5/21/2022:

Departing Buffalo, Wyoming our next stop will be ” The Black Hills & Devil’s Tower . The drive to Devil’s Tower took us through a diverse set of weather patterns in a single day beginning with the worst snow storm we have ever driven through in the motor home. As we head into the Devil’s Tower area the skies begin to clear some so we will finish the day in the Devils Tower area in the clear. Not having a reserved campsite in the Devil’s Tower campground we have a little concern about availability though the ranger at the entrance indicates they have availability. She told us the system, “Just pick a site and put this tag on the post.” Easy!!!

We drive around a bit then decide on loop A site #10. There are actually many sites available so we have our pick of the park. This site is fairly level with a great view of Devil’s Tower out the front windshield! We had planned to arrive fairly early in the afternoon so we get some time at the Tower and Visitor’s center today as our stay here will be short.  Since the weather continues to be iffy we take the car instead of walking the path.  By the time we get to the tower visitor center it is raining and snowing again. Joanne gets her Passport Book stamped and we peruse the (small) visitor center. Because it is nasty outside, there is a tour bus group that has settled inside to eat lunch; this is annoying because the place is so small to begin with!

About 30 minutes later again the weather changes to clear conditions and Joanne see’s an opportunity to do the Tower Trail. We are hoping we can get the entire trail loop hike in (about 1 1/2 miles around the base of the tower) before more rain or snow. The trail is awesome! Great views of the tower from many different vantage points coupled with incredible views of the valley below. We also get to see a few climbers trying to reach the top of the tower before dark.

As we finish the trail and head back to the camper, it begins to sleet. As I said this is a crazy weather day! Our campsite is perfectly positioned to enjoy the tower the rest of the day through our front windshield… In addition we break out the binoculars and can watch several climbing groups ascending and descend the rock faces of the Tower..  What fun! Perfect entertainment for the evening!

5/22/2022:

We have really enjoyed our short time in Wyoming driving West-East including the Black hills and Devil’s Tower area though  today we are headed to South Dakota…. we have reservations for five nights, with no hook ups, so it’s pretty important we find a   dump station and potable water to fill our tanks before setting up there. They do have some water spigots to fill jugs we have but we still have to dump and take on water. The nights have been cold and we have burned more propane than ever on this trip. We find propane at Flying J in Rapid City. Because it is Sunday, it is a little more difficult to find dump and potable water. Mike asks the propane filling guy for some recommendations and  he says there is a dump station in the back. (Pretty well hidden for sure). Tanks are empty and water is located at an adjacent Cabela’s across the street by the the dog kennels located in their parking lot. (We definitely have become pretty resourceful over the years…. Back on the road and it isn’t far to the campground.

As we pull in to the Horsethief Lake National Recreation Area Campground , which is located on State Highway 244, just two miles west of Mount Rushmore National Memorial we are pretty happy. In addition to being only $15.00 a night (a REAL bargain for this area of South Dakota) we quickly realize we have the best site in the park too!

There are not many RV sites; mostly tent sites , but our site is large, gets great solar and is paved! The campground hosts are terrific and also comment about the site we have reserved. This will be a great place to be for 5 nights… if only the weather would warm up a bit! We take a walk down to the lake and then follow a path up around the tenting area of the campground. We talk to a few people then head back to our site. There are a few back-packers tent camping for the night, which seems to be common for this area of the Black Hills.  Hope they packed accordingly as it will be cold for sure!

This first night we relax by playing a game and then get a great night’s sleep. It is very dark, quiet, and peaceful here!

Oh, and by the way- at this campground, there is no connectivity at all!! Surrounded by granite mountains/rocks the only way to get a signal is to drive up to Mt Rushmore just up the road which Mike does nightly just to make his post of the day….

5/23/2022:

Keystone SD

When we looked at the weather on our way in and today looked like rain so we thought we would do the two cave systems; Wind Cave (NP) and Jewel Cave (NM). Unbeknownst when we arrived at Wind Cave the only tour available was at 3:30 so Jewel Cave will have to wait until tomorrow. We had no idea the cave tours would be sold out this time of the year…we are very surprised  how crowded some of these parks are this early in the year! It is cold and the weather is not great, yet many campgrounds are very busy and the national parks are busy! We ask about perhaps doing Jewel Cave instead and the ranger says they are probably sold out as well, and it is a 45 minute drive between the two. We book the 3:30 tour and then use their Wifi service to book a Jewel Cave  tour for tomorrow on 5/24.

