We pulled into the park and noticed there were dozens and dozens of motorcycles setting up camp. Not sure what was going on so we asked one group and found they all were heading to the Sturgis annual rally. The rally started on the 6th and went through to the 12th. They said to expect many more tomorrow night. Of course, Guinness and Rosco had to check out the bikes on our after dinner walk and before we headed back to our trailer they had made many, many biker friends.
The next day, our only full day here, we headed out early for there was a lot to see and do. Guinness and Rosco, surprisingly, did not want to spend any more time in the truck and opted to stay home and watch cartoons.
Our first stop was Falls Park on the Big Sioux River. It being in the center of the city and close to downtown, there were many visitors. It was a beautiful park and would have loved to spend a lot more time there. Next on our list was the Sculpture Walk. This is an outside art exhibit were artists place their sculptures on the city's streets for one year. We found this to be a great way to see the city and enjoy the product of these artists.
Our next stop was to be St. Joseph's Cathederal. We were told by the RV park's staff it was an awe inspiring place. We had driven by it yesterday afternoon and decided we wanted to tour the inside, but, as our luck would have it, the tours were not operating that day due to scheduled maintenace. Darn. Well, back to the RV park to have lunch and walk the kids.
Once fed and walked we saddled up for the rest of the afternoon's exploring. As we were leaving the RV park the truck suddenly lost power. It was still running, but would not accelrate over 5 MPH. OK. Turn around an limp back to the trailer. At least we had not been on the road or in the city. I believed it was the fuel filter for this had happened once before when I went too long before changing it. I asked the office staff if there was an auto parts stores close by and, to my surprise, there was, right next door. It was a truck parts and repair center so I was sure they would have the part. After a short walk there I secured the part and went back to the truck. Changing the filter in this truck is not difficult. It just takes some time. Once I changed it the baby started humming its sweet song to me again. I was concerned we may had gotten some bad fuel somewhere for I had changed the filter in Colorado Springs. It should have lasted a lot longer than that. Tomorrow morning, before we leave, I'll go back to the parts store and purchase another one, just in case.
That did it for the rest of the day. By the time I cleaned up it was too late to go back into town. So....we set up the chairs, broke out some snacks and adult beverages, brought out the kids with some toys, and cooled our heels for the rest of the afternoon. That was great for Guinness and Rosco for a new set of potential biker friends were starting to roll in for the evening.
After dinner and our meet-and-greet walk with the current biker crowd we retired to the trailer to get ready for our departure in the morning. We, also, took this time to discuss the rest of our journey around the country.
We had come a long way since we left Savannah back in late November of last year. Being constanly on the go was starting to take its toll on all of us, but we were not ready to give up. We still had places to visit and sights to see and experiences to experience, but we needed to rethinnk how long we were going to be on the road. We make that decision soon.
Tomorrow we'll head through North Dakota, making a one-night stop, and on into Minnisota where we will stay for several days. Wish we had more time to spend here. Maybe one day we'll make it back.
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