“All at once and at the same time I felt completely present in the moment and irrelevant in the universe. What became obvious was that this is exactly what was missing in our lives. I embraced this irrelevance in the universe as it somehow offered great relevance in our journey.  This is where we are supposed to be.”  

From Keyhole state park we headed to the Black Hills of South Dakota. This area is rich in history as there were many conflicts between Native Americans and the Military here but none as famous as the battle of Little Big Horn, aka “Custers Last Stand.” The area around Custer South Dakota is a huge tourist destination. There are many RV Parks here as well as Custer State Park which offers camping options with electricity. We found the State Park fees for a campsite offering only electricity to be comparable to a private campground offering full hookups with wifi. Wifi wins almost every time.

We stayed at Custers Gultch which is located in the same meadow where Custers camp of over 900 men were stationed.

Custer was responsible for the largest military expedition to date in order to scout out and acquire territory on behalf of the US government. Custers Gultch campground extended up into a shallow canyon with back-in sites lining both sides and a compacted gravel road threading the middle with a loop at the end.

It is a woodsy area offering great off roading as half of the campers had four wheelers to play on.

This was the coldest night so far.

Elevation is about four thousand feet here and we woke up to frost on top of everything. It warmed up quickly and we soon headed out to visit Crazy Horse memorial and Mount Rushmore.

You can see Crazy Horse memorial from quite a distance as it is massive. It is completely privately funded and will be under development through the foreseeable future. The site will ultimately house a University, Medical center / Medical training facility as well as a Native American Museum and cultural center. There is currently much to see there along with the mountain size sculpture of Crazy Horse. The visitors center offers a history of the Native Americans who shaped this region before any interaction with the military. A brief biography on all of the Native Americans who took part in the battle of Little Big Horn. Many were only fifteen years old at the time of this conflict which completely shaped their lives. Again this endeavor is completely privately funded and the family behind the building of the monument and the entire project for that fact take every opportunity to generate revenue. Of course the offer souvenirs. Our kids donated a a few bucks and picked up a rock generated froim the rubble of the sculpture.

While the Crazy Horse monument and visitors center represents Native Americans it also highlights the story of the man behind the sculpture. A prolific artist named Henry Korczack (Core-shock) was retained by chiefs of the Souix and Cheyenne tribes to honor Native Americans through a sculpture of mountainous proportions. When he accepted their offer his beginnings were modest. He had One hundred seventy eight dollars to his name and a mountain before him. He was the only employee and lived in a tent as there was nothing at the location when he started. He built a series of steps taking him seven hundred and eighty-one feet up the mountain where he began the sculpture. His story is the unique testament to a driven and creative soul. As time went on he married. Together with his wife had ten children, many of which are currently part of this undertaking that will certainly live beyond them as do the spirits of the people it represents. We were so glad we stopped to visit Crazy Horse.

Next it was onward to Mount Rushmore. This has been on our bucket list and it did not let down. While Crazy Horse is a tribute to Native Americans and garners great respect and admiration, Mount Rushmore is a tribute to all Americans showcasing four individuals who helped shape our nation for the greater good of our country and humanity.  Based upon their varied backgrounds, it is also a testament to the opportunities available to all people in this country.  It shouldn’t surprise anyone that people from across the globe are interested in seeing this monument. Here is a trivia question for you. Who are the people represented on Mount Rushmore? ….Don’t scroll down before you guess.

George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt.

No history lesson here only to say that the whole family was truly stoked to be able to visit in person. Before we left we made sandwiches in the coach and sat under the watchful gaze of Lincoln and Washington while we gave thanks to be in the shadows of this marvel.

We headed out in the afternoon towards Badlands National Park where we were going to camp for the night.

We took scenic route 44 which is…. a really boring drive. It takes you through the southern end of the badlands and only about three miles of the Badlands interesting landscape.

Once we turned towards route 90 we came to Badlands National Park Campground.

The campground is barren of any foliage sans a few trees, the restroom and shower buildings. Each camp site has a small wave shaped sunshade offering a bit of shade to the picnic tables.

