Almost home. Streetsboro, OH

The final night and we are sad.  We did another 600 miles today and arrived at a KOA in Streetsboro, Ohio.  It is a decent KOA with a brand new pool, that closes at 8:00pm and is then padlocked behind a fence… very un-KOA-like.  The comfort stations are nice and seem on the newer end. Coralie bypassed the comfort stations for the first time ever and chose a RV shower over the facilities offered. We had a fire and smores on the final night but it wasn’t the same. The heat and humidity of the east coast time zone are back, as are the mosquitoes.  Tomorrow we make the last little push home, and the sad journey will be complete.  Tonight I can’t help but think of a quote I saw a the Devils Tower Welcome Center… 

“If a man was starving, he was poor in spirit and in body, he went into the Black Hills.  The next spring he would come out, his life and body would be renewed.  So, to our grandfathers, the Black Hills was the center of life, and those areas all around it were considered sacred, and were kept in the light of reverence.”

Johnson Holy Rock

Lakota Elder.

Final campsite

Fun picture of Cameron trying to qualify for the Lantern Tour at the cave, you have to like tight spaces. 

Gold nugget pulled out of stream running through Deadwood 10 days before we got there.  Still gold in them there hills!

Quote at Devils Tower visitors center. 

Deadwood, Spearfish and the final night. Palmer Gulch SD

We woke up this morning in Deadwood and went to find the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane.  A short drive up the hill to the town cemetery and we were face to face with the final resting place of two of the wild west most notable characters.  The entire cemetery was full of history but those two and the grave of Seth Bullock were the highlights.  After paying our respects we walked through town one final time doing some shopping, taking in the history and drinking some draft root beer at one of the saloons. As we left Deadwood and headed back to Palmer Gulch we had the distraction of the scenic drive through Spearfish Canyon to keep us from dwelling on the fact that this is our final day in the Black Hills.  It went too fast! Spearfish Canyon is a picturesque drive though steep cliffside lined roads with water falls and beautiful landscapes.  Anyone familiar with the film Dances With Wolves would love the short drive down a dirt road to see one of the more familiar filming locations. Bridal Vail Falls is another treat on this great long way around back to Palmer Gulch.  On the final night back at the KOA we are pizza and wings and ice cream - and plotted the way home.  Hard to believe it is over so quickly.

Wild Bill's Grave

Dances With Wolves, Spearfish Canyon

Bridal Veil Falls, Spearfish SD

Devils Tower Wyoming and Deadwood. Deadwood SD

We got up on Friday morning and hit the road for the short drive across the border into Wyoming.  The destination was Devils Tower National Monument but before we go there we got a quick lesson in GPS reliability.  I drove past a sign telling me to turn to go to Devils Tower because I was following the advice of my iPhone Maps.  The direct, commanding voice from the phone sounded like it knew what it was doing so why not follow it?  Two dirt roads, an open range and some minor trespassing later we realized we were lost.  In Wyoming.  I turned around and after retracing some steps we found the right road and managed to make it to the Monument with a "we got lost in Wyoming." story to tell.  The tower itself is majestic and beautiful.  It is no wonder the indians consider the tower to be sacred ground. It's a lot bigger than we expected and the path around the tower gave us several vantage point from which to view it.  One of those views was of the three climbers making their way up the tower (craziness!) After viewing Devils Tower we drove back into South Dakota and down to the historic town of Deadwood.  Deadwood was an old mining town back in the late 1800's and was the very essence of the lawless west.  Its the town that Wild Bill Hickok was killed in during the summer of 1876. While Deadwood might like to live off of its historic significance to ole west lore, it leans heavily on its legalized gambling which makes the town a careful balance of history and even so slight seediness.  Which in some ways is fitting given the history - kind of an odd feeling walking the historic one street town.

Devils Tower WY

Coralie missing ballet at Devils Tower WY

Deadwood SD

Custer State Park and Hairpin Turns. Palmer Gulch, SD

Custer State Park is 71,000 acres of beauty.  Ponderosa Pines, rolling hills and pastures make it visually spectacular. The park has so much to do that we easily could have spent three to four nights here.  The buffalo round up in September would be an amazing time to return.  Once a year the herd of 1400 buffalo are rounded up for a count and medical checks.  The sheer power of seeing these animals on the move must be remarkable. This morning we woke in our cabin and went to the main lodge for a great buffet breakfast.  The kids loaded up on eggs, bacon, waffles and french toast for the buffalo safari ride we had scheduled at 11:00am.  The safari was two hours of off-road exploration of the park in search of wildlife.  As advertised we saw a lot of buffalo but we also saw bluebirds, pronghorn deer (and fawns) and a great sighting of elk - thanks to Pop-pop’s sharp eye! After the safari we took the long way back to Palmer Gulch by driving down Route 87, better know as Needles Highway.  This 15 mile drive of hairpin turns, narrow roads and shockingly few guard rails has breathtaking views and white knuckle driving.  We came upon three tunnels big enough for one car only (and sometimes barely that!) It truly was taking the scenic way home.  Back in Palmer Gulch, the kids swam and enjoyed the clear blue sky and warm weather.  Tomorrow we head to Wyoming to see Devils Tower and then on to Deadwood for a night in the wild wild west. It is going so fast! 

