May 12 - Air & Space Museum & Canyon Lake Park
After yesterday morning's cold and snowy start, this morning was a very welcome change – sun and warmer temperatures.
Today is our second and last day in Rapid City so we're off to the South Dakota Air & Space Museum in Box Elder, a few miles east of Rapid City at the Ellsworth Air Force base.
This free admission museum was well worth the visit. Outside are airplanes on static display; inside are four museum galleries.
As was described in the brochure, the museum is in the process of doing some major landscaping work. The concrete sidewalks certainly made it easy for Jen to get around in her chair. Here what it'll look like when all the work is complete.
And here are some of the planes on display.
We thoroughly enjoyed the museum – in a word, it was "incredible."
We returned to the rv park so Jen could have a rest while I went and washed our "buggy" van. After that chore was done, we hopped back in Alfie and went looking for Canyon Lake Park.
The rv park is on top of a big hill so rather than go down Hwy 16 which we have done a couple of times already (ho-hum), I suggested we drive down Skyline Drive. Skyline Drive literally runs along the crest of a hill – one side is Rapid City which we overlook at the rv park. The other side looks over this. Holy you-know-what Batman; shades of Hwy 1 in California!!
On the way down Skyline Drive, we went past a Dinosaur Park. Interesting, but we didn't stop.
We made it to the bottom and city traffic but in a short while we turned into Canyon Lake Park. What a pretty spot. We walked to the lake and strolled along the shore.
I've said this before but we are very impressed with what we've seen of South Dakota so far. As our neighbours who we met this afternoon suggested, we're in the best part of South Dakota – close to the Black Hills. From here east is flat plains.
Tomorrow we head for Wall and its famous Drug Store with 5 cent coffee, donuts, etc., then drive the Badlands Loop Scenic Byway and end our day in and around Pierre, SD. I don't know what wifi will be like in the coming days, so we'll get back to you when we can.
B1- Lancer a.k.a. "Bone"
B-29 Superfortress
EC-135 Looking Glass
B-52 Stratofortress a.k.a. "BUFF"
B-25 Mitchell
C-47 Gooney Bird
F-86 Sabre
F-111 Aardvark