The campground sits in the shadows of the pass that weaves through the strange and unique landscape.

     

Parker found the most unique road in the campground.

The weather was perfect and the kids decided it was time to break out the tent. We gave them the task of setting it up as a team challenge and they did a great job. Once it was all set up I added a little flair with the decorative lights since we had electricity at our campsite.

Laurel and our dog opted for the comfort of the coach while the kids and I settled into our cozy tent around ten o’clock.  Only a few nearby voices from other campers and prairie dogs howling in the desert were to be heard as together we giggled ourselves to sleep over living out this amazing adventure. The stars were abundant and the temperatures were in the high forties at night and the low eighties in the day. I awoke due to a deflating air mattress. It was about Four AM and I figured I needed some additional padding so I headed into the coach to grab another sleeping bag for added comfort. As I was about to open the door I took pause to view the sky full of stars. The big dipper was so near to the horizon and so big it looked as if I could reach out and touch it. I breathed the universe in as at that moment it was all mine and I knew that everything we had done to get to this point was worth it. All at once and at the same time I felt completely present in the moment and irrelevant in the universe. What became obvious was that this is exactly what was missing in our lives. I embraced this irrelevance in the universe as it somehow offered great relevance in our journey.  This is where we are supposed to be.

Back in the tent I readied my bed, snugged into my bag with my three kids near and fell back asleep only to be awoken a couple hours later by the prairie dogs celebrating the end to their night with a chorus of howls and barks. This was indeed the Badlands.

An early morning we headed out to the 90 to continue through South Dakota towards Iowa. I had seen on our map something close by that indicated Delta-1 Minuteman Missile Control and had to check it out. We came upon a newly completed building which was architecturally modern utilizing a material mix of patina steel, Natural Stone and painted steel.

It had recently opened to the public as the majority of informational displays inside were simple large format print outs that were taped to the wall with blue tape. What we found out was that within fifteen miles of that spot there were at one time ten nuclear missiles manned by a launch team at the ready twenty four seven. Missiles programmed to strike strategic targets in Russia. This was only a small missile field as there were more dotted across the northern South Dakota Landscape as well as others in Wyoming and Montana. The launch team consisted of eight personnel in a non-descript building above ground and two missileers bunkered thirty-one feet below ground in an insulated bomb resistant capsule. The missileers worked in twenty four hour shifts that were plagued with hours of boredom highlighted with moments of intensity. We received our own private tour of the facility from a very informative ranger. We stepped back in time entering the facility as the décor is minimalist government seventies with the musty smell to go along with it.

Once we had toured the top side facility we loaded into a freight elevator just large enough for the six of us and traveled down thirty-one feet below to the missile control center. It was surreal to be in the place that could have literally reshaped our world with the turn of two keys.

Any launch required two missileers with their own keys in addition to a key in Washington and a key from a surveillance plane. The keys counted as votes. The two keys in Delta-1 counted as one vote. Three votes were required to launch.  Of course there were overrides in place where Washington could act as all three votes. The missiles surrounding the Delta–1 command could reach their targets in Russia in less than thirty minutes.

There were many near launches in the cold war that were averted by clear thinking individuals.

Western South Dakota is loaded with interesting places to visit and Im sure there is much more to see. But we were heading east through the corn fields as our next stop was the Winnebago factory in Forest City, Iowa where our coach was manufactured.

Leaving Cody we headed to Keyhole State Park located in central Wyoming and close to Devils Tower National Monument. We were directed to this campground and many other spots by our good friend and backroad traveler Greg Wood. Very grateful and appreciative of him sharing all the travel and campground information.

The Drive from Cody to Keyhole was a work out. Highway 16 turns into the 14 as you approach the Big Horn Mountain range. The grades are steep and the roads are winding. These are fertile cattle lands and ranchers have been driving cattle up into the mountains during the summer months and down to the valleys in the winter months for over a hundred years. The pass is over 9000 feet and the Windryder got us up and down safely. The eastern side of the pass offers fifteen miles of 7% to 8% grade and some gnarly cliffside turns. Stay in a low gear and take it slow. The hillside was dotted with deer which made it difficult to keep my eyes on the road. This part of the country is so beautiful.

