Blog

After Terri and I met with Dr B and Lana, the Nurse Navigator, we decided to stay an extra night in Scottsdale. Dr B. had provided literature on the clinical trial for Terri and I to review. If Terri had decided to take part in it, she could have signed the papers in the morning. We left early on August 9th and Terri drove-straight through to Alamosa Colorado.

The following morning we visited our last park- Great Sand Dunes. It was very strange to see these giant dunes at the foot of these mountains in Colorado-

We spent about 1 hour at the park. We watched a short film on why there is sand along this mountain range and how the flow of water, the changing seasons and the wind keep recycling the sand. Here is a great link describing this phenomenon:

https://www.handsontheland.org/grsa/resources/geo_brief.htm

Many people were hiking the dunes, however this takes a great deal of time and energy. The dunes are massive and we had to get home.

It was a great morning to play in the sand….

The Map has all 58  National Parks listed along with National Monuments. We highlighted the ones we saw in pink for 2018.  Total: 21 National Parks, 2 National Monuments. This is inside our Travel Trailer. We had it special built w/o bunks so that we could store our bikes.

I want to begin by saying, I was surprised when Terri  asked me if I was going to post this. She is a very private person, however she also feels had there been more stories like hers when she was first diagnosed, she would have felt more hopeful and inspired.  This is why she had agreed for me to blog her story.

Terri began experiencing increasing abdominal discomfort while  we were at  Badlands. She had  some discomfort since Moab , Utah but attributed it to being so active. When we were headed to Colorado Springs, she decided to contact her oncologist in Arizona, since he was closer than the one back home in Pennsylvania. She had an appointment scheduled at the end of August, but he advised coming in sooner if we could. We parked the camper at Alamosa KOA and drove 9 1/2 hours to Scottsdale Arizona. Terri had a  PET and CT scan on August 7th and the doctor reviewed the results the following day. It was not the news we had hoped for.  The PET scan showed some activity in her abdomen and pelvis. He advised IV Chemo again. The oral Xeloda , which was a very low dose, appeared  not  to be effective. He did offer a clinical trial, however that would mean Terri would have to stay in Arizona for a month and then return every 2 weeks indefinitely. Terri opted to return home and  try 5FU/Onivyde.  The clinical trial is a phase one and right now, only 3 people are on it.  We know that genetic testing on her tumors showed she should respond to the 5FU. The Gemcitabine/Abraxane  regime was hard on her the last time and she was having difficulty finishing the cycles.

On the way back to Alamosa, Terri asked me if I would post this because she wanted to show people, “there are bumps in the road.” That is how she described the news….

When we returned to Alamosa, we got to see the last National Park on our list- Great Sand Dunes. I will post about that later.  Our trip was cut short by only 6 days. We arrived home Monday  and Terri started Chemotherapy Wednesday the 15th.  The 5FU is given intravenously over 46 hours. She was connected to a small portable IV pump for 2 days. She will do this every 2 weeks.  Oh… I forgot to mention, after we came home form the chemo clinic, she went for a scooter ride. We were planning to golf later that evening, but it rained….

Amazing….Truly Amazing

 

 

 

 

 

After our visit to Wall, we stopped at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. Terri wasn’t feeling well, so I ran in to check it out. Obviously we did not get an opportunity to tour Delta 01 or  Delta 09. I did get to see the exhibits and watch a short video. Here is a link to the NPS providing a history of the Cold war and the role of the 44th Missile Wing of nearby Ellsworth Airforce Base

https://www.nps.gov/mimi/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm

Also a link to a short video

https://www.nps.gov/mimi/planyourvisit/parkfilm.htm

Day 2 at Badlands we drove the rest of the scenic loop to get even more spectacular pics. We stopped at a few overlooks along the way:

When we reached the end of the loop, we decided to check out the town of Wall.

