Ending Our Trip with a Beautiful Beginning
We started our last day in South Dakota back at Fort Hayes eating pancakes. The weather was very clear and we had gorgeous skies. I could not resist taking and showing pictures of the same place with different weather.
I chose bacon to go with my pancakes and I was not disappointed. I can honestly say it was the best bacon I have EVER had.
Becky had picked up a good walking stick at Devils Tower, compliments of another hiker, so we left it for someone else to use at Fort Hays. Travis and I both have a set of trekking poles, but somehow they did not get packed for this trip. We agreed that we must do better next time.
Comparison Pictures
Flight One
As you can see, Travis does not look like a happy camper. We had just returned our rental and Travis was very honest with the agent and told them we had driven through a hail storm. He told them that we could not find any damage but the agent and Travis went back outside to inspect the vehicle to be sure. Let me interject here and say we were told when we picked the vehicle up (on a bright sunny day) to inspect for any MAJOR damage or problems. This time, the agent took a shield to shade the sun from hitting the vehicle and noted 3 small dings on the top. Travis was asked/required to give his auto insurance information at this time. He did so very politely and just told us we would have to wait and see what happened next.
The Rest of the story……… Almost a month later they contacted Travis and said there was $1,700 in damage!!! I won’t get into the details of communication involved, but our insurance did agree to pay without us being out of pocket anything or our rates going up.
Word of advice to all who rent in areas that have a history of hail such as South Dakota, be VERY thorough in your initial inspection. I would almost guarantee that they will not fix those small dings ($1,700 worth) and the next person could find themselves in the same situation.
Interesting Note: The car dealerships keep their vehicles under tents to protect from hail. The airport rentals DO NOT!!
There was a ‘Therapy Dog’ in the airport, never seen that before, that calms people who are scared of flying. It must have sensed that Travis needed some calming therapy. Just look at those eyes!
Second Flight
We were concerned that the layover was too short and we would be rushed between Rapid City and Dallas. However, with the weather in Dallas, there was about a 60 minute delay. Photos taken as we headed to the tram.
I may try to find a small, older suitcase that I can put travel stickers on and carry. I have one like this at home, but it may be too big. They were the cutest older couple EVER!!!
Is That MINE?
When we sat down waiting to board the plane it was semi-sunny outside. The longer we sat, the worse the weather got. A luggage truck set in the rain uncovered for about 25 minutes. Then as it drove off it started dropping pieces of luggage along the way on the concrete. The blue trailer you see is NOT the one that dropped the luggage, but it is the one that just drove right by it (twice). No, it was not our luggage. It was luggage they put on our flight so it could have been…
Headed Out
We had a safe landing in Memphis and safe travels back home. Becky and I have already started thinking about where we want to go next year. If anyone has suggestions, please comment in the blog and let me know. We are ALWAYS up for a new ADVENTURE!
