Custer - We're Here!

Yesterday morning seems like a long time ago. I know it was just about 450 miles ago. We pulled out of the Colorado Springs KOA around 9 a.m. and headed north on I-25, not sure how far we'd go the first day.

We passed by Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver:

And got a last look at the Denver skyline. Just hours later, a funnel cloud stopped the Colorado Rockies game for about 45 minutes.

A new state for us in the Phaeton:

We made a last minute decision to stop in Cheyenne for the night, and went to AB Campground. Luckily, they had a spot for us.

Very early this morning, we fired up the Castle's engine and got on the road. Afternoon storms are common in this part of the country, especially this year, so we thought it would be a good idea to get settled before that.

South Dakota, revisited:

An early view of the Black Hills, and we started to feel very comfortable and at home.

Our friends, Doug and JoAnn, talk about the feeling of places. We notice that too, every place we go has some sort of unique feeling to it. Some we like more than others. The Black Hills is one place that has a very special and wonderful feeling for us.

We arrived at Broken Arrow Campground a little after noon. On the road out from Custer, we passed Pat and Mike McFall's place and gave them a "shout" from the Castle's air horns. Got a wave from them, we'll be getting together soon, I hope.

We checked in and visited with Geri, one of the campground owners, a few minutes before proceeding to our site. Here we are, at home in Custer. Hey, Mark and Dortha, your site is waiting next to us, can't wait till you join us!

I had a crockpot going today with a favorite recipe, Crockpot Stroganoff Chicken. It's really a simple and delicious meal, just mix together a can of low-fat mushroom soup, a 16oz. container of fat-free sour cream, and an envelope of dry onion soup mix. Place several frozen chicken breasts (about a pound, or 4 to 6 breasts) in the bottom of the crockpot and pour the sour cream mixture over them. Cook on low for about 7 hours. I added some sliced, fresh mushrooms at the end of the cooking time and let them heat up for a few minutes. Serve with rice or pasta.

We ate that and a salad once we got set up. Now we're waiting until the nightly ice cream social for dessert. What a day, a journey! We're happy to be here. Our plans for the next few weeks are to enjoy the quiet, get back in the habit of eating at home and going for our walks, and enjoying the quiet. Oh, did I already say that? Oh, and there will be visiting, I know. But we're ready for a slower pace, for sure, although it was a very special time with our kids, grandkids, family and friends in Colorado and we'll miss them.