighbors came over for breakfast.
Howdy neighbors!We celebrated our first night in Hills at the local restaurant and enjoyed some of the local cuisine. We just couldn’t resist “saddling up” to the bar.Over the leisurely dinner, we planned out the week, making sure to fill the itinerary with lots stops at all the historic sites and long rides on the Harley.

Stay tuned for the next installment of my Wild (Mid)West Adventures.