Bunny and I are sitting in the parking lot of a rest area in Iowa.  We are looking at 8 1/2 hour drive to Mt Rushmore and the black hills our next stop.  What to do????  We decide to just do it !!!! Just bite the bullet and not waste 2 days getting across south Dakota to the black hills.  So we decided to reward ourselves with a motel room once we got to rapid city south Dakota … the biggest metropolis outside of the black hills.  Bunny went on price line and got a Howard Johnsons for $39 a night.   WOW is that cheap … Probably a dive but we set out for rapid city an 8 1/2 hour drive. 
If you look at a map you will understand how boring this drive is. … You go straight across south Dakota and I mean straight .. All I had to contend with was an occasional slight hill and big trucks going by me.  After a while Bunny called ahead to confirm the reservations and found out they have a complimentary beer and wine bar from 6 pm to 7:30.  We now have a new goal … To get there in time for happy hour.   Step on it ..
We pull into rapid city and find the Howard Johnsons.  Its a little before 6 pm we made good time…It looks nice!!  We check in and find out they have a pool, fitness center, 120 channels of cable TV (we have been without for a week now) and free breakfast.  We get to the room … Nice … So we get on price line and get another night ..because we are going to spend the next day seeing my Rushmore and just find another place to stay in rapid city .. Why not HoJos.  We got another night at HoJos thru price line but at $49 per night but still that’s equivalent to a RV site.  We go downstaitprs for complimentary wine and beer … Oh My ….