The two week, 5,400 mile midwest adventure has drawn to an end and I have sufficiently recovered to the point that I can post a bit about another fantastic hunting outing with friends from Colorado, North Dakota and Minnesota. What began as an annual trip with a few Colorado buddies has grown to a much anticipated, (fairly) well planned event that revolves around friendship, family remembrances and some of the best storytelling this side of Baxter Black.
Just a week before I was set to haul my camper to North Dakota – that’s right, I elected to drive from the North Carolina coast – I had a business meeting come up in Colorado at the same time I would be returning from hunting. So rather than drive back to North Carolina then fly out to Colorado, I opted to drive back to CO with my buddies and return to NC via Texas and Alabama. With the travel plans set, off I went on November 8.
Now anyone who knows me understands I just don’t simply drive cross-country; my drives must be broken up by sightseeing but not your typical state park or national memorial. Nope, my highway guide is Roadside America and I’ve seen several “World’s Largest….”, from World’s Largest Cow, Talking Cow and Steer, to Ketchup Bottle, Grave of World’s Tallest Man to two different World’s Larget Balls of Twine. I hit Man O’War’s grave in Kentucky on this trip, followed by Daniel Boone’s grave in Kentucky (disputed) to the much anticipated World’s Largest Ball of String in Weston, Missouri, Seargeant Charles Floyd Memorial in Iowa Falls, Iowa and finally the site of Jesse James’ jump over Devil’s Gulch in Garrettson, South Dakota.
Four days after leaving North Carolina I pull off my exit and on to Highway 83 south of Pierre, South Dakota. The remarkable thing is the friends I were to meet in Pierre, traveling from Colorado some 500 miles away, pulled off at the exact same time and I fell in line right behind them!
The next day we head to a private ranch near Onida, South Dakota for some pheasant hunting. The four of us had never done this and were pumped, planning to holler “COCK!” instead of the standard “rooster” when a suitable bird flew by. I got the first cock and our total group of seven eventually limited out in just over two hours. Seeing those birds thick as flies was pure joy and something to behold, definitely getting our trip off to a good start.
Stay tuned, this story will continue tomorrow…..
4 Comments
Sounds like you travel like I do. Drives my friends crazy.
And to think I consciously made the choice of a $2,000 fuel bill vs. $108 roundtrip airfare…..
Hey it’s worth it! I love visitin’ all them memorials and such. History is awesome! And that is a pile o’ pheasants, too by the way!
looks like a good hunt. thanks for sharing