Once safely over the mountain pass the road opened up to the prairie and the winds.

The winds were steady with gusts up to fifty miles per hour. Despite our namesake, the Windryder does not at all ride the winds well. It was all I could do to keep her in her own lane for hours on end. It was especially fun when big rigs passed as they sucked our rig into theirs or pushed us over towards the shoulder depending on the wind speed. After several hours we finally made it to Keyhole State Park. We were greeted by a herd of Antelope as we pulled into the park.

Keyhole has a number of campgrounds surrounding a huge reservoir. Only one, Tatanka has electricity. There are a couple dozen sites and we scored a lakeside spot. I think we may have gotten the best one. Since we arrived late the kids were ready to try and catch our dinner. Glad we were stocked with food as they only caught two perch, some  branches and weeds. We did have a gaggle of twenty-four turkey waddle through our campsite. The kids were begging me for a turkey dinner. I think we had tacos.

The weather took a turn to the cold side as there was rain and temperaures dipping into the forties prerdicted. It only sprinkled but it got really cold that night and the next morning the kids got up at day break to fish. They lasted about half an hour, just long enough to lose three jigs and get cold.  It wasnt long until they retreated to the warmth of the coach.

We waited until it warmed up a bit and made our way to Devils Tower. A forty minute drive down a dirt county road. Since we are towing a four wheel drive truck it was fun to get behind the wheel and let loose a bit. The road is well maintained but also traveled by much wild life, cows, horses and deer. You have to watch your speed.

As we rolled up to the Gate of Devils Tower we were met by Ranger Grumpy who seemed a bit tired of dealing with tourists asking the same questions over and over. Helllllllooooooo Ranger Grumpy…thats your job. This has been the only ranger with which I have ever had a negartive experience. Once we left Ranger Grumpy to his grumpiness we came upon the true gate keepers of devils mountsin. Hundreds and hundreds of Prairie Dogs. They look giant tan hamsters popping in and out of their holes. They are so fat and cute. A little BBQ sauce and they would make a good dinner. We spent a few hours hiking around this amazing geological wonder. There were a couple climbers half way up on the south eastern side. Despite them being a few hundred feet above us you could clearly hear them giving each other direction on their next move. This place is viewed by many cultures, mostly Native American Indians to be a spiritual place. In June there is a volumtary climbing ban out of respect for  these peoples who annually pilgrimage here around the time of the summer solstice.

 

Yellowstone was amazing, so much untamed wild land and wild life. It didnt stop in Yellowstone, the wild life remains abundant throughout Wyoming. The drive down to Cody via highway 14 aka Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway. It winds through the Shoshone National Forest and along the Shoshone River through a picturesque valley.

There are signs dotting the highway reminding you that this is grizzly country and to not interfere with the wild life. In fact there is a $5000.00 fine if caught interfering with or pursuing a grizzly bear. While we were thankful and appreciative for all the wild life we were able to see we were feeling a bit dissapointed we didnt get to see a bear. However, less than five minutes after talkng about seeing a bear a black bear cub the size of a large dog bounced across the road right in front of us. We were exstatic. We pulled over in hopes to see the momma bear and watched the cub make it’s way through the brush away from the highway. He turned around and sat down by a tree and got a good look at us before dissapearing into the wilderness. We didn’t get to see the momma but oh what a treat to get to see the cub in his home territory.

As we made our way closer to Cody we stopped at the Buffalo Bill Dam.