While waiting for our tour time we walk the visitor center and think maybe we could do the Crazy Horse Memorial in our extra time but  realize with the 20 mile drive in both directions we don’t have sufficient time to do that and instead opt for a little lunch in the town of Custer before heading back for our 3:30 cave tour…

Wind Cave National Park is a place that protects two very different worlds – 1) deep within the earth (The cave system), and 2) the other with rolling prairie grasslands and forested hillsides where herds of bison and elk roam freely…

Wind Cave is known for its unique and large areas of boxwork formations.  Boxwork is found in small amounts in other caves, but perhaps in no other cave in the world is boxwork so well-formed and abundant as in Wind Cave. Boxwork is made of thin blades of calcite that project from cave walls and ceilings, forming a honeycomb pattern. The fins intersect one another at various angles, forming “boxes” on all cave surfaces. Boxwork is largely confined to dolomite layers in the middle and lower levels of Wind Cave. The origin of boxwork remains one of the biggest mysteries of Wind Cave National Park.

The Wind Cave tour is interesting though definitely not one of our favorite cave tours… We have been to several cave systems in the past and between the tour guide, young children on the tour, which are whining, we are only marginally inspired…

We are hoping the tour tomorrow at Jewel Cave is better. We decide to drive through a small section of custer State Park on our way home which will include the famous “Needles Highway” . The Needles Highway is over 14-miles long and provides a spectacular drive through pine and spruce forests and rugged granite mountains. The road’s name comes from the needlelike granite formations that seem to pierce the horizon along the highway. Just past the “Needle” is the beautiful Sylvan Lake!

This is an amazing drive and we are so happy we did this! The rock formations and the tunnels are amazing!!

Take a look at the drive through the Needle….

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5/24/2022:

As we said,  Yesterday while we were waiting for the start of our tour at Wind Cave National Park we were able to latch onto their WiFi and get tickets for the Jewel Cave National Monument Scenic Tour.  Our plan for the day was  to do the tour at 10:00am and then spend the afternoon at Crazy Horse Monument.

The Jewell Cave Tour starts off instantly better than the Wind Cave Tour with some very receptive rangers at the reservation desk. The people here seem friendlier, more organized, and it’s significantly less crowded…  The tour guide is a trained teacher and it shows!

The cave begins with an elevator ride down but then there are still many stairs! The cave itself is more aesthetic, much wider, the access steps are better, and it is well lit. We are enjoying this cave so much more than Wind Cave yesterday. The tour lasts about 1 1/2 hours. The rooms and views inside this cave are huge and often breathtaking. It’s a wet cave and the tour is significantly more  dramatic… On February 7, 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt declared, by proclamation, the cave as a National Monument. Jewel Cave National Monument is currently the fourth longest cave in the world, with over 215.0o miles of mapped passageways. (Note they are still discovering passageways and rooms every year here… ) Research done with changes in pressurization in the cave based on Herb and Jan Conn’s findings indicates that 215 miles accounts for less than 5% of the entire expanse of Jewel Cave. WOW!!!!

After our tour and above ground again we decide to enjoy a picnic lunch at Jewell Cave’s National Monument picnic area. Joanne is always planning picnic moments like this…

With lunch done we head off to visit the Crazy Horse Memorial and American Indian Museum…

Crazy Horse is the world’s largest mountain carving located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It is often considered The Eighth Wonder of the World in progress.When you consider the scope and breath of this multi-generational project it is such a bold endeavor and project paying tribute to a symbol of leadership in the American Indian culture… The sculpture Korczak Ziolkowski own extraordinary story, which is reflected in his log studio-home, workshop and sculptural galleries at Crazy Horse was the driving force in the initial undertaking of the Memorial. After his death his wife Ruth Ziolkowski continued spearheading the project and to this day has family descendants still pursuing and working on the Memorial…

We watch the information video and then take the bus ride up to the base. The cost for the busride is additional ($4.00 pp) and is in addition to the entrance fee of ($12.00 pp), but we both feel it was well worth it! The bus driver provides a great narrative as we approach the base of the memorial and then we are given about 15 minutes to wander around and take pictures.

After we returned to the visitor center there are several rooms (museums) to walk through and lots of stuff to read. But after an hour or so we felt done. In driving away we both said we were glad we did it but didn’t feel the need to do this again.

We sit in the parking lot to access the WiFi and catch up on things then head back to the camper. Our plan for tomorrow is Mt. Rushmore then the following day drive the Badlands loop. Let’s hope for good weather!!

