The Black Hills and Custer State Park SD

We stayed at the Central States Fairgrounds for 4 nights, then on Friday afternoon moved to Hart Ranch Resort, about 10 miles south of Rapid City. Hart Ranch is a membership RV and camping resort. It is huge, about 200 acres and over 500 RV/cabin units. The resort is a part of the original Hart Ranch, a 13,000 acre cattle ranch developed by John Harrison Hart in the 1880s. The resort is very clean, green and well-run. It reminded me a bit of our home resort, The Great Outdoors in Florida, only western. Normally sites are about $50/night, but we got in on a three night special for $40 total.




They placed us on a site very central to the activities. One evening there was a band playing dixieland and jazz favorites in a picnic pavilion across from our site. We just turned our chairs and enjoyed the music from our patio. One morning we ate breakfast skillets at the on-site restaurant, the Chuckwagon. For those who don't know what a skillet is, it's kinda like an omelet, except they cook all the fixin's in a small iron skillet, then put the eggs (fried, scrambled, over-easy, etc.) on top just before serving in the skillet. It's a western thing, and it's delicious. There was a large fenced dog area near our site and Matilda made some friends, especially a husky named Scout. This is a membership resort, and there was a huge storage lot where members kept their rigs, and the resort would move them to a site and back to the storage lot when they left, for only $20.




 

While parked here we made an excursion to Custer State Park, where the wildlife is the main draw. They maintain a herd of about 1500 bison. Each year they round up about 500 bison and auction them to ranchers from all over the country to be used as breeding stock. We saw our share of bison, as well as wild burros.  We also toured the Mt. Rushmore area in the Black Hills National Forest.

 










We drove the Needles Highway, which features a series of very short and narrow tunnels.  It was amazing to watch some tour buses pass through these tunnels.  It was obvious that they had done it before and that they had not always escaped unscathed.  One driver asked Dorcas as he exited the tunnel "Is this the way to Mt. Rushmore?"

 

 



 

 

One evening we invited TREK friends over for steaks on the grill. Harry and Pete and Diane, who were all at the SI rally and still camping nearby, visited our site for steaks and beer. Pete learned the hard way that the 10 mph speed limit in the park is strictly enforced. Ironically, Pete got busted while following Harry and trying to keep up. I expect it's pretty embarrassing to be pulled over by a golf cart. Luckily, he got off with only a warning and stern tongue lashing.

 

Rally #3 Rapid City SD

We left Gillette on Sunday afternoon and continued east to Rapid City. The 3^rd and final rally didn't start until Monday, so we parked Sunday night at the Cabela's in Rapid City. Three other TREK friends joined us there, so we had our own mini-caravan working. The RV lot at this Cabela's was not nearly as big and open as the one we had stayed at in Mitchell SD, but it was fine and hospitable. We spent a little time in the store and then walked to the Quaker Steak and Lube and had dinner. We tried to order a pitcher of beer, but they didn't serve pitchers. Instead we had a Lube Tube, which was 100 oz. of beer served in a 36” tall acrylic cylinder.

The next morning we moved a few miles to the Central States Fairground for the 25^th Anniversary Rally of Safari International (SI).  SI is the parent organization for the South East TREK Fun Club, the club associated with our previous motor home. We still hang with the TREKers and are active in their club. Here we had 50A electric and water, a big improvement over the 7 days of dry camping in Gillette. We managed to get parked with a number of our friends, and actually had a very nice site on the asphalt. We checked in with the rally folks to get the schedule of events, then checked in with the Carefree awning folks to schedule our new awnings installation. We are parked very close to the banks of Rapid Creek where over 250 people were killed in a flood in 1972.

We have driven through Rapid City a number of times, but never really stopped to do any sight seeing. It turns out it has a very attractive downtown area. They have life-size statues of all the US presidents on street corners throughout the central business district. They also have a whitewater shop downtown, although it is hidden in the back of a new age sorta hippie shop. We asked about paddling Rapid Creek, but they suggested the level was too low, particularly for a kevlar boat. We had a very nice lunch and beer at the Firehouse Brewing Company, a brew pub located in an historic fire house. Harry and I both brought home growlers.

The rally itself was pretty laid back. There were some folks from Paul Everts RV who had about a dozen motor homes on display. They sponsored a happy hour one night and had a golf cart with a cooler of beer, driving around the rally grounds all day long passing out brews. I hope somebody bought a coach from them, so they'll come back next time!


The Rapid City PD brought their K-9 unit over and presented a live demonstration with their police dogs. It was amazing what the dogs could do, and how they bonded with their handlers. They wouldn't let Matilda play with the police dogs.

The awning guys came and installed our new driver's side slide toppers and window awnings. They look great and are more functional than the awnings they replaced. I kinda now wish we had been more bold and gone with the burgundy fabric. Oh well, they look fine, and match the coach nicely.