The dam was constructed over one hundred years ago and was the tallest dam in the world at the time at 328 feet. Built in just five years, it cost just under a million dollars to construct. The dam is responsible for the water flow that not only irrigates the valley but also provides power to greater Wyoming generated from six hydro electric stations located through out the narrow passage.
It was late in the afternoon once we got to Cody and we had diminished food supplies. We had lost a refridgerator full of food on the way to Yellowstone due to the the refridgerator not staying cold on the road. A lesson learned on how to keep the refiridgerator cold while on the road straight from the wallet. We needed to replenish our supplies since we survived on mostly canned beans in Yellowstone. As mentioned in an earlier post I have never been a big fan of Walmart but since we are living the RV life they are very RV’er friendly. You can stay in their parking lot for free. Not that it’s the ideal campsite but good in a pinch and to help stretch the budget. I tried to convince the crew to stay there for the nite but since this location was not open twenty-four hours it provided no opportunity to wander the isles in the middle of the nite. With this they encouraged me to find a proper RV park.

On the east side of Cody, once you pass through the main section of town there is a clean RV park called Abskorga Bay. They offer full hookups, laundry, showers and the ever valuable Wifi. Funny though, I never saw the bay until the day we left as the small body of water was over the highway on the way out of town.
Cody really brings the old west to life. There were two primary attractions for us here, the Bufflo Bill Center of the West and the Irma Hotel. The Bufflo Bill Center of the West houses five museums under one roof with a single admission charge.

The options to choose from are the Plians Indian Museum, Buffalo Bill Museum, Draper Natural History Museum, Whitney Western Art Museum and the Bill Cody Historical Firearms museum.
We opted for the natural history museum first which provided more information on much of the territory and animals we had recently seen. Years ago I had worked as a fabricator/installation manager for a company named Academy Studios located north of San Francisco. We designed, built and installed exhibits in Natural History Museums and Aquariums around the world. It is from this experience I have a deeper interest in the museum space.
There was a huge section on the life of Bill Cody the towns namesake, AKA Buffalo Bill. Bill Cody was hired by the US Army as a scout and to provide buffalo meat to the troops as they explored the upper northwest territory. He was an excellent hunter, communicated with several different Indian tribes through sign language and loved the outdoors.

After his years of service scouting and providing buffalo meat to the troupes he set off to share his exploits with the world. It was through live shows dubbed “The Buffalo Bill Wild West Show.” He is considered the first global celebrity as he spent thirty three years and traveled over a quarter million miles in the U.S. and Europe sharing his exploits on the stage.

A tireless self-promoter and entreprenuer he invested his earnings in everything from mining operations to a pretty young actress. Much of which he lost due to placing too much trust in the people with which he partnered. I had many times seen movies and read the occasional book spotlighting Bill Cody but it wasnt until I was able to immerse myself in his history and the history of the area that I was able to have a greater understanding and appreciation of this larger than life person.

This facility also houses the largest gun collection I have ever seen. There were muskets from all continents representing most every conflict and era. Firearms from King Henry the VIII to Theodore Roosevelt’s Winchester rifle to Wild Bill Hickocks revolvers. It was most impressive to stand in front of a musket that was used by a soldier during the founding of our country. We also witnessed a Winchester rifle that had been found leaning against a tree in the back country. It had been there for over one hundred years. The stock was so weathered it looked just like a old high altitude tree trunk.

Also housed there is a notable collection of era and territory themed paintings that are truly amazing. I felt fortunate to be able to view many of them in person. Artists such as Philip R. Goodwin, CM Russell and Carl Rungius. Google em and better yet stand in front of some of their work if you find an opportunity.

(Unfortunately I was unable to take any pictures in the Gun or Painting Wings of the museum).
On our way back to the coach we stopped by Bill Cody’s hotel, “The Irma”, named after his daughter. It’s located on the east end of the main drag. As we walked up they started a gun show with all of the northwest terrirtories favorite characters, Wyatt Earp, Bill Cody, Annie Oakley, Doc Holiday, The Sundance Kidd, Dirty Dan and a couple other outlaws.

Doc Holiday and Wyatt took a special liking to Laurel or maybe it was the other way around.

As we left Kemmerer we had to swing by a piece of American History.

The road to Yellowstone took us up the Idaho border through barren lands with only rabbits to be seen. Many of them had met their misfortune by trying to cross the road.

