Metaphysical experience

Saturday July 18 Sabato 18 Luglio

You will recall that we acquired an air pump for our mattress yesterday and we then settled in for a good night's sleep, until midnight that is. We were awakened by the heavy pitter-patter of rain hitting the tent which suddenly stopped. And then suddenly started, and then stopped, and then started again. It seems that the lawn sprinklers had come on and were not adjusted correctly. They sprayed on our tent, motorcycle, trailer, and the whole area that we were using. I finally remembered that there was a children's playground where I had seen the kids playing with a plastic bucket. I went there, retrieved the bucket, covered the sprinkler and immediately the sprinklers shut off. Back to the tent, clean the sand from my feet, remove the wet jeans and try to return to sleep. No luck, I had returned to the tent at 12:15 and at 2 I was still awake listening to the thunder grow louder and the lightning get brighter. There had been a tornado watch and I imagined I could hear sirens in the distance. Could that be the city's tornado warning? Or was it just the noisy truck tires from the freeway? And what is this new heavier pitter-patter on the tent? Why it's a hail storm, that's what. It appears that sleep was not in my destiny. But eventually the weather passes and I do get some sleep. In the morning we start drying everything and packing for today's 5 hour ride to Mt. Rushmore. My luck changes when I find that our coffee pot and coffee is in the trailer. I thought I had given it to Clint and Charleen when I left Butte, Montana. But here it is so I make fresh coffee which makes the world seem to be a better place. Finally we leave and ride 85 miles to Alliance, Nebraska and stop at the Dairy Queen for breakfast. Linda has a chocolate dipped cone and I have a fish sandwich. It was hard to find the Dairy Queen as the streets were closed for the Heritage Day's parade. But we did find our way. Then we continued north to the mystical monument known as Carhenge. This is a copy of England's Stonehenge but made from old automobiles. I would like to say that Linda and I found it mystical and awe inspiring but we didn't. It looked like a lot of hard work, especially covering all of the car windows with sheet metal.
Back on the road we continue on to Hot Springs, South Dakota. We have been here before and we relive a few memories as we pass through on our way to the Mt. Rushmore KOA where we are to meet Clint and Charleen. We are first and I am unpleasantly surprised to find out how big the place is. It will hold 3000 people. It is the largest KOA campground in existence. I rent a tent site for the two tents and set off to find it. It is up a hill into the trees and then try and make an off camber, uphill turn into the site. Not going to do that with the 900 pound monster, so I turn down a hill and make a u-turn which allows me to go straight into the site. I have no idea how I am going to get out safely. A few minutes later Clint and Charleen show up. Clint still is suffering from a sore throat and does not think he should be sleeping outside. I had already planned for this and had made sure that I could check out and get a refund which I did. I am sorry for Clint's sore throat but we are glad to not stay here with all of the crowds and noise. We return to the city of Custer where we rent a motel room for only $10 more than the tent site. And the motel furnishes us with everything we need to wash our bikes. Then we go to a coffee shop in town for a light meal. So now we are fed, our bikes are clean and we will sleep inside with hot showers, internet connection, big bed and out of the weather.

Does this site have religious significance?