Thank you so much for you comments. I’m glad you have been able to experience the beauty of the Black Hills as well. (Your wife being convinced that you were lying about their existence is hilarious!) I too hope to get back to the Hills this summer. It is indeed a magical place. Thanks for visiting!

My aunt lives in Hill City, so I always have a place to to go. I will always remember the first time I took my new German wife to visit the hills, 1977. We had shipped our car to Bayone N.Y. from Germany. We (my wife) had decided after looking at a map of the states, that it wasn’t THAT far to Fort Lewis, Washington, from N.Y. I tried to explain to her just how far it was, but to no avail. Having Hitched over 12,000 miles one summer, I have made the trip once or twice.

Everything was not TO bad, until we hit the plains. Your discription was just right! From the time we hit the flats, untill we were within 200-300 miles of Rapid, my wife lost her mind. It was a real test of our love, that we made it at all. The whole time driving through the plains she called me every kind of lier there was or could be! She would not beleive that the hills was there! “Nothing but this flat, dry, nothing!! What have you gotten me in to?” Me? Oh well.

Then when we got close enough to see the black smudge on the horizon, she kept telling me that it was rain clouds. When we at last got though Rapid and hit the hills, the car was quite a different place. My wife fell in love with the hills on that day. We were only going to stay over night with my aunt, but wound up staying 9 days. Everytime we visit the USA now, we go to visit my aunt. She is 83 and still lives out in the hills by herself. I hope this year to make it back again. Havent been home since 2007. But you can bet we will be in the hills when we go!

Take care,
Guy Wiltfang

P.S. Your story was well written, keep up the good work!