Highway 189 weaves it way up through an area rich in history. The territory south and around Jackson is home to the most productive and famous fur trade in history. Beaver was the pelt in demand and many of the waterways here are named after famous trappers as well as men from the Lewis and Clark expedition including Captain Meriwether Lewis.

We rolled into Jackson around five in the evening on a Friday. It was as busy as Newport on the Fouth of July. There was not a parking spot to be found, tour busses and RV’s of all shapes and sizes clogged the streets. While we wanted to stop we still had Seventy-five miles of slow roads ahead to get to Garnt Village campground in Yellowstone. As we left Jackson, we rolled through Teton National Park and experienced our first glimpse of the wild life native to this territory.

The Bison were abundant. Cars and people stopped along the two lane road to get a good look. Uh, er, don’t get outa your car folks.

People come from all over the world to visit this area as Yellowstone is the oldest National Park in the world. Coming up on celebrating 175 years of conservation, education and preservation. It takes a visit here to really appreciate the area and all it has to offer and also appreciate the people with the vision and fortitude who are responsible for what the park is today.

We stayed at Grant Village campground, one of twelve campgrounds in the Yellowstone area. Located on Yellowstone Lake about twenty-eight miles from Old Faithful. We could stay here an entire summer and not get enough of this amazing territory. The wild animal life is abundant and also keeps you on alert when anywhere outdoors. Kyra and I were working on her studies mid afternoon on the picnic table at our campsite when two massive deer walked by about thirty yards away.

We went fishing on Yellowstone lake one evening and came across a moose and an otter sharing the same estuary. It’s a bit freaky to think you could be fishing and a massive animal can walk out of the forest behind you at anytime.

What is a visit to Yellowstone without seeing Old Faithful? It’s the subject of legends from the very first explorers to the area.

Thermal waters are amazingly clear and blue. Notice how thin the crust is around the edge.

Yellowstone Lake reminds me of Lake Tahoe pre development.

This trip does requires commitment. Kyra in her studyhall.

Classroom Studies; Fish catching 101.

A few days seems hardly enough time to explore this vast area.

Fire building is another course requirement.

On our way out of the park we experienced a couple close encounters with Bison. We pulled over to have this big bull walk right by the back of our coach.

Cody Wyoming will be our next stop to stock up on supplies as we were operating on bare minimums in Yellowstone. Cody offers a Walmart, (never a fan of the store until we started RVing it) and get some wifi.

Next stop Devils Tower and Mount Rushmore.

Up early we had four states to get through to get to our next camp site in Kemmerer located in South West Wyoming. Still wiped out from the trip preparation and the lack of sleep at our first “Campsite”, blurry eyed we hit the road.
Road testing the Windryder is underway as we are still getting used to her nuances. We have found she likes to run between fifty-eight and sixty-two miles per hour but definitely does not like to go over seventy. Once we hit the seventy MPH threshold she gets squirrely and seems to be on the edge of coming off the rails. Only discovered through a couple heart rate and adrenaline raising moments I have since kept a close eye on my speed especially on the downhills.
About half way through Utah with everyone else asleep I was on a downhill approaching the seventy mile per hour speed threshold when all of the sudden the engine cover which doubles as the floor of the coach located between the driver and passenger seats became dislodged and blew up and back about six inches from its seal. With hot wind blowing up my legs and into my face with great force, I was struggling to understand what exactly was happening. A quick glance at all the gauges told me the engine was okay. Then I realized I was looking at the motor next to my feet. I woke up my co-pilot Gavin and told him to first grab my wallet and cell phone off the edge of the hatch to keep them from getting sucked into the freeway abyss below. We struggled to get the cover back over the motor and once in place we physically held it there while looking for the nearest spot to pull over to assess the situation. Safely to the side of the road it looked like the bumping along the highway had dislodged the latch. Securely back in place we were shortly back underway.

Since we did not have a chance to actually take any extended camping trips in the Windryder prior to our journey we are figuring out all her systems along the way. While we tested everything in our purchase inspection there are a few things that will need to be addressed. The biggest one is the cooling system for the refridgerator as it does not seem to work all that great. I know there has got to be something I can do to increase its efficiency. (This has been worked out since the initial writing).

