The week after the 4th of July was the annual family vacation week. This year we loaded up the RV and traveled to South Dakota to see Mt. Rushmore. A recap of our trip follows.
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| Rest stop in South Dakota |
Day 1, Sunday July 6th: A.I.S.(Ass In Seat) was set for 10am, but the wife and the kids had not finished packing by then so we eventually got on the road around noon. After spending 6 hours northbound on I-29, we finally made it to the Big Sioux Recreation Area campground in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The campground was nice. It was clean and well manicured with electric and water hookup sites (which we reserved). Finally getting out to stretch our legs and let the dogs stretch their legs was needed. As the girls took the dogs for a walk, I started setting up our little portable grill to cook a quick dinner before we called it a night. Well, after a few minutes outside the skeeters welcomed us to their stomping ground. It was like the Alfred Hitchcock movie "Birds" but with mosquitoes. They were everywhere and no matter what you sprayed on your body they laughed at it and kept coming. So, after a quick meal everyone retreated to the RV.
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| Wagon at Wall Drug |
Day 2, Monday July 7th: While everyone was waking up, Gina and I took the dogs for a quick walk while continually swatting skeeters. We quickly loaded up what little gear we had out the night before and got on the road. Yes, there was a cloud of smoke as we peeled out of that mosquito nest! As we headed west on I-90 I was reminded of childhood trips across Kansas and nothing really out there along the highway...except signs for Wall Drug every 2.567 miles (seriously!). So, with the advertising barrage going down I-90 and through my GPS calculations we determined a stop at Wall Drug was necessary for lunch and to walk the dogs. Our stop was quick (about an hour) at Wall Drug which is really nothing historical per se but had souvenirs and just about everything 'Old West' you might need...oh and free ice water. We settled down for some ice cream before loading up and heading west. We arrived in Wyoming at Devil's Tower about dinner time. The campground there in the shadow of the monument was impressive even though it was a primitive site (no hookups but picnic tables and grill pits and no showers but restroom houses). The weather was perfect with temps in the 60s and no SKEETERS!!! I unloaded the grill and cooked us up some hamburgers while the girls explored the area. We settled down in the RV and opened the windows (no need for A/C) for a good night of sleep.
Day 3, Tuesday July 8th:
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| Bedrock Police Department |
After a breakfast of pancakes and sausage links, we packed up the RV and drove the 2 miles up the hill to the Devil's Tower Visitor Center. We kept the dogs in their kennel while we walked the trail around the tower. The monument is so impressive and amazing! As you walk the trail around it there are so many beautiful views of the land around the tower and the tower itself. The girls enjoyed taking pictures as we spent a good hour walking. While there we spotted several climbers descending the tower...CRAZY! Once we got in our daily exercise it was time to load up and head back over to South Dakota. As we made it back to the interstate we gassed up and started our way into the Black Hills. As we crossed over the state line it was a continuous stretch of roadwork and winding hills around Jewel Cave and then we found ourselves stuck on a steep descent on gravel in a line of cars waiting to go our turn to proceed forward. Eventually we made it into Custer, South Dakota to the Flintstone's Bedrock City Theme Park and Campground. We rolled into our campsite and as the kids headed out to the playground, the wife and I relaxed a bit before going over to the theme park area. Just like at Devil's Tower, the weather was perfect. No skeeters and low temps considering it was July. The theme park is rinky dinky. Everything appeared it could use a new coat of paint and other than the train and Flintstone car there was nothing really to do other than peek into the windows of all the replica houses of the characters from the cartoon. Oh, we did watch a animatronic music show with Wilma, Fred, and Dino that made you think there was a Chucky Cheeze missing a band. Well, after a good dinner from the grill we got some rest for the next day's activities.
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| Avenue of Flags |
Day 4, Wednesday July 9th: Waking up in Bedrock and that cool weather was nice. I made us pancakes for breakfast before everyone got cleaned up and we got back on the road. Our first stop was at the Crazy Horse Memorial. I was warned by several friends not to pay to go see the Crazy Horse Memorial so I whipped the RV into the gravel lot next to the entrance and jumped out for a picture. On the road again, we meandered our way through more of the Black Hills before getting a glimpse of Mount Rushmore. Of course, when we arrived there were car lines to get in and we were in the RV/Bus line. A nice worker in a golf cart lead us to our parking spot (parking pass was $11 and is good all year). We left the dogs in the RV again with the windows open and walked up to the entrance. Approaching the monument and the avenue of flags is mesmerizing. Before you ever see this in person you have probably seen it a gajillion times in books and magazines or in a movie or on tv. But seeing it in person is almost hypnotizing when you consider what it was before and what Gutzon Borglum and his crew did to create it. We spent a couple of hours there before grabbing some ice cream and driving through Keystone, South Dakota. I pulled over for a quick trip into the National Presidential Wax Museum with my girls (the wife stayed out in the RV with the dogs and her book) and a great educational opportunity. Upon leaving the museum we drove a few miles before pulling over to check out the Cosmos Mystery Area (save your money!). With the day's activities behind us we headed for the Rapid City-KOA campground. With us finally landing somewhere that would see us staying more than 1 night we rolled out the canopies and lawn chairs and found a moment or two to relax before heading to the KOA pool.
Day 5, Thursday July 10th: This day was spent just hanging out at the KOA. A pure relaxation day spent at the pool.
Day 6, Friday July 11th: So, after a good biscuits and gravy breakfast from the KOA cooks, we loaded up and prepared to hit Reptile Gardens and Bear Country, U.S.A. before heading east on I-90 on our way home. Reptile Gardens is basically a small zoo with the main focus being the sphere in the middle of the facility which houses snakes, frogs, alligators, and crocodiles. We made it there just in time for the snake show which taught us a few things about them. A quick trip through the gift store and we were on our way to Bear Country for the drive-thru animal park. As we snaked through Bear Country we got to see wolves, Rocky mountain goats, reindeer, elk, big horn sheep, bison, pronghorn, and LOTS of bears! While there the feed truck came through the bear area and it appeared that they feed them hamburger buns. Well, as we finished the drive-thru part of Bear Country, we parked the RV and got out to explore the rest of the facility. The rest is like a zoo with outdoor exhibits for bear cubs, badgers, a skunk, baby pronghorn, prairie dogs, red foxes, and a river otter. After another trip through another gift shop we hit the road. We stopped at Wall Drug for another round of souvenir buying and some ice cream before setting the cruise control on the RV to eastbound and down. Around Kennebec, South Dakota, we camped for the night at a KOA literally in the middle of nowhere. The skeeters were back so we spent dinner time in the RV eating leftovers.
Day 7, Saturday July 12th: We awoke early knowing we had a long haul to make it home in the same day. After making it to Sioux Falls and southbound on I-29 we pulled over at a Cracker Barrel for a nice lunch and some peppermint sticks. Now understand, I drove us every inch of every mile during this trip. It was like pitching a perfect game or a no-hitter, but once we hit the Missouri line and stopped at a rest stop to walk the dogs, I handed the keys off to my 'reliever', the wife. I jumped into the passenger seat and tried to get in a nap for the remaining 2.5 hours of our trip and was very thankful for her getting behind the wheel. As we rolled into the driveway a sense relief hit all of us knowing we would be sleeping in our own beds that night.
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