Crazy Horse, Custer – 12151 Avenue of the Chiefs, Crazy Horse, SD 57730
We seem to love to carve mountains into men in the United States. First, Mount Rushmore and now Crazy Horse.
The first time I saw Crazy Horse I was a child. There was only an armpit. You drove by and donated a couple of dollars as you past the man holding the bucket.
Years later I returned and progress had definitely been made both on the mountain and with the visitor center.
At the center you can learn the history of the construction and of Crazy Horse himself. You can see the small statue of what the end product should look like.
Here is a picture of the mountain in 2005, my second trip.
Getting to watch the progress over the years is really exciting. If you want to learn more about the project or donate to it check out the website for Crazy Horse.
Jewel Cave, 11149 U.S. Highway 16, Custer, SD 57730
Get your ticket and go. Jewel Cave is pretty interesting. If you are afraid of being in an enclosed space you might find it a bit scary. You have to take an elevator down into the cave. They have lights and a clear path to walk on, but when they turn the lights off it gets dark fast.
They let you touch a rock at the start so that you can get it out of your system.
It can be a little bit chilly in the cave so take a jacket. The sun does not heat the place. In fact nothing gets into the place. No bugs, no animals, nothing is down there.
If you are more adventurous they also have spelunking available. When they describe how they make it through some of the smaller areas it makes me shiver.
This particular cave it one of the better ones in the area. If you want to see the inside of one this one might be the right choice.
You can find out additional information at their website: Jewel Cave.
Late September or early October the grand event of Oto Days rolls around. The first year was 2014 and this little town ballooned in size. It was a great success. The town comes together to make this event happen. The people help each other beautify the town and the neighborhoods.
Leading up to the event were the pink flamingos. You would come home and find a flock of pink flamingos on your lawn. You could then pay to have them removed and placed on someone else’s lawn. It gave weeks of entertainment and helped raise funds.
The carnival comes to town and the kids and some adults can ride the rides or play the games. Buy a few tickets and enjoy the ride.
There are other organized events as well. At the new park the kids can play games to win prizes. Wow, this park is pretty sweet.
Vendors sell items like pampered chef and caricatures. The new owner’s of Smitty’s Bar & Grill opened shortly before the event in 2014. Lefty Leigh’s had their big opening during this event in 2015.
Smitty’s Bar & Grill has a big outdoor live music show in the evenings. You can play horseshoes during the day. There is a big tractor show and other events as well. Like human foosball.
Did I mention the trick pony?
Like the City of Oto on Facebook to find out when the next Oto Days will be held. It is a great event and I didn’t even mention half of the entertainment items and events.
The Minnesota Twins always play well throughout the baseball season. They often get to the playoffs.
They recently moved into a new stadium and I have to commend the planning team on this one. Driving to the parking ramps was super simple. I suggest taking a vehicle that isn’t too big and turns well because the spiral to get between floors is a bit tight. The cost of parking is reasonable. I suggest bringing cash. Leaving the ramp was easier than getting there, mostly due to construction we passed through on our way there.
Enough about driving. If your tickets are at the will call area simple walk over to the front gates and you will see a number of windows. It is important that the tickets are in your name as you need to provide ID in order to pick them up. Web: Twins Tickets
You walk into the stadium on the second level near the first baseline. The initial view is very exciting. As you walk around to find your seats you will pass all sorts of vendors. The food vendors sell some great items like a steak sandwich which is really tender or chips and guacamole which I enjoyed. You can buy a beer or a hard cider, yum.
Now for the game. I find baseball boring to watch, but I actually enjoyed being at this game. It is easy to pay attention because if you don’t you may end up catching a line drive the hard way. The music and the displays also help to keep you engaged. If you are lucky you might find yourself on the screen, circle me.
Kids love being at the game. The big screen specifically chooses children for a number of activities and they love to show off for the camera. A lucky kid might get a foul ball tossed to them for a lifetime memory. This is definitively a family event.
China Town Buffet, 937 Sheridan, Cody Wyoming 82414
China Town Buffet is a pretty good Chinese buffet downtown Cody, WY. I have never had a bad meal at this buffet. Everyone I know in the area likes to eat there. The food is fresh and cooked just right. The flavors are subtle and not overwhelming. You can add some additional sauces if you wish.
They only serve buffet. You can get it to go or you can dine in. The tables are clean. There is one room with all of the food and a separate dining area. The people that run it are really nice and friendly.
You can choose to eat inside our in the large outdoor seating area.
The dinner buffet is slightly more than the lunch buffet, but has a few more higher end items on it.