Our second nite was a long way from Mesquite Nevada located in Kemmerer southern Wyoming at Riverside RV park. Lows in the 50’s and highs in the upper seventies. Pull through paved pad with full hookups made this a comfortable night with solid sleep and a chilly morning.

Next stop Yellowstone.

Seemingly the hottest day baceame our departure day. Pushed back from two previous target dates. We just couldn’t accomplish all that we had before us. Home schooling played a role as the undertaking of teaching three different ages was bumpy at first but thanks to our perseverance, kids and parents alike and Laurels excellent planning we have established a routine that is working.

Months of planning, endless long days filled with late nights preparing for an undertaking of proportions we had not completely envisioned and it was finally here.

The closer we came to leaving the longer our lists became. Our lists had been thorough and well thought out but there were things that came up. Silly things that we should have thought about.  Like putting air in the tires of the coach. You would think it would be just like putting air in the tires of a car but it it isn’t. It is more like putting air int the tires of a semi truck. It was someting I didnt give two thoughts about. Really I just figured we would swing by a gas station and get gas and air in the tires and we would be on our way.

I tried to make sure was done the day before we left but a standard gas station air hose didnt work. That left me scrambling to find s solution. Kyra and I had hooked up our tow vehicle to take a test drive and figure out thre Gregory Circus train calle Windryder5. Up the 73 freeway a few miles and by a gas station to fill the tires with air when I discovered my dilemma of a standard gas station air hose inadequate to make the bend to fill the tires. Two gas stations later and valuable time wasted we were still not closer to getting air in the six tires. I even tried my own air compressor however it was too small to push air into the tires which require 92 PSI. Completely frustrated I called up the local Chevron station that handles auto repair and sure enough, he said bring it by and low and behold he got us filled up. It still left me with out a solution on the road as he used a specialty air nozzle that is not available at most service stations. So we decided to hit the road and find a more permanent solution along the way.

The nights before our departure were longer than the previous months of long days that had left us exhausted and sure we had not completely prepared. Never the less we were finally going. Our seven AM target departure time turned to eight then nine and finally ll:38 AM. Not the romantic departure we all imagined after our bon Voyage party but a shove off comprised of our close family and a prayer for safe travels and blessings along the way. We were too exhausted to comprehend that this was finally happening and too uncertain of the road worthiness of the Gregory Crazy Circus Train dubbed  “Windryder5” to be comfortable on that first days journey. Never the less it was here, we were going and our first destination of Hurricane Utah, Quail Creek State Park was programmed into the Garmin.

The Windryder5 took some getting used to as with the tow vehicle she is sixty feet from bow to stern. Plus I am sure we overloaded her a bit. We tried, oh we tried not bring too much but gee whiz we are going to be gone for a while and there are certain things you just have to bring. So we loaded more things and more things until finally I started turning them away at the door on departure day.

Most big rigs are courteous but not all as we had a couple white knuckle moments but all in all she seems steady out of port and up for the task before her. The Cajon pass was of my first concern as I know it too be a long grade with a lot of truck traffic. Since we are towing a truck I was sure the added weight would put us in the slug lane going thirty-five miles per hour. I was close, we managed to stay between forty-five and fifty. The Windryder has a towing gear, (thank you manual) which improved the performance over the standard drive gear and made the grade manageable and less daunting.

Our first night was spent in the parking lot of the Mesquite Nevada Walmart. By eight-thirty I was too spent to drive the remaining hour and a half to our first campground. A bit disappointing but on the bright side, Walmart here is open twenty-four hours and close to gambling. Oh yeah and hot, 90 at midnight as I write this.

Our first night was sleepless as we tried to settle in even with the AC blowing. By 3:22 am all three kids were wide awake. Instead of fighting the tide I got up and we all went into Walmart and wandered the isles until nearly 5:00 am. Thank goodness for the twenty-four hour state. About ten minutes in the kids said, “Dad, check out this beetle”, I said that’s not a beetle and yes readers it was in the food section.