We left the Canadian side of Niagara falls this morning and headed back to the U.S. side. Shock horror the Americans have eclipsed the Canadians by actually being a lot more sympathetic to the poor old falls. Sure it’s still commercial, however they have managed to keep a bit more green space and have kept the casinos back a bit from the watery bits.

It’s always a bit sad when you have an image in your mind, cultivated over the years, of an iconic location and the reality turns out to be a little less than you expected. Niagara Falls to me is one of those places. I tried to block out the commercial side of the falls, that has no doubt always been there, and failed. The new high-rise hotels and casinos, the neon signs and the full-blown Vegas style amusement park on Falls Street, made it impossible to capture the feeling I was expecting. The falls are still magnificent as they have been for thousands of years. But a “Coney Island” theme park in the background….come on!

It’s symptomatic of the new commercial world I guess. Or maybe I’m naive expecting things to stay aesthetically pleasing. I just hope no one builds a casino at Yellowstone or Zion or any of the other “special places” in the U.S.

Casino Falls

Forget the falls. Lets build a very average fountain.

War Memorial. The soldier faces the Mall not the Falls.

Pass.

Enough Said

If you pick the angle and use trees to disguise the buildings, you can imagine the falls as they should be.

Better if you don’t turn around.

Thanks to Kay and Steve Zimmerman, and friends, for your hospitality and taking the time to make our too brief stay in your lovely part of the US more rewarding than it would otherwise have been. I hope that you will forgive any criticism I make regarding your country’s coffee and still visit when you “see the light” and come visit the Southern Hemisphere. We will definitely throw some shrimps on the barbie and drink a Corona or two.

P.S. Dave, I checked the internet and it says you definitely can’t shoot the Ebola virus. So those forty guns………

Do I miss my hand-made Londinium lever-action coffee machine. Do I miss the little “hiss” as the boiler comes up to pressure and the group head begins to warm? Do I miss watching the perfect flow of properly extracted coffee as it drops like oily syrup into a pre warmed tulip cup? Do I miss the sound of the steam heating the milk to a perfect temperature with just the right density?

No. Well maybe a little. I would like a proper coffee.

Dubious coffee beans, ground to powder, stewed in a “dripolator”, stored in an “airpot”, served in a paper cup with the choice of “vanilla cream”, “Irish cream”, “half and half” or “non dairy creamer”, may just qualify as a refreshing hot beverage, however it will never and I repeat never, be coffee.

There are some serious trucks about however. Any Takers? I’m talking to the Ellis family now.

We were privileged today to see the running of the Chicago version of the Indianapolis 500 car race.

The race is run over various distances, is open to all classes of vehicle and is completed in two parts.

Part one involves qualification where drivers compete for positions on the track according to vehicle type and capacity. As there are no particular rules for qualification so this part is a little confusing to first timers. From what I gather eye contact between drivers is forbidden and the use of a horn treated with contempt. Indicators may be used to signal intent to other drivers , however they are usually disregarded. The qualification section of the race varies in length and is more of a time related competition, today’s qualification took about an hour and ran for about ten kilometres, so the pace was probable a little slower than normal, in part due to the track being wet from recent rain.

Part two involves the actual racing. Again there are no particular rules, in fact the only real rule is to not go any slower than forty miles per hour (60 kph). Vehicles violating the “40 rule” are pulled over to the side by one of the track officials and penalised with a  monetary fine and severe warning, “race or get off the track”. The race continues for varying distances.The track has up to eight racing lanes and ten different classes of vehicle with speeds in excess of eighty miles an hour (140 kph). The heavy vehicle class seems to be one of the more competitive, probably due to the bonus prizes for and early finish and rapid delivery of goods. the school bus class is a little more layback, they tend to sing as they race. We competed in the novice, out of their depth, class however we made a good showing with no penalty notices and no collisions.

In all it was a fun day however i have developed a nervous tick and a tendency to check over my right shoulder. This was after all an American freeway!

Our finishing point was 3250 Easy St. off Twinkle Rd. Kalamazoo, Indiana. Again, I kid you not.

We also visited the Moushaus  Cheesehaus. Seriously!

The Haus.

The Mouse.

At Wisconsin Dells there is a quaint motel called the Deer Trail Motel. This “motel”, rather guest cabins, is run enthusiastically, by a Polish lady with a lovely attitude and accent who struggles to keep up with the english, the “internets” and from observation the “mainanances”. Just after we checked in we were visited by the owner….. “ Oh please excuse, very sorry, am forgetting to close window in bathing room. Peoples are using windows and handle is not so good, these peoples they are not knowing how to use pliers for window and mechanisms are no longer good, very sorry Mister and Misses. Also if you are wanting any things you come to my office no matter time yes?” Was this a promise of things to come? Jen went for ice and came back with a plate of home pickled field mushrooms, and the ice. P.S. they have WiFi and according to my notebook’s diagnostics the router is located in the upstairs bedroom closet. It’s a shame it’s not plugged in to the modem. Mr. Irons will no doubt think me picky, well it’s my typewriter thing and I’ll say what I want.

Anyway on to Vegas for all.

On second thoughts, forget it, let’s go to Devil’s Lake instead and check out the “fall” colours.

Wisconsin Farmhouse

Leaves

Orange

Green

Yellow

Red

Stairway to The Bluff

Turkey Buzzard

Devil’s Lake from the bluff.

Squirrel eye view.