The price of the Hilton is really good for what you get. This isn’t your low end hotel. Everything about it is nice. You pay a little extra for this, but not a lot extra. A lot of the rooms are cheaper or at the same rate that I have paid at somewhat iffy places on my travels. Everything in this hotel looks so nice, so clean, and so upscale.
This is a great hotel to use as a base for both a vacation and for business travel. It is right near the airport, the Mall of America, the bus stations at the mall (there are probably ones closer), and the light rail. The hotel offers shuttles.
The Hilton near the Mall of America has recently been renovated and the inside looks sweet. The staff at this Hilton want to make your stay a great one. The rooms are clean, which was the truth even before the renovations. Most of the cleaning staff has worked there for eight or nine years which says a lot. Check out the inside of this suite. This Hilton passes 4 inspections per year and does very well on them.
bedroom area of the executive suitethe suite area separate from the bedroom area
The lobby area is very nice. You can hang out in the seating area or the bar. The drinks are great and reasonably priced for the twin cities. Take the time to get to know your fellow travelers and guests. During the week you will run into business travelers. On Friday and Saturday you are more likely to run into someone on vacation.
Initial seating area outside of the barView of the bar from the front entrance.
The bar has 3 entrances, seating around the actual bar and seating near the fireplace.
The food
I have attended 2 events at the Hilton and the food is amazing, and I truly mean amazing. If you want food that is actually better than you can make at home I suggest eating here.
The chef comes up with the most incredible recipes. I had a duck and wild boar dish that was to-die-for. His soups are incredible.
They had a state fair theme at one of the events and the hot dog/sausage link thing I had was what I remember a good hot dog tasting like. The bacon on a stick was pretty great too.
I hear the fish tacos are incredible and the Ruben is wonderful as well.
El Parian – 1960 Cliff Lake Rd #117, Eagan, MN 55122
Let’s get Mexican tonight! This is the restaurant I mean when I say that phase. It is actually the second best Mexican restaurant in Eagan, but the closest to me.
The food is consistently good, but never great. If you are picking up it usually takes 10 – 15 minutes. You can get in and out if you are dining in pretty quick, but they do not have many seats. You will occasionally have to wait.
The tables are clean and I love the huge portraits on the walls. You can often catch a soccer game on the tube. There isn’t a bar area as the restaurant is super small.
The drinks are pretty good. Treat yourself to a margarita.
You automatically get chips and salsa, all you want. I like the red salsa. The white salsa looks like a ranch, but it is not. The chips are really good and while salty, generally not too salty.
Number 3: Taco, chili relleno, and enchilada
Currently I am eating my way through the menu. The hard shell tacos are pretty good. The chili relleno was good, just remember it is a giant pepper, but not hot. I am not a huge fan of their ground beef. I do like their chicken. Their rice and beans are amazing.
If you have never eaten at a Chick-Fil-A then you have never had amazing fast food chicken.
Warning: if you are allergic to peanuts you may want to stay away. Take note: cooking the waffle fries in peanut oil makes them amazing.
Chick-fil-a started down south by a southern baptist family and has never gone public which is why the quality of the food has never suffered. Some of the restaurants are franchise. The price back in the day seemed higher than most fast restaurants, but these days I would call it perfectly priced.
This restaurant is a throwback to a day of unapologetic cooking (peanut oil) and Styrofoam cups (look my ice isn’t melting). They do not care about maximizing profits and appeasing everyone. They care about offering a great meal.
Everyone talks about Chick-Fil-A’s chicken sandwich. I disagree. The chicken nuggets are where it is at. Chunks of chicken very lightly coated with a great seasoning. Always pair your chicken with waffle fries, always. If you want sauce you need to ask because they will not.
The Apple Valley Chick-Fil-A is amazing. The food is always cooked right. They get you through the lines inside and out quite quickly. It looks full most of the time, but do not let that scare you off.
You can always hear children playing in the game room, not too loud. There is a car in there about six feet or so off the ground. Looks like fun if you are that age.
The Bloomington Chick-Fil-A is pretty good, but on occasion they do not meet the perfection of the others I have eaten at. That being said one of the chicken sandwich’s served there was described to me as the greatest chicken sandwich ever made.
Kids really seem to like this Chick-Fil-A. You can really hear them having a grand time in the playroom.
2 lbs. potatoes
1 lb. ham
1/2 lb. Gruyere cheese
fresh parsley
1 1/2 cup half-and-half
Salt and pepper
large glass pan
Preheat over to 325 degrees.
Cut the potatoes into slices. Cube the ham. Grate or chop up cheese into small pieces that will melt. Chop the parsley. Mix everything in the glass pan.
Pour 1 1/2 cups over the top. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional 30 minutes.
