Black Hills Classic
Sioux Falls & Spearfish, SD
July 15-19, 1998
Tom & Charlene Delisle, friends from Maine, joined up with us in Auburn IN
to travel to this event. While in Auburn, we visited the spectacular
Auburn/Cord/Duesenberg Museum.
When we came out of the museum, our battery was dead! After getting a jump,
the next stop was WalMart for a set of jumper cables! The battery would
be replaced at Terry Schulte Chevrolet in Sioux Falls in a couple of days.
A stop in (where else but) Wisconsin.
At the Mississippi, we encountered this very spoiled
striped gopher at the tourist info center.
A couple days on the road later, the Black Hills Classic
started here @ Terry Shulte Chevy in Sioux Falls SD.
While there, they replaced our battery under warranty!
Tom & Charlene with Sandy
Hot Summer Nights in downtown Sioux Falls.
Sandy gets interviewed by local TV.
The brunch stop the next day @ Al's Oasis on I-90 at the Missouri River during the 400 Corvette/400 mile caravan from Sioux Falls to Spearfish SD.
We went on from there on our own, at our own pace (i.e. faster - at one point I set
the cruise at 151... because I could!) and stopped at world-famed Wall Drug!
"Vette Street USA," downtown Spearfish.
Table in vendor hall:
Sandy spent a lot of time talking to Rachel, 10. Her dad, owner of
vendor Valley Corvette, had paid her $100 to help at his booth.
She insisted on giving $50 to Sandy for her mission!
See the guy in the dark shirt walking by in the photo below? That is Roman Sabadaszka. In 2006 he would be the high bidder on the Tour C5 at the National Corvette Museum after I was presented with the new C6! He and Marilyn were the volunteers manning the NCM booth to our left in that hall. He is also visible, seated at the NCM table, right side of the above right photo.
We hadn't even met yet - Small World!
Sandy was the honored speaker at the closing banquet that night.
Sandy got yet another TV interview.
Screen shot of the broadcast that night.
Some sightseeing with Tom & Charlene after the event:
Mountain goat challenges Vettes in Deadwood Canyon. Across the road, Bridal Veil Falls.
Tom feeds wild donkey in Custer State Park. Doritos!
Mt. Rushmore.
Devil's tower.
I'm riding with Tom.
July 19
From here, Tom & Charlene headed back to Maine and I flew back from Rapid City to Maine to work for a month. This allowed Sandy's 2 sisters, our daughter, and one of Sandy's friends to take turns traveling with her. I reconnected in Reno on August 15 and we headed for California!