The road in.

1. 480 Kilometres in 4 hours, Wall South Dakota to Keystone South Dakota. These interstate roads are good with a minimum speed of 40 MPH most people travel at 75 to 80 MPH. Rob (are we there yet) Ellis would love it.
2. They grow a lot of corn in Iowa. Iowa is also littered with beautiful old barns and grain silos, a reminder of its simpler past. Having taken the inevitable more economically feasible route these buildings are now mostly left to the elements. A shame really.
   

   Jens Barn and silo. Iowa.

3. The Iron Mountain Highway to Mt Rushmore must rate as one of the world’s great scenic drives. The Road was built with “Pigtail bridges” and three tunnels were cut through solid granite to allow access and at the same time, frame a view of Mt. Rushmore. To my mind this is the way to see the sculpture. This and many other gems from Peter Norbeck a humble and very active politician from the days when they weren’t “in it for the money”.
   

   Rock Stars.

   

   Iron Mountain Hwy, “Pigtail Bridge”.

4. In South Dakota they keep strange livestock and protect it vigorously.
   

   South Dakota free range livestock.

   5. Badlands National Park. Is like Mungo National Park in Australia only on a massive scale. it has an enormous wealth of fossils and visitors are encouraged to seek them out and report findings to the park rangers.

   

   Multi coloured Badlands.

   

   Not so Badlands.

6. The owner of the town “Scenic” sold it in 2011 but there is a revival expected any moment. Just ask the cat.
   

   Lot 43….Scenic. Going once , going twice, sold to the cat in the black suit!

   

   Hotel Scenic.

7. The town of Wall has some weird stuff. Of particular note is Wall Drug Store the Vegas of Drug Stores where they will give you free ice water and guide you to economic insecurity.
   

   A Couple of  miners, 49ers ex-ca-va-tin for ……

   

   Hee Haw! The Last Long Horn Rabbit Round Up.

   

   Wall’s Jurassic Park.

8. Did I mention it’s Autumn. Most of America’s northern National Parks and for that  matter any outdoor activity (except winter sports) seem to close at the end of September and reopen in the Summer. It’s a bit bureaucratic but at least the locals know what to expect. In Keystone for example, near Mt Rushmore, most of the shops are  closed from the end of September till the beginning of May. On the plus side if you travel as we are on the fringe of the tourist season you see the autumn colours, wildlife and so forth without the crowds.
   

   Autumn, sorry, Fall.

When you run over a squirrel with a car you end up with a fluffy book mark. How do I know this? I know this because I have seen them and I have been dodging potential fluffy bookmarks all day. If the US has a lot of anything its potential fluffy bookmarks.

Around these here parts, South Dakota that is, there are also a lot of  things that don’t make good bookmarks, in ascending order of non bookmarkness they include skunk, raccoon, deer and bison.

Now you could argue that a skunk could make a bookmark, but who would want it? Raccoon, they make a better hat according to Mr. D. Boone. Deer too big. Bison, well you’re likely to end up as the bookmark end of the deal. But I digress.

Dear self,

As you are the most consistent visitor to your blog site, which is as it should be, please find the enclosed photos.

Regards, Self.

Jen’s Bison

Calamity Jane’s last resting place.

Deer Martha,

Wild Bill’s last resting place.

Big eared deer.

Noah,
2 x Prong Horns.
Check!

Gap through needles 2.5 metres wide.

All the usual suspects at the line up. The guy on the right looks guilty.

Stoney faced Americans.

The TV series Deadwood furnishes an image of the ‘Wild West” totally removed from any John Wayne or Audie Murphy big screen Western. It’s coarse and vulgar in the extreme and displays the worst of humanity in a harsh environment.

After spending a few hours in current day Deadwood it wasn’t difficult to picture how accurate the series is. All the characters and events in the show are basically historically accurate.

Deadwood today survives from tourism, gambling and selling souvenirs. Being in the Black Hills area it also cashes in on the Annual Black Hills Motorcycle festivities.

Anyway we wandered the town at night and checked the sights. For anyone who has seen the series you will be pleased to know there is a new style of “sucker” in town … they play the slots and blackjack tables.

Lunch from Dirty Annie’s?

The Deadwood Stage passes through here.

Bighorn N.P.

Below a selection of Deadwood nightlife and I think thats John Wayne standing at the window.

Aliens invade deadwood to win all the earths money at blackjack. Their flying saucers are seen here leaving empty-handed.

The strange events of last night.

We arrived late at Cody Wyoming late last night. After we booked in at the motel we headed out to Leslie Neilson’s Ranch, just out-of-town. Leslie gave us a great meal of Salmon and mashed potatoes with all the usual veggies and regaled us with stories about his latest Sci-Fi movie. I have to say this guy is ever bit as eccentric in real life as he is in his movies.

Any way after dinner he took us out to his barn where he showed us the rocket scooter used in his latest movie. When he asked if I would like to take it for I “turn around the ranch” I naturally jumped at the chance and after a few short lessons Leslie was confident that I was ‘ready to fly”.

Having jumped on board I cracked the throttle and took of like the proverbial rocket (scooter). This thing was great, I was up and down the yard in no time flat and with Leslie’s encouragement I was about to get airborne. So much fun…………………….

Then I woke up. Rats!

I really am going to have to stop drinking Black Heart 90 proof rum.

My new best mate, Leslie Nielson. Who sadly passed away four years ago.