One night the majority of the attendees went on a bus trip to Mt. Rushmore. We didn't go since we have been there several times, the last time only 2 years ago. Instead we drove to the Crazy Horse Memorial which is a similar mountain carving, although it is unfinished and will be much larger than Mt. Rushmore. The memorial honors the western Indians and has a large museum and a number of exhibits. The sculpture was begun in 1948, but the original sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski died in 1982. The work has been continued by his daughter and 7 of his 10 children. Crazy Horse is not a federal or state project.  It is funded by admissions and contributions.  They blast stone about once per month, but tonight they were doing a night blast to honor the sculptor's widow, Ruth Ziolkowski's birthday. We toured the exhibits and then, after dark, they had a laser light show on the face of the memorial and then the blast. The light show told the story of the Indians and the coming of the white settlers and then the building of the Crazy Horse Monument. Finally the blast, and what a blast it was! It lasted about 2 minutes as a series of explosions went off in sequence up and down the mountain. I took a really neat video of the whole blast, but have no easy way to post it with our limited internet connection. In the meantime here is a link to a video of the same blast someone posted on You Tube.

Rally #2 Gillette WY

Well, technically it's not a rally, it's a convention. Our second event was the 50^th Anniversary of Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) at the CAM-PLEX facility in Gillette. The FMCA is a large national organization of motor homes (no trailers allowed!). They have a national convention once or twice a year at various venues across the US. This was the 88^th renunion. Many smaller RV clubs frequently schedule pre-rallies and post-rallies around the FMCA event, explaining Rally #1 and Rally #3. In years gone by the FMCA national conventions have drawn as many as 8000 coaches, but in the past few years 2000-3000 coaches have been the norm. At this event there were 2288 member coaches and 351 commercial coaches. It's not easy to find a venue capable of parking this many coaches and to accommodate the vendors, display coaches and seminars. The CAM-PLEX is a large state agricultural fairgrounds which fit the bill very nicely.

 

To arrive at Gillette we left Cody the way we had come and headed east across Wyoming towards the Bighorn Mountains. Instead of taking US 14, we took US 14A, a little steeper, featuring a very long 10% uphill grade. We spent the night at Sibley Lake CG in the Bighorn National Forest at EL 8500' on the top of the mountain. Sibley Lake CG has a loop with 10 electric sites and another loop with 10 non-electric sites. As expected, the electric sites were all full, but there were 2 sites in the non-electric loop that would hold us. There was no electricity, TV, cellular, or Internet, so we had to rough it. We made a traditional campfire, and the overnight low temperature was 34 degrees.

 

Dorcas is never happy when I take photos while negotiating a winding 10% grade.

The next morning, Sunday June 16, we caravanned with the group from Safari International (SI), the parent organization for our TREK club. Well technically we didn't actually caravan with them, but we met them in a holding lot before entering the grounds, so we could all park together. There were about 32 coaches in the SI group who had been attending their own pre-rally in Hardin MT. Most of our group got pretty good sites, but we ended up in a dirt pit. It was obvious that when it rained (it always rains at FMCA conventions) we would be in a deep puddle. Noel, our next door neighbor, was actually in soft sand, and as he extended his jacks, his jack pads disappeared into the sand, never to be seen again. The parking crew moved Noel and the coach next to him to a better, grassy spot. After 5:00 when the parking crew left, we moved ourselves about 150' to a much nicer grassy spot close to some friends. It looked like, when (not if) it rained, it would drain pretty well here. This also put us closer to the SI group happy hour that occurred every evening at 4:00!

There were four restored Flexible coaches on display at the convention, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary. The Flexible is the coach featured on the FMCA logo.  Jeff Daniels drove one in the movie "RV"

FMCA conventions are all about seminars and vendors. There are 14 seminar rooms, each hosting 6-7 seminars a day. Seminar topics run the gamut from technical stuff on engines, transmissions, heaters, refrigerators, etc., to travel topics, cooking, crafts, exercise, you name it. Dorcas and I each attended 3-4 seminars a day, usually splitting up and comparing notes later. The other biggie is the vendors. All kinds of vendors are present, and some also provide on-site coach service. We bought some fire extinguishers and smoke and CO detectors from Mac the Fire Guy, some new window awnings and fabrics (more on that later), and a number of smaller doodads. We had the HWH guy come out and look at a problem we're having with our air leveling system, and we had our waste tanks pressure cleaned. The guys at the WiFi Ranger trailer were giving away free Fat Tire Ale, so that was a regular stop several times each day. All in all it was a productive event.

They also have entertainment.  There is daytime entertainment throughout the complex, but also evening entertainment every night.  The headline Saturday night was Marty Stuart.  It was a good show.

Check out that hair!

