September 2013

Camping notes for Rushmore trip.  This is long, but we sure had fun and did a lot of stuff. 

 

First day (Sept. 2) left at 8:00 am and drove to Nampa.  Violet had a grooming appointment at Petco at noon.  Ate lunch at Wingers.  Picked up Violet around 3:20 and headed toward Eagle.  Spent the first night at Mountain View campground (USFS) about a half mile past Lowman.

 

Constant stream of vehicles/RV’s going the opposite direction due to it being Labor Day.  Got to camp and it was very hot and humid.  Discovered that the bathroom faucet had somehow turned on and all of our fresh water was gone.  The gray water system backed up and we had water overflowing in the bath tub and onto the floor. Spent the first ½ hour cleaning up and then had to use the hand pump in the campground to get enough water to at least use the toilet and wash hands.  Making memories!

 

Had some wine and a nice taco salad for dinner.  It rained during the night.  Left camp about 9:00.  Found water to fill us up at a BLM campground down the road.  Got fuel in Challis and had a GREAT burrito at a place called Taco Grande housed with a Subway in Salmon, ID.  Slowly worked our way into Montana and camped at a campground called May Creek about 6 miles past the Chief Joseph pass.  Great, quiet place.  Had a nap, a campfire, some wine and dinner.  It rained some but not enough to bother us.  Violet was glad to get out of the rig and run around.    

 

Left camp about 8:00 in the morning and drove to Big Hole National Battlefield.  Very moving display about Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce being attacked by the army at this location. Lots of deaths on both sides.  From here we drove to Butte and stopped at a Wal-Mart for a few supplies.  Had Subway in our RV in the parking lot!  Got fuel and continued east.  We are camped tonight at Lewis and Clark State Park, the first state park in Montana.  From here we drove the Tracker 3 miles up the mountain to the Lewis and Clark Caverns.  There is no relationship between Lewis and Clark and the caverns.  The caverns were discovered by some local farmers…  We decided to take the 2 hour tour not knowing that the first ½ mile was up a ‘very’ steep trail and it was a hot day!  It was all I could do to make it to the cave entrance and considered turning back at one point.  But I made it!!!!  My donor had very good lungs!!!  Once inside it was very cool and mostly downhill although some stairs both up and down.  It was close to being a 2 hour tour and we got back to the RV about 6:30.  Nice campground with electric hookups so Violet enjoyed her air conditioned home while we were hot and sweaty on the tour….  

 

Thursday, Sept. 5, left camp early and headed east.  Eventually saw a sign that said Little Big Horn Battleground so we decided to take a detour and visit.  By the time we got there it was mid-afternoon and very hot so only visited the visitor center and did not walk out to the actual site in the hot sun and uphill…. Left there and headed north, then east toward Miles City.  It was a very long day as we left about 8:30 and didn’t stop to camp until after 5:00.  Temperature was 102 when we arrived.  Took awhile to cool the camper down but just glad we have hook-ups so we can run the air conditioner.  Plan to make a trip to Wal-Mart later or maybe in the morning (it is only a block away) to buy a Gazetteer for North and South Dakota.  Hoping the weather cools off so we can enjoy the sightseeing more! 

 

Got an early start this morning (Friday, Sept. 6) and on the road by 7:30 MST.  A quick stop at Walmart for a map and then headed northeast toward Glendive, MT.  Crossed over into North Dakota and headed for the Teddy Roosevelt National Park (South Unit) arriving early afternoon.  Another hot day!  Parked our rig at the picnic area and unloaded the Tracker for a 36 mile round trip in the park.  Beautiful scenery and lots of Bison and Prairie Dog towns throughout.  Back to the rig and then headed south toward South Dakota arriving in Spearfish around 5:00 pm.  Staying at Chris’ RV Park for 2 nights.  Plan to do some day tripping with the Tracker tomorrow. 

Another hot day!!!  We got up early leaving Violet in the camper with the air conditioning on and drove to Deadwood.  It is a real tourist spot with gift shops, casinos, etc.  Took the scenic route through the Black Hills to get there and that was nice.  Got back to the RV about 11:30 and have spent the rest of the day inside where it’s cool.  Tomorrow we plan to go to Devils Tower and then head toward Mount Rushmore.  Supposed to start cooling down in the next few days.  Hope so!!!!  We did have a bit of rain today but the sun was out at the same time and it didn’t cool down at all. 

So, a change in plan.  Didn’t get up early enough to go to Devil’s Tower and be back and out of the RV park by check-out time so we drove to Custer State Park and found a nice RV park (WeLikIt) /campground and paid for 3 days.  RV park is rustic but quiet.  Just our kind of place.  Staying about a mile from the small town of Custer.  First day here we settled Violet in the camper and took a drive around a portion of the state park.  The 2^nd day we got up early and took the wildlife viewing loop and saw LOTS of buffalo, wild turkeys, deer and prairie dog towns.  Nice trip and we were back to camp by 10:30.  After lunch we decided to drive to Wind Cave National Monument.  Didn’t take the cave tour as we had Violet with us but visited the visitor’s center.  There are 6 tunnels in Custer State Park and we drove through 3 of them today.  Very interesting and unusual….  Can’t understand how tour buses can get through them they are so narrow and not very high.

BBQ’d some brats for dinner and then watched a bit of TV.  Saw a tornado warning for the Custer area and kept waiting for the “big one” to come.  Fortunately it stayed calm all night but at one point Violet did crawl under the table which she never does and that freaked me out!  Thought maybe she knew something we didn’t.

