Working backwards I was in Houston on Thursday after flying home from Rapid City SD. I stayed at Ed and Kate's that Thursday night. Vivian came over and she was a lot different when it was just her. A middle child syndrome I guess. Friday I drove back to McAllen. After my last drive, I tried to get here faster and made it in 5:45. Still made 4 stops :) - Wharton, Victoria rest area, Refugio, Brooks rest area. That's what those rest areas are for - right?
We left for Rapid City on Saturday from IAH to RAP, nonstop on United. Arriving, we got our rental Subaru and headed to check in at the Hotel Alex Johnson, a historic hotel downtown. They directed us across the street to our first find, Tally Silver Spoon Cafe. Guy Fieri couldn't have picked a better place. I had the Buffalo hangar steak and eggs - worth skipping breakfast in Houston over. We liked it so much that we went back each day we were in Rapid City.
That afternoon we drove to Crazy Horse, the Native American answer to Mt. Rushmore. Bigger,rawer, unfinished. All good things. This one is definitely about the journey. We could see the monument from the visitor's center, but paid another $4 to take a bus to the base. Well worth it. Closer views and it was nice to be closer to the mountain away from the hustle and bustle.
The Black Hills is the Augusta of motorcycling and I understand why. Rolling but not difficult hills and great scenery. It reminded me more of the NC/VA/TN area. A great place for driving.
Sunday we left early (my suggestion) for Mt. Rushmore as I did not want to get into a weekend traffic jam like we did at Hoover Dam. That made it so we could drive Iron Mountain Road up there which was created as the entranance from Custer State Park when Mt. Rushmore was being built. That was a great road with 3 tunnels and what they call the pigtail bridges which were architecturally very interesting (descending, swirling, with natural materials)
Mt. Rushmore did not disappoint and we like it. Ed had been there before and said it had not changed. A very uniquely American place. God Bless America!
That afternoon we went to Hot Springs SD in the southern part of the Black Hills to play 9 holes of golf. At Southern Hills. It was a nice round and I liked the course.
That Sunday night was dinner at Botecelli's in Rapid City - very tasty Italian.
Monday we drove south to Mullen NE for our golf destination. Sand Hills is in the Sandhills region of Nebraska, which as I discovered is a very large and rural state, even by Texas standards. Mullen is a town of 500 people and that is not very small for this region. The course was 12 miles south.
The club was like going to a hunting club in the country. Once you were there you felt very nice and apart. No cell phones or internet. As they say, leave your business at home. I could tell it would take a few days to achieve that Nirvanic state.
When we got there we went out for our first 18. As it turned out it was rush hour as the morning groups were all at Ben's Porch. So it was a bit hectic for the staff of 2 but we got through and the starter Mike nicely paired us with another father/son who were just arriving as well. Arnie and Jason made for good companions and we played golf together that day and the next and had dinner together Mon. night as well.
I played 4 rounds at Sand Hills - Mon afternoon, Tuesday 36 holes and Wed. morning. The scores declined as expected from 96 to 85. The course is very rural and runs thorugh the hills. It is hard to see another hole from where you are unless you are atop a hill. Pictures dont' tell the story of the expansive view, the myriad of sunflowers (we must have caught the season just right) and the natural feel of the course.
To make such a course in this location was really an original idea. I did meet the inventor, who is Dick Youngscap and hats off to him. Part of the allure is the location which is not only of great natural beauty but is removed enough that you can't help but pay attention to nature. Another great idea was the artists/architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw who made this a fine example of their minimalist, naturalist design philosophy. This course made them a club-household name. But as they say, overnight success takes about 15 years. Not their first rodeo.
After 1 round, I was asked what were the best hole and what was the hardest hole. After 4 rounds the answers remain:
Best: 8 - short par 4, in the amphitheather, surrounded by bunkers. Even with a little wedge into it, still a tough par. I did birdie it twice though.
Hardest: 11 - another short par 4 (from the middle tees). Don't miss the green left (lost ball) or back, right or front (will roll off leaving a tough chip, which might roll off back, right or front again).
Typical of the course, the hole bends right to left with your iron shot having to come in with trouble left, making the drive placement that much more important. See #4, #7, #10, #14, #15, #16 and #18 as well).
The last day, it was just Ed and I and we were the last group off as desired. So as not to press the group in front we dropped back and played some holes twice, # 12 and #15. At # 12 we also moved to the forward tees and it was a different but still tough course from there. At this point, we had the place all to ourselves. It was that Nirvanic state I'd been seeking.
While the golf crowed talks of Ben's Porch, my recommendation is Chef Jake and Co. in the clubhouse. This is beef country and the bone-in steak looked good but the Tuscan strip steak Tuesday was one of the best I've had. Plus the homemade ice cream. Worth going just for the food.
Wed. afternoon it was back to Rapid City via Valentine, NE and US 83. We visited with the pro at the Prairie Club and he was familiar with South Texas as he said that is where the Nebraskans go for work in the winter. He pointed out that US 83 is the same highway and it was true! That was cool to know. Also on the map were US 77 and US 281. I felt right at home.
Thursday it was back to Houston. It seemed a whole different pace. You've got to keep the wheel spinning to maintain the growth and size of Houston. The people in Nebraska obviously know there is a different way to go.
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