It was very warm and windy throughout most of the convention. On Tuesday a storm came through, and I noticed that the fabric on one of our slide topper awnings was separating at the stitching. CRAP! Our awnings are made by Carefree and a Carefree dealer had a booth, so we went to talk to him. We asked him about re-stitching the canopies; Dorcas carries a sewing machine, and I know how to remove the canopies. But the guy talked us out of that; said it just doesn't work well with all the new needle holes. And finding a durable thread would be difficult. We then decided to order new canopies, not just for the torn one, but all the way around. They could take the order today, cut and sew the fabrics in their shop in California, and ship them for installation the next day. That's one of the neat things about a big rally: speedy on-site service. We didn't order that day, because we couldn't decide on the color. Our favorite choices were linen tweed, a tan slightly darker than our current fabrics but with some texture, and a burgundy that would match nicely with the burgundy paint on our coach. It was a good thing we waited. On Thursday a major storm hit very suddenly. I had been walking Matilda (and harvesting Fat Tire Ales from the WiFi Ranger guy) and had just returned to the coach before it hit. There was hail and 65 mph wind gusts. The temperature dropped from 73 to 47 degrees in about an hour. And our slide awnings were shredded. CRAP! But wait maybe this was an opportunity. The Carefree guy came and looked and observed that we had some broken and bent hardware. Our Eclipse II models (which are of a very poor design) are no longer made and parts are not available. Most insurance companies will authorize replacement with the current (and in this case superior) model. So ultimately we decided to replace both slide awnings altogether, with the newer model and order replacement fabrics for the other awning on the curb side, which I would install myself at a later date. We chose the linen tweed fabric, but I regret now we hadn't been bolder and chosen the burgundy. By now the Carefree folks were really hopping; there were a lot of other folks who had awning damage. However, the Carefree folks would also be at Rally #3, so we ordered the goods and made arrangements to install the new awnings next week in Rapid City, when they would not be so busy. Sometimes things just work out.

So sad!

Hail from the "Big One"

The big storm brought a lot of rain (big surprise) and it rained some more the next few days. We were in a good spot and standing water was minimal. Others were not so lucky. On Saturday and Sunday folks began pulling out and a number of rigs were stuck. Within sight of our rig we saw perhaps 15-20 rigs pulled out by tractors and tow trucks. We were lucky; the water around us had drained away and we had a clear path to the hard road. We were able to leave the complex without incident.

Rally #1 Cody WY

We are scheduled to attend three separate motor home rallies during the next 2 weeks, from Cody, WY back to Rapid City SD. Due to the scheduling of the rallies we will be looping back in the wrong direction from where we want to spend the bulk of our summer (Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Glacier National Parks) but hey, that's why our home has wheels.

People often ask “So, just what is a rally anyway?” and “What do you do there?” Well, simply put, a motor home rally is a gathering of motor home owners, usually members of the same club. They usually have a common bond, such as they might own the same brand of motor home, or they might come from the same geographical region. Often a rally is mainly an excuse to visit a certain place or a certain area of the country. There will often be organized tours or suggestions for local excursions to take on your own. There are often seminars, technical discussions, and the opportunity to tell tales about our travels, our problems and our solutions. At several past rallies Dorcas has led beading classes, and we have led biking or canoeing trips. Often vendors will be present and sometimes certain service work can be performed on site. There is also a big social component; we do eat, drink and party a bit.

So that's what a rally is. On Monday we moved across town from the Walmart to Absaroka Bay RV where we were attending a rally hosted by Country Coach International (CCI). We own a Country Coach brand motor home, and CCI is the mother club for Country Coach owners and the regional Country Coach clubs. There were about 40 coaches registered for the rally, and we knew maybe a third of the folks here. We actually arrived a little early; the parking committee (Bill S.) was not yet expecting coaches, but Bill found us a site and we were parked by 9:00 am. Many folks had arrived earlier in the week, and we began making the rounds to see who was there. We were parked across the row from friends Rick and Tammy from Florida and their sheltie Dixie. Matilda and Dixie are big buds.

Matilda and Dixie

Some of the best seminars were those presented by “Mac the Fire Guy”. Mac is a long-time fire-safety instructor who travels in his motor home attending rallies and doing fire safety seminars. He shows videos on engine fires and refrigerator fires that will scare the bejesus out you. Then he will sell you fire extinguishers, automatic suppression systems and smoke and CO detectors. Actually he presents very good information on the prevention and suppression of motorhome fires, and safely exiting the coach. He has live burn demonstrations and folks get to put the fire out. We also practice exiting the emergency exits in a coach.

A CCI rally tradition is the pet parade. Folks dress up their pets and parade them for prizes. Most were dogs, but there was one horse (well actually a great dane dressed as a horse). Some animals were not real, such as the stuffed gorilla and various stuffed reptiles. Pretty much everyone got a prize. Matilda won in the most adventurous category, based on her wilderness travels and various animal encounters. The judges made up categories as they went to fit each pet's strengths.

