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Herschel and the pups decided to wait back at the Short Bus while BJ showed me some of the sites around Giant City State Park. With BJ driving I got to see more of the features of the land around here. We stopped at the Visitor's Center and learned a bit about the rock formations and the animals of the area. If I was as good as Liz you would have pictures of some of that but I'll just suggest that when in the area you stop by the Visitor's Center The land and rocks are beautiful.







ANd then we stopped in a small community with some interesting small shops.



We would have stayed longer in the Yellow Moon but the "pretty" smells were over powering so we escaped to the outside with our coffee and tea.



And it seemed that BJ kept running into people that she knows. Lucky for us since I never have read the camera instructions for setting the timer. One of her friends took our picture.



We hand lunch at the small taco stand.....very authentic and tastee.



I also got to meet Winnie and the boys.



And Winnie made off with a small package of doggy snacks and took them off to her "treasure" box/bed where she kept all her precious things.



I really enjoyed watching Winnie demonstrate one of her important jobs around the house. The other dogs go outside and she watches the back door. WHen she sees that both are finished and ready to come back in she grabs her "bell" which is on a short ribbons and shakes it....or throws it back and forth against the wall until the hoomans get up and let the other dogs inside. And some folks train dogs to ring bells to go outside. She trains hoomans to let dogs inside at the ring of the bell.....but don't try to touch her bell. It is hers!

And I would post the pictures of the Park Lodge were we had dinner but somehow they didn't get uploaded . so back to the PB and see were they went?

Bj has been a wonderful tour guide and gracious host to town. Thank you for everything, BJ. And I will go find the picture of you and the Buffalo.

The puppers have enjoyed their walks around the campground and seem forgiving on my absence during the day.

Okay, I found the rest of the pictures that were trying to hide in the deleted section

First the sky this evening was colorful.




And the Lodge matches the look of the land and rocks. Even the additions for the restaurant were added with a sense of the right look.



And inside the stone work was outstanding....especially if you like stuffed animal heads





And this is the new pet we found inside the restaurant. (No buffalo were actually touched for this picture...since the sign did say not to...)



and then there was the baby



And of course here is the picture of the fish dinner.....but not the chicken that they brought out later when asked since the fish did seem to be very skinny and mostly batter....



Well, these next pictures are added because it does give you a sense of the state park here. I am guessing that this particular park is big on hunting.....This first one is front and center on the women's bath house door...



And the ones on the trash barrel...



And the ones on the bulletin board.....(but no trail maps posted anywhere )



And don't forget the rules about mushroom hunting.....



There are families camping this weekend so I guess it is safe depending upon which hunting season is in effect......... Hunting Mushrooms shouldn't leave too big a mess in the barrels....

Great GTG with BJ and her critters!
Hmmmmm, I'm wondering if there's a hidden meaning behind the picture of you two with a big yellow sign pointing to the beer truck???

What a fun time at your mini GTG! Great pictures and narrative, Tina. Thanks.

VickieP wrote:Great GTG with BJ and her critters!
Hmmmmm, I'm wondering if there's a hidden meaning behind the picture of you two with a big yellow sign pointing to the beer truck???

I had to go back and look,

that looks like a great place to go, I had to google it, and now I see it looks like
and AWESOME place to go,
http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/r5/gc.htm

What great pictures and commentary, Tina. you and Herschel really should write a book. Loved the signs. Reminded me of a national forest cg. I once stayed in that actually did have deer legs in and near the trash cans. G

Good to see you BJ. Hope to meet you in person one day.

It was so good to have Tina and her furry friends visit although I didn't get to spend much time with the puppers. I have a particular fondness for Giant City Park as when I was small my grandparents used to take my brother and me there for picnics. Granny would take her old cast iron skillet and all the necessary items to cook a fabulous fried chicken dinner for us over a wood fire in the cave. The cave is pretty much blocked off now but it was a really cool place in the summer for a picnic. Since my Granny grew up cooking over a hearth guess it was old hand to her. I still have one of her cast iron pans. After dinner we would go up to the lodge which didn't serve meals back then I don't think, and pick hazelnuts from the bushes in the parking lot. On the way to the lodge we would beg to stop at the Devils Stand table which is a big rock perched on top of smaller rocks. To get on the 'table' you had to jump about two feet, well of course were told NOT TO JUMP but, of course we always managed to anyway.
I so enjoyed having Tina visit, just wish it could have been longer!

What a great time you two had... makes me want to go meet all of you... well I did meet Tina but not BJ yet... my husband and I stayed someplace in that area about 25 years ago we did explore the caves and looked at writing there not sure exactly where it was but the land is so beautiful not flat like here in the north...
Wow there have been many GTG's this summer...
Thanks again Tina and BJ for sharing...
Kathleen

And this evening I opened an e-mail from my step sister telling me that she wasn't flying in to Dayton on Thursday....because the ticket price had gone up too much. So why was I heading back to Ohio so fast. Not happy. But on the good side, I will get home and know just how not far away you are BJ...and will make it back.

Another great GTG. Thanks for sharing. I can't until I can retire and travel like all of you ladies. Your keeping my dream alive.

To think, my initial route was to go through that park on the way north. Well, after I changed my "original" route from IA because the friend I wanted to visit had died. I'm sorry to have missed you BJ - will have to come that way next time i'll be figuring out a route in the IL/IA/MO, etc area.

Looks like you two had a grand time.

Now, for my all important quetion. If Winnie is watching the door for the others, when does SHE get outside to do her own duties?