*Excerpts from Wikipedia-

“In 1931, Ted Hustead,  a Nebraskan pharmacist,  was looking for a small town with a Catholic church in which to establish his business. He bought Wall Drug located in a 231-person town in what he referred to as “the middle of nowhere,” and strove to make a living. Business was very slow until his wife, Dorothy, thought of advertising free ice water to parched travelers heading to the newly opened Mount Rushmore monument 60 miles to the west.  Business began to take off…. Wall Drug is a  shopping mall consisting of a drug store, gift shop, restaurants and various other stores. Unlike a traditional shopping mall, all the stores at Wall Drug operate under a single entity instead of being individually run stores. The New York Times has described Wall Drug as “a sprawling tourist attraction of international renown that draws some two million annual visitors to a remote town.”

Terri met  some new friends

And honed her marksman skills-

Interesting place…..

 

 

We arrived at the Badlands KOA early on August 1st, so we decided to do half the scenic loop. Terri was very happy  because Badlands reminded her of giant sand castles and she has been missing the beach!

It was very difficult to hike on the soft sedimentary rock. As you can see, all of the loose rock became very slick when trying to climb the sculpted hills. To me, it was a smaller scaled Bryce Canyon of sorts. we walked out on to some over- looks to catch a different view.

It was funny, for days Terri kept saying, “I want to see Big Horn Sheep!” As we were leaving our last overlook- she screamed, “Lookie, Loookie-  A herd of BIG HORN SHEEP!

Terri sent me out of the car to get closer pics.  Some how she gets to be Marlin Perkins and I am always Jim Fowler from Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom.  Remember Marlin? “While I am hiding safely behind a rock, Jim is castrating a Brahman Bull!”

Jim made it safely back to the truck! What an awesome site!

 

 

On the way to Mount Rushmore, we passed through some more interesting tunnels.

Coming out of this tunnel, we caught a glimpse of Mount Rushmore from a distance:

Here’s another view:

Then up close and personal:

Check out that profile!

Here is a bust of the Artist who orchestrated the grand project,  Gotzum Borglum:

I can’t wrap my head around how one even begins… Speaking of works in progress: we visited Crazy Horse. This project is another grand undertaking.  Ziolkowski was a Polish-American sculpter who’s sculpture won first prize at the 1939 New York Worlds Fair.  Chief Henry Standing Bear of the Lakota wrote Ziolkowski , “My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know the red man has great heroes, too.” After meeting with the Chief and identifying the appropriate place in the Blackhills, Ziolkowski began his work June 3, 1948.

Here is a pic I shot from a distance:

The face is completed. Ziolkowski  passed away 1982. His sons continue the work as funds are available. This monument is not a State or Federal Monument, but rather a private undertaking. The finished project will resemble this:

 

 

Hopefully someday this will be completed.

Custer State Park sits between Wind cave and Mount Rushmore. Within the park is a scenic drive that includes Needles Highway.  This area, along with Wind Cave, is in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. The entire scenic drive was beautiful. Here is a herd of Pronghorn:

Some Beautiful landscape:

This is Needles Highway, lined  with granite pillars, towers and spires.

There were many hairpin turns and three very small tunnels:

At the entrance of the park, we were  given information on the dimensions  of the tunnels. Terri’s truck just fit.

This tunnel is called the Eye of the Needle- for obvious reasons:

WHEW! Terri did a great job of navigating these tunnels. Side view mirrors in tact!

We also visited a place called Sylvan Lake. This was such a unique lake with all the granite rock:

 

When we were planning this trip, we did not consider the first full week of August is Sturgis week and we were in South Dakota at the end of July. Many Bikers show up early for this yearly event and check out  South Dakota’s Black Hills, Badlands and other attractions. We passed hundreds of the early birds.

These group of bikers caught our eye and then we looked closer:

There was a herd of feral burrows that gathered on the scenic overlook.This was the most amazing experience!

Typically we would never pet the  animals, but these were domesticated at one time and were just looking for some love.

And if this little girl was not afraid, why should we be….

This guy wants a ride a ride to Sturgis!