Third day here we visited Mt. Rushmore.  It is so much more impressive in person!  Lots of people of course and it cost $11 to park but well worth it.  Also had ice cream made from Thomas Jefferson’s  recipe!  It was very tasty and was more like the “homemade” kind we used to make.  Drove into Keystone, a tourist town just 3 miles from Rushmore and had a sign made for our sign post saying Mt. Rushmore 1122 mi.  Had lunch here and then drove back to the park.  Today we went through the other 3 tunnels and they were just as impressive as the first 3.  Sure wish we could have seen a bus get through one!  They are all one lane tunnels.   

Back in camp in time to do laundry and a nap for B and V…  Turned out to be a nice day today, in the high 60’s, low 70’s.  Plan to leave tomorrow and head toward Devil’s Tower. 

 

Left camp about 8:00 (9 MST) toward Devil’s Tower.  Arrived about noon and parked RV/trailer at a spot about 2 miles from the information center.  Drove the tracker up since RV parking there was very limited.  Got a great picture of Devil’s Tower with a flag flying half mast for 9/11.  Lots of people and tour buses!  Continued on toward Buffalo, WY where we got fuel.  Up into the mountains looking for a forest service campground.  Skipped one and decided to continue on.  Great decision!!!  We found Sitting Bull campground which is the best place we have stayed so far.  Our site has trees on one side and a huge meadow on the other.  Very clean and a nice campfire spot.  Made a fire, drank some wine and a moose strolled by about 100 yards away in the meadow!!!  So happy to see it.  We are about 8,720 feet in elevation.  The pass getting here was 9200.  Violet had a great time fetching her Frisbee in the meadow and is very tired after 8 hours not sleeping in the truck.  She doesn’t sleep when we travel…   

In the morning we head west to the town of Tensleep… should be there around ‘ten’.   If time allows, we might at least take a 'nap'

 

Woke up earlier than planned watching for critters!  Saw several white tailed deer/mule deer but no moose.  Had a bite of breakfast and decided to continue on our way.  First part of the drive was spectacular scenery, canyons and huge cliffs.  The rest of the way to Cody was very flat and uninteresting for the most part. (We were in Tensleep about 9 so no nap).  Stopped in Cody and toured the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.  A huge building with many displays.  Probably spent about 1 ½ hours inside.  After that we drove a short distance to Wapiti Campground on Cleanwater Creek.  There are grizzly’s in the area so no food left out which we don’t do anyway.  Took a stroll around the campground before dinner.  The plan tomorrow is to drive into Yellowstone NP (30 miles) and find a place to spend the night so we can tour the park.  We have been there several times but can’t just drive through!!!  Hoping to see lots of critters….

 

Got to the first RV park (only one in the park with hookups) and it was full at 9:30 in the morning.  Continued on to the Grant Village campground that has a dump station and water so we are good to go.  Left Violet in the camper and drove the scenic route that goes by Old Faithful.  Stopped and watched it do it’s thing and of course we had to have an ice cream cone.  Can’t go there without getting one!!!  Memories of Cassie when she was about 3 or 4 with a cone almost as big as she was!!  Continued on and saw a coyote and lots of bison.  Towards evening it was nice enough to have a campfire and have some wine.  The campground ended up being full by the time we got back from our drive and there are 430 sites!  Amazing!  Lots of traffic on the roads.  It is the week-end but thought this late in the season it wouldn’t be as crowded and the weather isn’t that great either.  Had some thunder while we were enjoying the campfire but it didn’t rain on us this evening. 

 Next morning we got up at 6:30, loaded up Violet and headed out in the Tracker to find critters.  Saw quite a few elk feeding along side the road and bison of course.  Did see a very large elk with big rack in a meadow.  He was causing quite a traffic jam with people stopping their cars to get pictures  Took the Mammoth Hot Springs route this time and drove out the West Entrance to the town of West Yellowstone for lunch.  It was a long ride in the car for Violet (about 7 hours) but she survived it.  Brought her back to the camper and then checked out the Grant Village Visitor Center and General Store.  It rained most of today and we decided against a campfire.  Loaded up the Tracker in the trailer so we are ready to head toward the Tetons in the morning.

 Drove south to the Tetons and found Grosse Ventre campground outside the Teton National Park.  Not the best campground but it was sufficient for us.  Nap time.   Left Violet in the camper and drove to Jackson and found a really nice Albertsons to buy a few things.  Drove through the town just to check it out.  Made arrangements to meet with Alexis (our great niece) for dinner at Thai Me Up Restaurant and Brewery, which is where she works.  In town to meet Alexis at a parking area at 5:30.  Great to see her!!!  We walked a few blocks to the restaurant as she told us a lot about the town.  Our very own tour guide!!!  Her guy Levi met us at the restaurant and we had a great dinner and some brew/wine..  After dinner we walked to a chocolate place and bought a few chocolates for desert as well as a fantastic cinnamon roll for the next morning. 

 Got up early and did another scenic tour leaving Violet in the camper.  She so doesn’t like to travel!!  Beautiful scenery and saw quite a few very large elk.  Back to camp around 10 and loaded up to head on..  Drove to Village of Trees RV park by Burley, ID.  We have stayed there before and it is nice except for the constant flies.  Parked next to a couple from Canada which a Nash trailer and they were headed to La Grande to have a tour of the Northwood plant. 

 

The next morning we got Idaho burritos at the restaurant at the RV park and they were fantastic, and big.  Drove on to the Mirage trailer place in Nampa to get a replacement metal front for the front of the trailer as it had bent due to rocks.  From there we drove home and Violet was so excited to be here!!!  She loves her ‘home’.  We had a great vacation but also glad to be back home.  Unpack time and get ready for Seattle again.