Independence Day weekend excitement!

On the 4th of July, we took a short drive to Custer State Park. The picture on the left is Caleb and I panning for gold. Caleb's treasure hunting spirit wore down quickly as the process takes patience. And also because we didn't hit the jackpot! The mountain goats below were right by the side of the road having a picnic lunch. They were kind-of shaggy.

We also drove up the Needles Highway in the park. Chris finds it quite entertaining to take the dually through these narrow tunnels...and I get quite nervous. But there was a tour bus a few vehicles ahead of us that fit through just fine. We drove down to the end of our campground road at sunset to take in the Custer fireworks. They were nothing in comparison to what we had seen at Mount Rushmore, but it was an enjoyable show.



On July 5 we went south towards Hot Springs. We stopped at Wind Cave and were lucky to get in for a Natural Entrance tour with only about a 30 minute wait. The photo above is the - you guessed it- natural entrance to the cave. Wind Cave has the largest amount of boxwork of any cave in the world. We chose the tour that climbs down the 300 steps and rides the elevator back up :-) It was awesome! Only approximately 5% of the cave has been explored based on the information scientists have gathered. When we entered the cave was breathing in but by the time we were finished with the exploration, it was exhaling. It strives to be in a state of equilibrium with the outside air. From wind cave we came upon some Buffalo that were clearly moving toward Custer for the day. We went the other way, into Hot Springs for some lunch. After we were fueled up, we continued to the Mammoth Site. Here is an active dig of a sink hole. They have discovered 56 mammoths so far, both Columbian and Wooly mammoths.


Caleb's favorite part of our day in Hot Springs, was our stop at Evans Plunge. Evans Plunge is fed by spring water which completely turns over every 1 1/2 hours. Most of the water park is inside, but there is a portion outside. Caleb preferred the water slides! The water stays at 87 degrees- just about perfect. We've had a great couple days here in the Black Hills. We continue to explore the national forest and national park campgrounds to decide where we could stay on future trips.

Mount Rushmore's July 3rd Celebration

Mount Rushmore celebrates Independence Day with fireworks and festivities on July 3rd. Chris started the morning by wearing out the shepherds so they would behave while we were away. He ran them down a county road, where they chased wild turkeys! We arrived in the Mount Rushmore area at 11 AM. I had read that you needed to be there early to get a space to park. We were not there early enough for the parking facilities and therefore, you park on the side of the road. The sign going down the hill said "trucks use lower gears, 10% grade". Two miles down that grade was our first opportunity to park! So we started our hike two miles back up the road to the entrance of Mount Rushmore :-) Luckily it was very cool and we had packed snacks. Caleb needed 3 snack breaks and we also took advantage of the Red Cross' free water station near the top of the climb. We decided that there really needs to be a shuttle service established! Approximately 30,000 people visit the memorial on the 3rd of July and the parking is not nearly adequate.

Once inside the memorial it was clear that we needed to stake our territory and find a viewing location for the fireworks at 9:15. The amphitheatre was already full as was the area surrounding it. We found a spot down by the sculptor's studio with a good view of the presidents. Unfortunately, there was no sound or video connected to the area to hear and view the special events of the day. So we camped on our spot all day and enjoyed the view and the cool weather. Caleb played in the woods with some other children.

As part of the festivities, there was a B-2 bomber, F-16, and B-1 bomber flyovers. Impressive to say the least. Although the park was crowded, little communities developed around your 'spot'. People played cards, struck up conversations, and went for ice-cream runs! The fireworks were well worth the wait! By far, that was the most spectacular display any of us have ever seen! The show was 40 minutes of breathtaking beauty! I've never seen so many red, white and blue fireworks. My camera was having technical difficulties, but I also was content sitting back and taking in the show! The experience is truly indescribable and I highly recommend making the journey to see this celebration. What we also learned was that arriving later in the day would be OK to find a good viewing spot down by the sculptor's studio, if you have a means of transportation to get to the front gates. Fortunately on the walk back down the hill, a New Yorker offered us a ride in their SUV down to our truck. So on the way down, we only hiked a bit over a mile. :-)

I will try to work out the technical difficulties and provide more pictures for all to enjoy!

Custer, SD...rain and relaxation

We started our journey on Sunday and after 3 1/2 travel days we arrived in Custer, South Dakota. We will be exploring the Black Hills for about a week. Internet service on the road has proven to be unpredictable. First, the wi-fi wouldn't connect. Next, there was absolutely no cell service. And on the third night with cell service available, I had connection problems! In Custer, we are at Fort Welikit campground and the wi-fi is working!

Our first leg of the trip on Sunday took us through Northeastern Arizona and into New Mexico where we stayed at the USA RV Park in Gallup. This is a clean, American owned park with level sites.
Day two brought us to Raton, New Mexico. We exited I-25 and headed to Sugarite State Park. Sugarite has two campgrounds. The one with electricity and hook-ups was full so we proceeded to the Soda Pocket campground, which is first-come first-served. As we pulled onto the drive, a state park sign said "steep grades, winding road, use lower gears". Up, up, up we pulled on a gravel road. Up, up, up some more. The climb paid off with "million dollar views" from the campground! Wildlife was also abundant! Bear boxes make themselves at home next to the firepits. Those bear boxes weren't for decoration either. Chris saw a mama and yearling at the edge of the woods as he walked the shepherds. Deer and wildflowers also graced this beautiful location. We would have liked to spend some more time at this park, and at $10 a night it was hard to leave.

Day three included travel through the state of Colorado up I-25 and into Wyoming. We were ready to call it a day when we reached Cheyenne, but weren't willing to stay in an RV park by the highway. So we headed Northeast and stayed at Hawk Springs State Recreation area. Three miles down a sandy, dusty road was a lake! There are 24 no hook-up RV sites that the locals seem to favor. The lake served as a great swimming hole for Caleb and the dogs. Non-resident fees were $12 a night. Better than the highway for sure, yet not a place we'd probably return to.
So today we had a short drive to arrive in Custer. The find of the day? We stopped in Lusk, Wyoming for coffee. We didn't want to set up the generator this morning to get a pot brewed. So on the road searching for coffee, we came to a truck stop/cafe. Two travel mugs and a thermos full of freshly brewed java for 94 cents! Ahhh coffee. We got parked into our spot at Fort Welikit as the rain has started to gently fall. It will be nice to stay put for a couple of days!