Cabin at Custer State Park

Buffalo laying around

Black Hills on Needles Highway

Jewel Cave and a Herd of Buffalo. Custer, SD

Well what can you say? The day got off to a bad start.  I went to the comfort station for a shower and as I pulled the handle on one of the "unoccupied" shower rooms i came face to face with full frontal eastern european male....  it happens... i suppose.  A cold shower and half a bagel later we were on our way to Jewel Cave.  We got our tickets for the 1.5 hour tour of the cave but we had about an hour and 45 minutes to kill before we got to go on the tour so we drove back into Custer and did some shopping at the local store for snacks and bottled water.  Custer is literally like one of those wild west looking one street towns.  Its like stepping back in time. While at the store I got a call on my cell phone from the State Game Lodge and to make a long story short, I goofed, there was about 3 hours of chaos, soul searching and self deprecation - but it all worked out in the end.  Back to Jewel Cave. At 317 feet below the surface, a constant 49 degrees and over 182 miles long, Jewel Cave is an impressive display of inner earths beauty.  The 1/2 mile tour over 700 stair steps was a great way to see the cave. The most impressive part was that it was discovered in the late 1800's and even today they are still adding milage to the survey. After the cave tour we drove to the State Game Lodge in Custer State Park.  The park itself is very gorgeous. Amazing that this is only a state park.  After checking into our cabin, which is freshly built and we are pretty sure we are the inaugural occupants, we went for a drive in search of Buffalo. (Tatanka!!) We intended to drive the Wildlife Driving Loop in the park but we missed the turn and ended up staying on Route 16 that runs through the park. As I looked for a spot to turn around we ended up in a buffalo traffic jam. Literally - walking down the highway the herd was on the move! it was a fortunate miss of a turn that gave us this amazing close encounter.  We had a 5:00pm dinner reservation in the State Game Lodge which was built in the 1920's and served as the summer White House for president Calvin Coolidge. The highlight of the menu was - of course - buffalo steaks.  Dinner was really good and was a nice change from the meals at the RV.  The peach apricot bread pudding for dessert was really good! After dinner we went back to the cabin and settled in.  What started out as bad sights and cold water - ended with breathtaking scenery and the chill of a cave 30 stories down.  What a day!

Jewel Cave Steps

Please don't sit on the rental car!

Herd on the move

Two bedroom cabin at State Game Lodge 

 

Wall Drug, The Badlands and a Nuclear Missile Silo. Palmer Gulch, SD

The Badlands.  Hard to describe the vast beauty of this dry and often times harsh looking landscape.  The day was in the high 90’s with seemed appropriate for our chosen activity.  Our first stop this morning was at Wall Drug in Wall, SD.  As many visitors before us, the free ice water and 5 cent cups of coffee available at this eclectic piece of americana are the perfect beginning (or end) to traveling though the badlands.  The Badlands National Park scenic drive begins off the same Route 90 exit as Wall Drug.  The 32 mile drive takes you to many overlooks and viewing points around the National Park.  The pictures almost don’t do it justice, the landscape reminded us of a cross between the Painted Desert, Death Valley and the Grand Canyon.  It is beautiful.  As with the Grand Canyon, our good fortune with wildlife continued.  At the Grand Canyon we were treated to an up close and personal look at the California Condors and in the Badlands it was a close encounter with Bighorn Sheep that made us feel special.  After seeing a few out in the distance we happened upon one standing on the side of the road.  He was happy to just stand there and pose for us as long as we wanted.  A mile up the road from the Badlands we stopped at the Minuteman Missile Silo Museum.  During much of the Cold War the Dakota’s were dotted with these silos. Its hard to believe that much of this great land was once the front lines of our national defense.  A long day of sights concluded with fajitas back at the RV (nice job Jenny!) and more smores by the fire.  (how many can the kids eat!?!) Tomorrow we do the cave we missed the other day and the Shockley’s stop “roughing” it for a while as we stay at the State Game Lodge in Custer, SD….  compete with a 5pm dinner reservation.

The Badlands

Colors of the Badlands

Big Horn Sheep!

