DAY 4: Sunday, 07/17/16
This was a full day of driving … 338 miles of driving, and I
DROVE about two hours of it. We covered
the rest of WI, MN and got into SD, where we checked into the Sioux Falls,
KOA. Decent campground – nothing to
write home about, but nothing to complain about either. In fact, it’s for sale … if anybody is
interested!
Another 285 miles put us at Badlands – White River KOA,
which was amazing (more info below) – but GETTING there was breath taking. OK – I’m not sure it’s “normal” to blog about
rest areas, but we encountered a very unique one. I took Bandit for a potty break and noticed
some cows grazing behind the restrooms.
As I walked toward them, I then noticed a little chapel standing right
beside the cow pasture. Sorry – I’m not
real sure where this was located, but it was very cool.
The next stop was at an overlook at the Missouri River, which provided spectacular views and had an interesting Lewis & Clark exhibit.
The Visitor Center here sits on a high bluff on the east side of the Missouri River at Lake Francis Case. The Lewis and Clark “Corps of Discovery Expedition” display is very interesting, including a stylized replica of a Keel Boat which extends through the wall of the building. The walking trails provided great views of the river, bridges and surrounding area but the signs do warn of poisonous snakes in the area. We didn’t see any, darn it!
As soon as we crossed the Missouri river, the terrain
changed from plains to these rolling hills.
Then those hills started getting bigger, and the colors were beautiful! And then the “OH WOW” moments started.
After we arrived and set-up camp, we took a walk down a dirt
road across the street from the KOA, where we discovered more amazing views (until
we were chased back to the coach by a storm)!
As for the KOA, the place itself is wonderful. It is a couple miles outside the NP and
offers tent camping sites all the way up to premium RV sites … including cabins
and tee-pees!! Phone and WiFi service is
pretty much non-existent, but who wants to be on their electronic leash when
you have the Badlands right outside your door?!? We spent some time chatting with one of the
owners (Karen) and promised we’d be back to see her in the not-too-distant
future.
Day 6 – 8: Tuesday, 07/19/16 – Thursday, 07/21/16
One of Carl’s friends from his “formative” years in Bedford
Village, NY now lives in Rapid City, SD and offered to show us some of the
“behind the scenes” attractions in the area.
SO, Tuesday morning, we drove the short 97 miles to Rapid City. An early arrival at Rapid City RV Park provided
an opportunity to knock out some laundry and download LOTS of pictures and
videos from the various media devices.
Wednesday was spent doing the normal “tourist” things … Mt.
Rushmore, Black Hills National Forest Wildlife Loop, the Needles Highway and
the Iron Mountain Road, which boasts: 17
miles, 314 curves, 14 switchbacks, 3 pigtails, 3 tunnels, 2 splits and 4
presidents! I’ve already mentioned (and
demonstrated) that I love old barns. I
should also mention that I love rocks … and this neck-of-the-woods is comprised
of LOTS of rocks … BIG, cool, funky ROCKS … so I hope you can appreciate the
included pics as much as I enjoyed taking them.
Taking Kevin up on his offer to be our personal tour guide,
he picked us up Thursday morning with his plan of action already drafted. Since we had no idea what many of the venues
were, who were we to argue? Turns out,
Kevin’s definition of “cool stuff” is right in line with ours (which shouldn’t
surprise me, since he and Carl were friends so many years ago). All I can say is, thank God for four-wheel
drive! After a quick ride to view the
Crazy Horse Memorial, I’m not sure we hit a paved road for the rest of the
day. He took us to several small towns
near Rapid City that may not even be on the map, two old cemeteries – one of
them has been “confirmed” haunted, Hill City’s genuine 1880 steam train, two
old (now dilapidated) stamping mill (used in the process of gold mining) and
the ruins of an 1800s hotel.
All of the aforementioned sites were cool – and the burger
at the Sugar Shack was yummy … but the absolute COOLEST cool place was the
ruins of Flag Mountain Fire Tower. This
stone and wood tower was built in 1941 by the CCC (Civilian Conversation Corp)
as part of a network of fire lookouts throughout the Black Hills. As we neared the summit, Kevin told me to
close my eyes – which I did. He and Carl
walked me up the stone steps, placed my hands on a chest-high stone wall, and
told me to open my eyes.
Now, picture the next twenty-two pictures as a huge panoramic … from an elevation of 6937 feet above sea level! There are no words to describe that first view … only tears, even as I type this. WOW … just WOW!
The day ended with Carl and Kevin helping a young artist
(Joan) whose car had broken down along the road to the summit. After cleaning her battery cables and
providing a battery boost, the damsel in distress was on her way again to paint
another beautiful memory.
OH – for our fellow RVers – Rapid City RV Park served our
purpose, but I would not recommend it unless you just want somewhere to park
and spend the night. It was built in the
60s on four tiers (although the sites are level), has tight quarters (which
makes maneuvering into and out of the sites difficult), and offers pretty much
no amenities. The current owners bought
it two years ago, and while they have reportedly made lots of much needed
improvements, they still have a way to go.
DAY 9: Friday, 07/22/16
Time to hit the road again, so I put a chicken-parm dish in
the crockpot, and we broke camp. Two
hundred and sixty miles later, we made it just about through Wyoming to Sheridan
KOA. Dinner was delicious, three loads
of laundry done, and these Webbers were just about down for the count.
Tomorrow is another day.
I wonder where our wandering will take us next!!
