Mountains to Prairies B&B, Hill City, South Dakota

In Hill City, South Dakota, our home away from home was the Mountains to Prairies B&B. We spent three nights there enjoying the accommodations, our hosts and their other guests. Located a block from town, walking to restaurants, shopping, and activities like the 1880s train is easy.

Below are our hosts Linda and Sam Brown. Linda cooked delicious breakfast, a different dish every day with homemade breads, breakfast casseroles, pancakes, fresh fruit, juice, and coffee or tea. Sam served us while sharing sight seeing information about the area.

After breakfast we sat around with the other guests and visited. Linda and Sam joined us. We had such a fun relaxing time we were late leaving every morning.

We met wonderful folks from Massachusetts. From left to right, my husband Larry, Sam (host), Peter and Patricia (newlyweds on their honeymoon), Linda (host), Marie, and Nancy. As you can see, the dining room is filled with antiques as was each of our rooms. Larry and I stayed in the Prairie Homestead room.

Linda will be guest blogging one day soon and sharing her prize winning currant jam recipe with us. She and Sam scour the countryside for berries for her jams and jellies.

I hope you'll join us when she visits.

Larry and I've been to a number of B&Bs. We love the ones where we meet interesting people. What about you? Do you enjoy staying at B&Bs?

My next post will be on Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial and Deadwood.

Thanks for Reading and Writing!

Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/

Day two of South Dakota - Badlands and Hill City Wineries

Friday morning we drove through the Badlands National Park. The landscape changes from grassland to sharply eroded spires and buttes rich with fossils of a variety of extinct animals. It's easy to see how the area got it's name.

It's easy to see how the area got it's name. In our early history, if a person got lost, they'd never find their way out of the rough territory. Today with air search, heat seeking sensors and cell phones rescue would be easier.

While driving through we saw Prairie Dog Town and some buffalo. We found out later that if we'd continued on the dirt road we'd have seen a herd of buffalo and not just the five we took pictures of. The prairie dog I photographed let me get close. It was so curious, it scurried toward me, then changed it's mind. In another area of Prairie Dog Town, we saw a badger digging in after a meal. Dirt flew everywhere. Strangest thing--a coyote stood ten feet away watching the action. After a while it  moved a little farther away and lay down to wait. Unfortunately, my pictures didn't come out where we could identify anything.

From the Badlands we drove to Hill City where we toured two wineries--Stone Faces Winery, Valiant Vineyards second winery and Prairie Berry Winery. Both had free wine tastings with delicious offerings, and we came home with five bottles. 

My next post will be about Mountain to Prairies B&B where we stayed in Hill City. Thank you for stopping by and please leave a comment. I enjoy reading your comments.

Happy Reading and Writing!

Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/ 

Day 1 in South Dakota - Wall Drug in Wall, SD

In 1931, a young pharmacist, Ted Hustead, and his wife, Dorothy, purchased a drug store in Wall, South Dakota. They gave themselves five years to build their business into a success. By 1936, the pharmacy wasn't the success Ted desired. Though he filled a few prescriptions, he spent much of his time swatting flies and looking out the door at the shade-less street.

One hot day in July Dorothy tried to nap with her two children but the loud jalopies on Route 16A kept her awake. An idea on how to bring people into the store popped into her head. All those people driving across the prairie were thirsty. They'd put up signs along the road advertising free ice water. On the day Ted put the signs out, people were already arriving before he returned to the store.

While getting their free ice water, some customers bought ice cream cones, sodas, and other items. From that day on, Wall Drug had plenty of customers each day. The following summer it was necessary to hire eight girls to help out. Now the drug store draws up to 20,000 customers on a good summer day.

My husband and I ate lunch in the cafe attached to the drug store. Larry had their buffalo burger which he said was delicious. I wasn't brave enough and opted for a regular hamburger. After lunch we browsed the many gift shops. That evening we came back for pie with homemade ice cream and a cup of their 5 cent coffee.

Thanks to JL Wilson for telling me about Wall Drug. Otherwise, we'd have missed it. If you're ever in the area, it's worth your time to stop.

My next post will be will be about Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial.

Thanks for reading and writing!

Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/

September's Winner of my Ebook Drawing

Congratulations to Angelica and Zi for being the winner of my monthly ebook drawing.  Take a look at my website, guys and let me know which is your choice. I'll send it right over.

Thanks and Happy Reading and Writing!

Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/

A 4 1/2 Shoe Review for My Heart Will Find Yours

I'm pleased to share this review My Heart Will Find Yours from Final Cut Editing.

My Heart Will Find Yours by Linda LaRogue


A carefree, fun-loving, young lady named Texana Keith befriends a special lady named Pearl , aka Pearlina Dyson. These 2 ladies hold a very special bond; one Pearl is acutely aware of; one Texana will soon discover and appreciate.