Bella the horse

Several days we went to town. On at least two occasions we visited the Sierra Trading Post Outlet. Sierra Trading Post is an on-line discount house for outdoor clothing and gear, featuring great prices. In a travel brochure in a rack outside the store there were coupons for an addition 35% off. We did manage to find a few items we could use.

Check out the butt on that floozy!

One evening the group had the buffet dinner in the Governor's Room at the Irma Hotel. The Irma was built by Buffalo Bill Cody himself in 1902 and named for his daughter Irma. We had planned to watch the nightly gunfight in the street next to the Irma, but dinner ran over, and somehow we missed it. I can't figure out how we didn't hear all the shooting. We then all went across the street to hear Dan Miller and his Empty Saddle Band for an evening of western music and comedy. It was a great show. Don't miss it the next time you are in Cody.

Dinner in the Governor's room at the Irma

Dan Miller and his Empty Saddle Band

Friday the 14^th was Flag Day. At the city park supporters had planted ~1000 flags to honor veterans and others. It was a moving sight.

Flag Day in Cody

The last day of the rally was a free day, so we decided to ride up the hill into Yellowstone National Park. It was a very pretty ride up the Shoshone River canyon. We entered  atthe East Entrance and continued another 10 miles or so to Sylvan Pass and then to Sylvan Lake. Sylvan Pass was where there were avalanches in May two years ago, thwarting our attempts then to enter Yellowstone via the East Entrance. Even in mid June there was still snow on the pass.

Shoshone River

Sylvan Pass

The weather was great, cool and dry, although we did have a few storms and some hail. Now eastward to Gillette WY for Rally #2.

The Bighorn Mountains WY

We departed the Badlands National Park about 9:00 am. Not exactly the crack of dawn, but, for us, a fairly early start. Our destination was Cody WY, about 470 miles away. This was a fairly long day, even for us. Our itinerary for this trip is a bit convoluted. We are attending three consecutive motor home rallies in the next two weeks. The first is in Cody WY on June 10, the second in Gillette WY on June 18 and the third in Rapid City SD on June 24. If you look on a map, you will see that these run from west to east.. The problem is that we are headed from east to west. Furthermore, after the Rapid City event we are headed back to western Wyoming to visit some national parks. Not the most efficient itinerary. During the last three weeks of June we will be making a series of ZZZs across Wyoming.

Bighorn National Forest

Instead of I-90 we chose to take the scenic route to Rapid City, through Scenic SD on SR 44. The distance was no further, the road was good and the drive was much more, well, scenic. At Rapid City we stopped for some groceries at Sam's Club and Walmart. We also bought a cooked pizza at Sam's for lunch. We got back on I-90 westbound and skirted the north edge of the Black Hills National Forest. We didn't stop at any Black Hills destinations, because we knew we would be back in a week or so. We crossed into Wyoming and stopped at a visitor center, primarily to ask about the best route across the Bighorn mountains. The Big Horn mountains are big and steep. There are basically three routes to traverse them. US 16 is the most southerly route, and it is the flattest route. It is for wimps. US 14 and and US 14A are much steeper. Both feature long, steep grades; US 14 has an 8% grade for about 15 miles, while US 14A has a 10% grade for about 12 miles. Neither route is for the faint of heart. Dorcas did not make me take US 16, but she also would not let me take US 14A. We compromised with US 14. I didn't fight her, because I knew I would have another chance when we came back across next week. The drive was gorgeous. The approach was steep, as expected, but once on top there was a bit of a rolling plateau, until we dropped off the other side. At each overlook we could see thousands of feet below, and look back on the road we had just driven up.

After we dropped off the western edge of the mountain I turned on the Jake brake, shifted down to third gear and coasted smoothly down the hill at about 30 mph.  Near the bottom we stopped at Shell Falls. Dorcas has been recording the TV series North America on the Discovery channel. We wouldn't get to Cody before the show aired, so she made me stop and put up the satellite dish to record the show. We made dinner with the remainder of our lunch pizza and toured the falls while the show recorded. The best part of the falls was the “BigBelly” automatic solar trash compactor at the visitor kiosk. I put our soiled pizza box in the BigBelly, and it started to compact, but then apparently jammed. Oh well, it seemed like a good idea. We got back onto the road after Dorcas' show recorded and were rewarded with a fantastic sunset.

"Big Belly" solar compactor

Shell Falls

We arrived in Cody well after dark and proceeded to the Walmart Supercenter on the west side of town. This is a familiar stop for us. We stayed here for two nights in May 2011 on our way to Alaska, while waiting for the National Park Service to clear the avalanche on Sylvan Pass. As usual, we called ahead to ask for permission to park and where in the lot we should park. The folks at Walmart are always very gracious, so we don't hesitate to spend our money there.