That was sooo cool! I wanna a pony and a donkey!

 

 

 

 

So I have been picking at Terri here and there and she has been a great sport. However,  she would like me to come clean. I am 54 years old and I still confuse my left and right.  I have told Terri to turn right when she should be going left. I have missed wildlife because she will say, “See that Pronghorn to your right?” and I look left. It is an everyday occurrence. So she no longer uses “left or right” instead,  “bracelet hand or watch hand”.  I know that is a kindergarten strategy, but it’s working. I am seeing some awesome wildlife and we haven’t had to turn around in a while….

Wind Cave was our fourth and final National Park Cave. We now have visited all the caves that have been designated National Parks.  We were part of a large group and the Ranger had a difficult time with one particular family. You are aware of all the rules prior to entering a cave, DO NOT TOUCH the cave decorations or walls. DO NOT WALK anywhere off the designated path. For what ever reason, one family felt those rules did not apply to them and the Ranger had to constantly remind the parents and teenager. The Ranger only stopped 4 times in the 60 minute tour and I think he just wanted to get the family out of there. So the tour was different. Most different, was the cave itself. There were no stalactite or stalagmite formations, no columns or soda straws . What the cave does have is the largest collection of what is called  Boxwork formations. These formations resemble honey comb. The ceiling of the cave is an ancient Sea Bed. For more info on how boxwork is formed, check out link.

https://www.nps.gov/wica/learn/nature/speleothems-boxwork-origins.htm

Boxwork is located on the ceiling.

As you can see, some of the boxwork is as thin and fragile as a potato chip.

Terri brought her own flashlight in hopes the Ranger would appoint her the Caboose again. He did not. She was disappointed at first, but then took on the role of pointing out interesting aspects of the cave. The Ranger was too busy  yelling at the family in the front of the line to notice….

There is a very interesting story surrounding Wind Cave. 

Jesse McDonald  and his family moved to Wind Cave in 1890. Jesse worked for the South Dakota Mining Company and was to oversee this “mining claim”. Jesse decided to make some money off the cave.  He built his house atop the natural entrance of the cave and promoted public tours. The natural entrance was located in the kitchen of their home. Guests descended a ladder that protruded out of the middle of the McDonald’s kitchen’s floor.

It is called Wind Cave because, depending on the atmospheric pressure,  wind either blows into or out of the cave. If the atmospheric pressure is  higher outside, air blows into the cave and visa versa. Jesse’s 16 year old son Alvin, became obsessed with the cave.  Alvin would explore the cave via candlelight and is said to have mapped nearly 10 miles. Alvin kept a journal of his explorations. He called himself the Permanent Guide of Wind Cave. 

Here is his journal:

https://www.nps.gov/wica/learn/historyculture/alvin-mcdonalds-diary-text.htm#CP_JUMP_3079532

  At age 20, Alvin  went to the Columbian Exposition at the World’s Fair in Chicago   It is suspected Alvin contracted typhoid fever at the Fair and died December 15th 1893.  

For  a very interesting story of Alvin and  Wind Cave check out this article:

https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2008/10/it-breathes

Terri and I did a hike after the cave tour and we visited Alvin’s grave. For whatever reason, I did not take a pic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Devils Tower was dedicated the first National Monument by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. The Tower is granite and  measures 1,000 feet in diameter at the bottom and 275 feet in diameter at the top. The Tower is considered sacred site of worship to Native Americans. There are many native American legends regarding this Tower. One legend;  the marks come from a giant bear who clawed grooves into the  mountain side while chasing two Indian Maidens. The Tower is known as Bear Lodge to several Native American tribes. If this giant rock looks familiar to you, it was featured in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The KOA  sits at the entrance. We stayed one night, and the KOA plays the movie every evening at 8 pm. The DevilsTower is a rock climbers dream.

Depending on the time of day, the tower can appear very different:

We also encounter our first Prairie Dog Town:

And more deer:

Off to see our fourth Cave- Wind Cave National Park.