Pearl is an elderly widow holding an unbelievable secret to her life. Understanding that the time has come; the time to make a unique, almost outlandish, request of her beloved Texana. A request she has been preparing for, for a long time.

Pearl sits Texana down, providing memorabilia and trinkets to accompany the story of her existence in this century. Once finished with her tale, she asks a special favor of Texana. All Texana must do is take a few items Pearl provides her and get on a train, the rest will happen on its own.

Texanna, thinking her elderly friend has completely lost her mind, finally agrees to this ludicrous trip to pacify her fragile friend. All the while thinking she could make a shopping trip out of the whole thing. Never could Texana fathom what would happen next. Her life would never be the same. Waking up half naked, in Waco Texas , in 1876 was almost more than she could handle, until she realized this was only the beginning...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This time travel romance is a mind blowing journey jam-packed with action, adventure, and every emotion within. The witty, independent Texana makes you laugh and cry while the delicious Royce Dyson has you falling in love with him without even trying; a genuine, sexy, gentlemen that one finds only in the old movies.

My Heart Will Find Yours is an emotional and heavenly train ride you don't want to miss boarding.

LaRoque works her magic, never ceasing to amaze with her glorious stories and exceptional writing skills. She makes her readers "believe." Her attention to detail, well crafted descriptions, and obvious research makes this, as well as every other, story of hers comes to life on the pages. I just couldn't put this story down.

I've been a fan of Linda LaRoque from the first book of hers I ever read and will continue to be for a very long time. Please see my other reviews of this truly talented author and check out the rest of her books. She never disappoints!

4.5 Shoes

You can purchase a copy at the link below.
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/my-heart-will-find-yours-p-1225.html
or at
http://www.amazon.com/


Thanks for Reading and Writing!

Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/

Ebook winner for August

I seem to get later every month. Hopefully with winter my life will slow down and I'll stay on schedule. My ebook winner for August is Maeve. Congratulations Maeve. Go to my website and pick the book you'd like to receive a copy of. Email me at linda@lindalaroque.com and I'll get it right to you.

Happy Reading and Writing everyone!

Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/

Pulpwood Queens Girlfriend Weekend 2011

What could possibly be more fun than reading a great book this summer (well, maybe not more fun, but a totally different kind of fun)?

Celebrating 2011 with national bestselling author, Lisa Wingate, in beautiful, historic, antique-filled Jefferson, Texas for the fun-filled reader event of the year, the Pulpwood Queens Girlfriend Weekend 2011 book extravaganza! If you've never been to the Pulpwood Queens annual tiara-wearing, book sharing event, or even if you have, you'd be in for a treat! Head Pulpwood Queen Kathy Patrick hosts a weekend filled with books, authors, beautiful bed and breakfast hotels, antiques, a costume ball, and more fun with books than you can imagine. Kathy has over 50 authors on the slate, including Lisa Wingate. This year, the Keynote speakers are Fannie Flagg, Rick Bragg, and Pat Conroy!

The best thing about this girlfriend getaway is that the winner and companion can do as much or as little as they like. Girlfriend Weekend offers two days of amazing events, and the town of Jefferson features everything from museums and antique shopping, to quilts, history tours, and carriage rides!

The prize package does not include travel. The winner be responsible for travel for herself/himself and guest (that's right, this package is for TWO). If you're the lucky winner, you'll get:

***TWO fully-paid admission armbands for Girlfriend Weekend 2011 (one for you and one for your best girlfriend, or your favorite Timber Guy). This includes admission to Saturday night's big-hair extravaganza, the "Great Big Ball of Hair" where you can come as you are, or arrive dressed as your favorite book character and compete in the costume contest. Who knows? You might become "Miss Hairball Queen 2011!"

***TWO nights in a room fit for a queen, amid the opulence and grace of the 1920s at the beautiful Delta Street Inn bed and breakfast in historic Jefferson, Texas. (double occupancy)

***Your very own "Insta-Queen Kit" featuring a gorgeous tiara and a smaller porta-tiara for more casual occasions (or one to keep and one to share with your best girlfriend), free autographed Lisa Wingate books, your scepter, a copy of Kathy Patrick's Tiara Wearing Book Sharing Guide to Life, your very own Pulpwood Queens T-shirt, and everything else you need to crown yourself and read like a Pulpwood Queen!

More details and entry form are available at http://www.lisawingate.com/. This is a great opportunity for readers or writers, so don't forget to spread the word to your book clubs, co-workers, family members, and girlfriends -- after all, if one of your friends wins, you can come along as the guest!

I'm getting my entry form in soon. East Texas is beautiful and I love antiquing. Now, my hair is too short for it to be BIG. I'd have to find a wig.


Happy Reading and Writing!


Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/