5/25/2022:

Mt. Rushmore

We have such special memories of our time in Mt. Rushmore from 2001 when we were there with our two kids on our cross-country summer camping trip. A lot has changed since then with us and the Mt Rushmore National Monument area. It is busy, though I don’t think as “crowded” as it will be in the summer. The aisle of flags and monument itself is impressive. We get some pics then head to the visitor center.

It takes a bit of time at the visitor center to watch the film and then do the museum. Then we do the “presidents trail” which goes right along the base of the monument and over to the sculpture studio. It is a good trail though there are quite a bit of steps. After that we feel we have done it justice and think we will come back to see it lit. Unfortunately we will miss the light show (we saw it in 2001 and it was amazing) as the first night for the summer is the day we leave the area.

After visiting Mt Rushmore it’s still early in the day so we decide to take a convertible drive to the the famous town of Deadwood. We had passed it on the way in but with the Motorhome and tow car it seemed a little too difficult to find parking…. The drive to Redwood is pretty, passing several vistas and a dam. Before pulling into Deadwood we also pass the entrance to the town of Lead, South Dakota.

We find parking in Deadwood and take a quick stroll through the visitor center and get the lay-of-the-land from a helpful person behind the counter. They tell us about the town schedule of the day and a number of  live re-enacted “shoot out” shows in town.  We decide to head to the Saloon # 10 who has a scheduled re-enactment at 2:30. Entering the establishment it’s definitely a bit of a throw back to the days of the Old West and we grab a beer and watch a fun show about the killing of the famous Wild Bill Hickok that actually took place here many years ago.. Pretty cool show!

After that we stroll the wooden sidewalks and see another show beginning in just a few minutes so watch that. Then we find Maverick’s restaurant right on Main Street. Turns out to be a great place for dinner!

As we head home we reflect on our time here in Keystone SD. The only thing left is Badlands NP- on the schedule for tomorrow!

5/26/2022:

Badlands NP

We head out today thinking it will be a good day for the top down on the mini! It is! The drive through Badlands does not disappoint! We take HW 44 in but that only skirts the park so as we visit the visitor center we realize we have to do the scenic loop drive.

About 1/2 way through the park we decided to exit for a small detour to the “Minuteman National Historic Missile Site” just outside the park. During the Cold War, a vast arsenal of nuclear missiles were placed in the Great Plains and in this area; hidden in plain sight.  For decades over 1,000 missiles were kept on constant alert; with hundreds still remaining today. The Minuteman Missile remains an iconic weapon in the American nuclear arsenal. The history and museum here tells the story of a rather remarkable time in our history. The brave souls that performed this job in those very unpredictable times were truly sitting with their finger on the button to save our democracy…

The entire day is amazing and we reflect that we are so glad we were able to fit this in. As we head home for dinner Mike suggests just as we finish that we go and see Mt Rushmore lit up. As we begin to drive there we realize it isn’t quite dark enough. Even though it’s lit, it doesn’t really have any impact yet so we decide to drive the spectacular Iron Mountain Road.

With the beauty of the mountains and valleys as its backdrop, Iron Mountain Road was specifically designed with a tremendous amount of curves and switchbacks to limit the speed of travelers to 35 miles per hour so that they can enjoy the beauty of the Black Hills. What makes this road so unique and memorable is not just the amount of curves and the surrounding beauty, but also the architectural features found along this road. These features include wooden structures, called pigtail bridges, and one lane tunnels that were built to showcase the American patriotic symbol, Mt. Rushmore. These tunnels frame Mt. Rushmore National Memorial like a picture frame and are a spectacular site, especially at night… Bonus is no one is on the road!!! We have the road to ourselves to take pics and enjoy! What a way to finish our day!!!!!

5/272022:

Departing Keystone

As we depart Keystone and our dry camping experience for 5 nights, Joanne remembers a place to dump and take on water on the way through Rapid City. A new gas station “Holiday” on the corner of Rte 16 and Carton Blvd has an awesome dump and water station. By the time we take care of “business”, get groceries at the local Walmart Supercenter, and get propane at Flying J it is nearly noon!

The drive to Cottonwood Campground  in Theodore Roosevelt National Park will have us adding the state of North Dakota  to our map…  It takes us the rest of the afternoon to get there from Keystone, South Dakota and we pull in around 4:30.

