Mary's Mountain Cookies- Rapid City, South Dakota

There is a very small chain of cookie shops out west, and one of their shops is right by the Hotel Alex Johnson in Rapid City.

We bought a few cookies from Mary's Mountain Cookie's before hitting the road.

As we snacked on them after leaving, we realized that we made a mistake in not buying more.  Seriously, these cookies were all that.

Obama Statue- Rapid City, South Dakota

Just a few weeks before our visit, Rapid City unveiled their President Obama Statue.  This is kind of a big deal, as there aren't a lot of opportunities for the town to add to their COMPLETE collection of life sized US President statues.

This statue shows President Obama holding daughter Sasha's hand.

Root-A-Bakers Restaurant in Morehead Kentucky

While in Morehead, several people told us we had to have lunch at Root-A-Bakers.

We went by this comfy little restaurant and absolutely loved it.  We were welcomed at the door.  Our orders were placed, and we were asked if it was our first time there.  We would find out later that, since it was, we got a FREE sugar cookie!

We ordered and then found a seat.  We noticed a Bible on each table.  Nice beach inspired art was on the walls.  The decor at Root-Bakers-Bakers reminded me of some of the nice little cafes I have been to in New England, and around Lake Michigan.  Though the restaurant is not near water, I had that calm feeling I might have near a pond or lake in a small town.

They actually brought out a couple of other extras before our meal, including a nice cheddar biscuit!

We both had potato soup and sandwiches.  Check out the photos.  The meal was tasty and filling.  The soup was creamy and the sandwich was just nice and flavorful.  Everything had a unique taste.

They sell their bags of sugar cookies for $15 for a dozen.  We were told that they go through a lot of these each day.  In fact, my pal Jimmy grabbed a bag, knowing he would need some even before we received our free "first visit" ones.

Also, this is a nice, clean place.  We saw staff wipe tables down pretty immediately and they seemed to keep on top of things.  You can tell that Root-A-Bakers cares about their reputation, and they care about making a good product.

I think sandwich side and drink came out to around $15...  so, I feel like this is a nice value too.

Morehead really has something special in Root-A-Bakers.  It gets my highest recommendation.

Armadillos Ice Cream Shoppe - Rapid City South Dakota

Some locals HIGHLY recomended that we visit Armadillo's Ice Cream and Food  in Rapid City.  It was maybe a 10 minute walk from the Hotel Alex Johnson.

If you do find yourself in Rapid City, make sure you hit this great little spot!

They had a young, friendly, and enthusiastic staff!  Inside was clean and comfy.

I also noticed a sign asking that you report to management any issues with panhanding.  I like that!

AND, check out that sundae!  It was as good as it looked!

Rowan County Veterans Museum in Morehead Kentucky

Morehead is a nice little town with more to do there than you might think.  So, on a recent Saturday we went down there just to explore a bit.

As we walked towards the campus in town, we noticed a small building with a sign up that said the Rowan County Veterans Museum was open.  AND it was free!  So, we went inside.

The museum is fit snugly into a historic 1937 WPA building.  It houses a video and book library locals can use too.

This was a totally unplanned side trip to a spot that wasn't on our radar, but we were so glad that we stopped by.

AND, what we thought might be a quick, "lets stick our head inside just to see whats going on" quickly turned in to a great couple of hours learning about this area's contributions to the military.

Korean War Veteran Danny Knipp was running the place.  He politely introduced himself and told us to yell if we had any questions.

He also told us that the museum was very hands on.  He invited us to pick up the various relics and take a look at them!  This was easily the most open and "hands on" military museum I have ever seen!

The museum in crammed with nice table and wall displays throughout.  Signs and labels tell you about the equipment, uniforms, and various other relics.

There is a small Civil War area, then a larger WW1 area moving on from there.  There are manikins throughout the building too, displayed wearing uniforms donated by locals.

As we looked around, Danny came by and was putting up a new framed display on a local who was at Pearl Harbor.  We started chatting and he ended up telling us the stories of many from the area who served in various conflicts.

The collection is mammoth, and could fill a building many times larger and still look packed.

I saw a lot of impressive relics too.  Purple Hearts, weapons, a piece of a scud missile, and a set of rations from Vietnam all impressed me.

Other than a few hats for sale, there wasn't really a gift shop.  There was a small, almost hidden donation box by the door.  You can tell that the guys running the museum are more concerned about telling the story of veterans in Rowan County than money.  I am sure that they appreciate any support they get though.

Like I said, this is a great, little known museum that is only open on Saturday from 10-2 (which is a convenient time for most people).  It is an obvious labor of love that is amazing.  It gets my highest recommendation.

Dinosaur Park- Rapid City, South Dakota

We made it to Dinosaur Park in Rapid City South Dakota!

The dinosaurs are kinda primitive concrete....  but, at one time, this was a pretty impressive tourist attraction!

Decades ago, this was probably the SECOND main attraction people would go see in the area.

They are big and fun to look at though.  You do have to hike up a steep set of stairs to get to them, but they are worth it.  AND, there is a great view of Rapid City from the top.

Oh, and we really liked the gift shop right beside it.  Good selection, and good prices.

Morehead State University, Kentucky

I walked around the Morehead Campus the other day!  Here are a few photos!

"Images of America: Rapid City, America's Playground" by Bev Pechan and Bill Groethe

I found a NICE, signed copy of Bev Pechan and Bill Groethe's book, "Rapid City:  America's Playground" from the Images of America series when we stopped by Again Books and Bazaar in Rapid City.

This was another fun and easy to read book about local attractions in the Rapid City area.  As with most of the Images of America books, there are lots of pictures of things to see in the area, with a nice, short description.  This particular book covers Rapid City from the early 1900s through to about the 80s.  There are some great photos of legendary local attractions and people.

I really love this area, and this book was a perfect souvenir to take home with me.

Kentucky Folk Art Center in Morehead Kentucky

Have you been to the Kentucky Folk Art Center in Morehead?  I went for the first time myself the other day!

I remember seeing a Kentucky Life that mentioned the somewhat obscure museum.  We checked it out recently.

I guess my expectations were low.  I mean, folk art is art by untrained artists.

We were absolutely blown away by the art though.  There were some truly inspired pieces.

Plus, there were cards beside the work with information about the artists.  That obviously adds to the story of the art.

There were two floors packed full of art.  Admission is the super low price of FREE too!

I really enjoyed some work by an artist who is color blind.  Some works were really slick- I would have assumed that the artists were well trained.

In the gift shop you could buy some art pieces from some of the featured artists.  I also saw stuffed animals based on some of the works.  There were nice books showing the art too.  I was glad to pick up a few postcards showing the folk art.

Black Hills Bagels- Rapid City South Dakota

We remembered the VERY COOL cowboy riding a bagel sign in front of Black Hills Bagels last time we were in Rapid City South Dakota.  We saw it again on this visit, and thought we had to have lunch there!

It is cozy and clean inside, and the staff was friendly.  I had an AMAZING pizza bagel and my wife enjoyed hers too!

We talked to a very friendly fellow working there name Jason who told us about the businesses history in the area.

Preservation Station Antiques in Owensboro KY

The former West Louisville Elementary School is now a very nicely done antique mall!

My buddy Rick took me out there the other day.

The building is cavernous and felt like it went on forever!  I think anyone could find something here.

There is a restaurant too, which I hear is good, but it was closed the day we stopped by.  I will look forward to trying it soon, on my next visit.

Check out my photos though.  I love the fact that this old school is still up- and the community can still stick their heads inside for nostalgia sake.