Kinda funny, but not really!

Horses and Pie. Palmer Gulch, SD

Today was a great day after a slightly mistimed start.  We began the day waking up a bit late and enjoying the all you can eat pancakes for $3 at the KOA before heading off to Jewel Cave near Custer, SD. When we got to the visitors center they told us the next available tour we could take down into the cave was at 12:40 and the tour lasted about an hour and a half.  Unfortunately, this ran right into our reserved trail ride time back at the Palmer Gulch Stables so we couldn’t do the tour.  We left the cave and decided to kill time at the Bobkat’s Pie and Ice Cream Shop in Custer.  What a treat! Homemade pies that were really delicious.  We sampled blueberry, apple and peach.  No one felt adventurous enough to try the strawberry rhubarb jalapeño pie.  After a lotta pie we headed to the Palmer Gulch Ranch for a beautiful 2 hour trailed though the Black Hills Forest. Most of the ride was on single track trail that travelled along switchbacks down into a valley and then back up.  Cameron’s horse was a little stubborn while Mom-mom’s horse wanted to eat the tall grass along the trail. It was a great experience with amazing views. Back at the RV we had fried rice for dinner that Jen made with smores for dessert.  At night, as the full moon rose, we had a camp fire to take the chill out of the night mountain air. It was another great day in the Black Hills.  Tomorrow we conquer the Badlands.

Single track trail for horses

Great views in Black Hills

Campfire at night

Best pie in South Dakota?

Mt. Rushmore / Crazy Horse. Palmer Gulch, SD

Today was a great day.  Jen and I started the day with a 3 mile trail run through the Black Hills.  We spooked two deer and only thought we were lost once.  After Mom-mom and Pop-pop finished their morning run we had breakfast and then we were off to Mt. Rushmore.  The Mt. Rushmore complex is impressive.  There is a very modern visitors center and ampitheater along with a trail around the monument that gives you several different vantage points.  The history of the construction is amazing as it is truly a larger than life work of art.  After Rushmore we went to see The Crazy Horse Monument.  It was an impressive display of a work in progress.   Hard to believe that once its completed the Presidents on Rushmore will be dwarfed by this tribute to the American Indian.  After a day of sight seeing the kids enjoyed an afternoon of swimming and games at the campground. We also enjoyed scores, live music and yes.. The NBA finals game 7 on the outside tv on the RV.  Tonight we are in a cabin at thew campground.  We thought the kids would enjoy a night out of the RV and Mom-mom and Pop-pop might enjoy a night with 5 less people around!  Tomorrow we have more sights and a trail ride in the afternoon. 

Mt. Rushmore up close

Founding "Fathers Day" 

Kids Loft in the cabin.

NBA finals Game 7 in the Black Hills.

Arrival. Palmer Gulch, SD

We made it!  Black Hills national Forest is amazing. From the flat farmlands of Minnesota to the rolling grasslands of easter South Dakota the scenery on this leg of the trip has been nothing short of breathtaking. The final leg of our drive saw Pop-pop secure his title of King of the Road as he polished off the final bit of a 1700 mile journey by dropping Jen and I off at the Rapid City Airport to pick up our rental car for the remainder of the trip.  what can you say about Rapid City Airport other than don't expect a lot of signs and don't expect much of an airport!  That cannot be said however for theThe Palmer Gulch KOA.  This place is huge! with amenities like no other KOA we have ever been at - with the added bonus of being dropped into some serious postcard worthy scenery. The kids enjoyed the pool, the water slide and countless areas to have fun.  the adults hung out at the site and enjoyed some dinner and an evening of gazing at the stars.. well planets actually.. as we later fond out.  Tomorrow we begin our tour of the sights but if what we have seen so far is any indication of how things are going to go, we are truly spoiled by nature.  

Pizza Ice Cream and Wings... what more do you need?

Coralie and Mia enjoy slide at Palmer Gulch KOA

Palmer Gulch KOA .. nice view!