The site we have reserved is #1. But when we check in the camphost says good luck getting on to that site! We could have managed it but when we asked if there are other sites available, the Camphost says get on the golf cart and take a drive! Mike finds that site # 12 is a better site and the people on it have to leave because a person had taken ill and they were leaving. So that’s where we set up. It is a great site and the bath house path is convenient though far enough away that it is not a bother. The site is very private. We have somewhat of a cell signal so are able to make calls once in awhile. We are here for 3 (maybe 4) nights!

5/28/2022:

Theodore Roosevelt National Park  (Medura ND)

Today the weather is iffy so we opt for the visitor center and driving the scenic loop road (except part of the loop is closed so it will be an out and back drive!). It ends up being a great day! The video in the visitor center is great. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a habitat for bison, elk and prairie dogs. It is comprised of 3 distinct sections, all  linked by the Little Missouri River. The park is known for the South sections’s colorful Painted Canyon. Along the loop road/trail there are pull outs for views that allow us to get a good feel for the park. The loop trail is very picturesque. We see some bison and lots of prairie dogs. When finished we get back to camp and get the propane fire pit going for a bit of time before we head inside for dinner. It pours all night and we think we may have to cancel our plan to hike for tomorrow 🙁

5/29/2022:

Theodore Roosevelt NP

As we wake up the sun is shining brightly and there is no call for rain for the day so we are thinking maybe the hike will be a go! The only challenge will be the 5 or so stream crossings we will have to navigate. We gather our hiking supplies and hit the trail! When we get to the trailhead there are two families coming off the trail. Both comment on how muddy it is and some areas are just about impassable. But we decide to give it a go anyway and start out. The entire trail (Jones Creek Trail) traverses one of the wilderness areas beginning at the loop road near our campground and ending at the other end of the loop road where the road has been closed. If we make it there and back the total will be just over 7 miles. That is a good length of hike for us both. It is a beautiful day for a hike and we enjoy it even though there are some challenging parts because of the many mud/wet ares plus the  stream crossings being so high. But we are able to “bushwhack” our way through any areas that are too muddy and some we just walk through anyway! The stream crossings we pretty much have to create our own way across then find our way back on to the trail. But it is fun and we get some laughs in! At two points we have to walk through prairie dog “towns” and we can hear and see the little guys barking and warning each other that human’s are coming through! We make it all the way to the other side and begin our way back. We comment that the way back is always faster than the first half!

Once back from the 7 mile hike we try to get some mud off our shoes and trekking poles but it will require more than just stomping our feet! Lots of caked on MUD! We are so looking forward to getting back to the campsite so we can get our shoes and socks off and rest our feet! It is beautiful evening so we set out the camp chairs and a few well deserved beverages..

All in all a very good day!

-With tomorrow looking iffy weather wise we decide to pull out and head to Fargo to visit with Wes (from DSRV). We will forfeit one night camping fee but it’s only $7.00 so no biggie.

5/30/2022:

The road to Fargo

The drive to Fargo through ND is a let down compared to SD. Just not as picturesque. The wind begins to pick up but we make it to a Costco that Joanne see’s is closed because of Memorial Day weekend. We had planned to get gas but find a Love’s before we get there that actually has cheaper gas so we fill up before we get to Costco. The Costco parking lot is empty and the carts are all tidy and secure so no worries that the wind will blow them around.  Our friend from Desert Shadows, “Wes”, actually lives only a couple of miles away and we make plans to have dinner with him.

Just as we finish making plans the weather warning start with high wind, hail, and tornado warnings. not wanting to venture far from our rig in this forecast we see Barcode Pub and Grill across the street so agree to meet Wes. The restaurant is a great place to meet up and is not crowded.  We chat for a long time then Wes takes us for a tour of his town (West Fargo) and past his house.  With the forecast Wes invites us to stay at his house for the night which is so generous and then says if we stay around for the morning he would give us a tour of his 6 generation farm in West Fargo which was very tempting. Instead we decide to go back to our home/RV and weather the storm. We extend our thanks for the invite though and explain we have a long drive tomorrow and will need to take a raincheck on the farm tour…

It’s a nice visit and one of the reasons we enjoy this lifestyle so much; connecting with people!!!!  Arriving back at the camper  it is VERY windy so we pull the full wall slide in to protect the slide toppers. We are wondering if we will be able to drive to our next place tomorrow. Time will tell! We have a quiet and peaceful night in the Costco parking lot (first time “camping” in a Costco!).

We have really enjoyed our time in the Dakota’s. I know it’s summer but we just loved South Dakota! So much to see and do there.   This Revolutionary Journey so often surprises us with the incredible places we have visited in North America….