Karla's Kolumn

I had a wonderful week-long vacation earlier this month in the Black Hills of South Dakota with my husband and our two dogs and while I won't bore you with the family vacation photos I would like to share some random thoughts about the vacation and our travels.

First, I would like to know what the national memorials and monuments have against Pepsi products. Everywhere we went it was Coca-Cola products and when you are addicted to Diet Mountain Dew that's a problem. Thank goodness for neutral Dr. Pepper, which seems to sometimes be with Pepsi products and in this instance was with Coca-Cola products at Bear Country USA, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial.

I don't know if Coca-Cola paid for the rights to be the official soft drink of these places but I was thankful I had a 12-pack of Diet Dew at the cabin so I could enjoy a cold refreshing drink at the end of our daily journeys.

Second, we had a cabin along Silver Mountain Road. Off of this road was Storm Mountain Road to Storm Mountain Center and every day we passed by the road and I saw this sign that said something about your GPS being wrong. So one day when we didn't have anything planned I took a drive to the road to take a closer look at the sign.

It cracked me up. You hear of stories of people's GPS units in Wyoming sending them down two-track roads and getting them lost or stuck. When I lived in Big Horn County and I wrote a feature story on the Search and Rescue. I asked them what their most frequent call was, thinking lost hikers or hunters.

Nope, people getting lost using their GPS.

The sign, "Your GPS is Wrong. This is NOT Mt. Rushmore. Go back to HWY 16 and take a Right. Follow signs to Keystone."

You know that too many people were taking this road and that's why they had to put the sign there. The sign and Silver Mountain Road is about 15 miles away from Mt. Rushmore. Close, but not close enough.

And speaking of GPS, that brings me to using Google Maps on your cell phones. I have determined that Google Maps works wonderful in the city. It helped us easily find the dog daycare where we boarded the dogs for a day (more on that below), and it helped us maneuver around the construction (once I learned, through trial and error, more on using Google Maps and its features).

But I think people in Wyoming need to be cautious when using GPS or Google Maps. I know of two people who used Google Maps to find a business that is just outside of Worland and for whatever reason, Google Maps sent them in the opposite direction.

For fun and an experiment I put in my address for Google Maps and while it will get you there, it shows it about a mile or two from where I actually live.

In Wyoming, or at least in the Big Horn Basin, Google Maps works if you sort of know already where you are headed, otherwise stop and ask for directions, you'll be better off.

Another random thought as we went to multiple tourist sights was the feast or famine of depending on tourists. We were there before and after Labor Day and while it was still busy at places after Labor Day it was nothing like before Labor Day.

We visited Bear Country USA twice on our trip before and after Labor Day. It was bumper-to-bumper traffic through the park and trying to meander through the gift shop before Labor Day was nearly impossible.

On Sunday, Sept. 1, we drove by Bear Country USA and the line waiting to get into the park (with four ticket booths, was backed up onto the highway.

However, in contrast, on Sept. 4, we were the only car at the ticket booth at that time and we were able to take a nice leisurely drive through the park looking at the animals. And we were able to wonder through the gift shop at a leisurely pace to make our souvenir purchase.

We also noticed a huge drop in cars in the parking lot at Reptile Gardens, no we didn't venture there this trip.

In visiting with store owners in Hill City and Keystone many businesses close in October for the season.

So one needs to be cautious when depending on tourism for economic sustainability.

And finally, doggy daycares. We have used doggy daycares twice while on vacation. Once, while vacationing in Las Vegas for the Mountain West basketball tournament and once while on vacation on this trip.

When headed to Vegas I enlisted a friend who lives there to find a good one and she did. The dogs loved it and did great. This trip I had to do my own research.

It made me feel better when we were dropping them off for the day (as dogs are not allowed at Mt. Rushmore on the trail), and one gentleman was picking up his labradoodles. He told us he loved the place because it makes him feel less guilty when he drops off his pooches. He had boarded them for the Labor Day weekend.

The dogs were clean and happy when we picked them up later that day.

I could tell this place got a lot of day business with people dropping off their pets for the day while going to work.

So next time you travel check out doggy daycares so you can travel with your fur kids.

And for those wondering, my cousin was our kitty sitter as we travel with the dogs but not the cats. I think everyone was happier with that arrangement.