Getting Closer! Jackson, MN

This morning started with a bit of a problem.  The electric stairs on the RV would not retract on their own without some assistance.  Someone had to kinda help the steps along with their hand as they roll back into the side of the RV... if not, they sort of dangle out in the street and would certainly not survive the first toll booth we happened upon.  This was a problem since the stairs retract when the door gets shut but with all of us in the RV, ready to begin the days drive, who would help the stairs along? This is where spending my teenage years watching MacGyver finally paid off!  Using a bottle opener with a magnate, we were able to trick the contacts on the door into thinking the door was closed and I could help the stairs along while still outside.. then hop onboard as Pop-pop slammed the door shut! The stairs stayed up and we could hit the road.  Traffic around Chicago was not too bad and before we knew it we were in Wisconsin.  Cameron wanted to stop for some cheese I wanted to stop for some New Glarus beer. (Only available in Wisconsin)  We accomplished both in one stop and made good time into Minnesota. Wisconsin is Americas Dairyland so Minnesota know for??  Soda?  Mia wondered?!  Minnesota is flatter than we expected and smells like cow... even when we don't see cows - we smell cows.  When we pulled into the KOA in Jackson we had accomplished another 600 miles today! leaving us with a small finishing drive tomorrow.  We also lucked out in getting a spot at all!  Fathers Day weekend is apparently busy times for KOA and we managed to get a slot with 30 amp hook up (don't use the microwave and air conditioner at the same time!) and no sewer... which is fine because our tanks are not full and we use comfort stations anyway.. The comfort stations are small but nice.. we got a really good look at them too as when we arrived a pretty severe looking system moved in with high winds and rain.. we were invited to take shelter in the main building where the comfort stations and general store are located.  As it turned out the storm had more bark than bite but it continued to rain the rest of the night so we watched Zootopia as a family and enjoyed some snacks.  In the morning Coralie will get the shower she has been begging for and a chance to use the flatiron on her hair..... again.  Overall, the Jackson, MN KOA is small and a bit dated but nice.  Its not the best KOA we have ever stopped in but to be fair, where they lack in amenities, they made up for in hospitality as they hosted many families to wait out the storm.  Tomorrow we make the final push to Palmer Gulch in Hill City South Dakota! 

No pictures of the site tonight as we didn't spend too much time outside in the rain.

Minnesota Farm land ... smell cows?

Dinner in the RV as the rain falls

Hitting the Road... Elkhart, Indiana

The engine was fired up just before 2:00 AM this morning.  Traffic was light, as one might expect at that hour, and the weather was a little rainy but not enough to really be a factor in logging some serious miles on day one.  After all, that was the plan! We wanted to take advantage of the kids excitement and the adrenaline that comes from the excitement of being on vacation to really make a big push today.  When it was all said and done, thanks to Pop-pop's herculean effort behind the wheel, we logged about 700 miles and ended the day in Elkhart Indiana.  We ended a bit early because the next decent campground was another 100 miles further than the KOA in Elkhart but they only had 30 amp hook-ups and we need 50 amp... i mean really? who uses 30 amps anymore?  It was a good time to stop. After hooking up for the night we discovered a few minor problems, the microwave and the main cabin lights weren't working.  Ugh.. after troubleshooting fuses and questioning power supplies, the solutions were a bit comical.. The microwave became unplugged during the course of travel and someone (me) turned the cabin lights off by their individual switches last night and not the main switch - duh! Tragedy averted - we celebrated Cameron's 9th birthday with chicken wings (his favorite) and various salads. Tonight the kids are watching movies and we are all going to go to bed early.  

As for the KOA in Elkhart, its decent.  The slots are not paved and are rather simple.  The pool is nice and heated! which is good because it is overcast and chilly outside.  The comfort station is decent with nice individual shower rooms.  

Our slot at Elkhart KOA

Heated pool at Elkhart KOA

Happy Birthday Cameron !

Packed!!

It took a little longer to get organized than I expected but we are packed and ready to go.  Jen did a great job getting us all packed and cooking many days worth of meals in advance.  Time to get some sleep... Pop-pop wants it to be an early start. 

Kids watch a movie before bed

Fridge is stocked and ready!

We Leave in One Week

But who's counting?

In January we decided to do another RV trip.  Honestly it’s going to be hard to top the trip we took across the country two years ago.  That trip, which tracked Route 66 and included stops in New Mexico, The Grand Canyon (AZ), Disneyland (CA) and Death Valley (CA), was almost perfect.  The weather, traffic, destinations and timing worked out so well, it hardly felt like two weeks on the road.  The horseback riding in New Mexico and prickly pear margaritas in Death Valley easily cancelled out the fact that we got lost in a dodgy section of St. Louis. Not even a trip to the pharmacy for what turned out to be a minor ear infection could dampen the pleasantly mild weather we felt in southern California.  While all of the good fortune and fun we had on the last trip provided plenty of incentive to do another one, there was one motivation that stood out above all others…  the kids loved it.  I think all of the adults were surprised and impressed at how much enjoyment the kids got out of the trip.  Sure, they loved Disneyland, but who’d a thought they would enjoy a campground in middle of nowhere Ohio?  Or running around at 8 AM spray painting Cadillac’s sticking out of the ground?  Or running up a dune in the middle of Death Valley when it’s 114 degrees outside?   - But they loved all of it.  And asked for more…  So here we go…

In one week we leave for the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota !