Category: RV TRIP 2021

Another cave but a very different experience. Not beautiful like Luray, not enormously impressive like Carlsbad Caverns, these passage ways were smaller and creepier but life below earth was still fascinating. If you are at all claustrophobic this is not for you! You frequently have to crouch through the low passages, and the feeling that you are stuck below ground with no easy exit is palpable. At one point the ranger, the only guy who knows his way through the cave, had to leave us and go get help for a woman who seemed to be panicking. 

But if small underground spaces don’t bother you then there is plenty of beauty to see. This cave has what’s called “boxwork” rock formations. Apparently 95% of the boxwork that has been found here on earth is in this cave and the nearby black hills. Our ranger, Nick, was so passionate about this cave and explaining the formation of boxwork and the cave itself that I was convinced geology is the most interesting thing ever and I’m absolutely fascinated by rocks… until I reached daylight again and realized it’s not rocks I love, but people who love what they do LOL. 

What we found interesting: 

• They have found boxwork formations on Mars, and knowing what they know about boxwork from caves, it’s evidence that there was water on Mars at some point in time. If you want to learn more about it be careful with your spelling or google will bring you to Boxwood Dr. in Mars, PA real estate pages, LOL.
• Wind Cave has fossilized poop!
• The very microscopic organisms that manage to live in these waters have to kill any competition to exist, so scientists study these cave bacteria that have never seen the light of day, literally, as possible new advancements in medicine to fight infections that are becoming resistant to current antibiotics.
• Based on air pressure that moves in and out of the cave they believe they have only discovered 10% of its actual size (they have already mapped out over 150 miles of passages since 1890!)
• The wind that really does blow in and out of the cave changes direction based on weather – ribbon blowing into the cave = good weather. Ribbon blowing out of the cave = inclement weather.
• Ranger Nick turned all the lights off at one point and lit a candle to show you what exploring the cave was like initially. Yikes!
• The ancient Lakota tribes believe their peoples spirits came from these caves and the first bison on earth walked out of these caves. 

And what we found interesting above ground:

• Super dense population of wildlife since it’s not a big park. We stopped to take a picture with the sign on the way in and had to keep an eye out for the bison on the road ahead of us. 
• This was the 6th national park established. When a family re-discovered the cave (because the native people had already found it, of course), they searched for gold and finding none decided to partner with a local business man to make it a tourist attraction instead. When the 2 parties started arguing over rights to the cave, the government had to get involved to settle the dispute. The Dept. of the Interior ruled that neither had rights to the cave so they claimed it and made it a national park in 1903, making it the first cave to be protected. Kinda funny. It’s like a mom telling her kids- if you can’t share the toy neither of you get it. I’m keeping it and profiting instead. 

These caves were a great reminder of the role national parks play in protecting land and educating the public. Putting walkways and handrails and lighting through miles of these caves causes harm and damage to the cave itself. Ranger Nick reminded us that the park’s goal is conservation not preservation. He said if it was preservation no one would be allowed in, LOL. A great end to our summer of national park adventures.

Before heading back we had a fun lunch at Custer Wolf restaurant in town and managed to use their wifi and cell reception to check into tomorrow’s flights. So that is the end of my trip blog. But that was not the end of my day. The rest is really TMI, but this is how I spent the last afternoon of my epic summer trip…

Our scenic drive back to the campground knowing our last adventure was over got me thinking, and after 44 days my emotions finally bubbled over. All of them. Super messy like. Sad that it’s over. Happy that we loved it as much as we did. Sad that I’m not finishing the trip in the RV. Happy that Mat gets to keep going and take advantage of his sabbatical. Very sad that we are leaving him behind. Happy to be going home. Sad to leave Crystal and Murphy. Happy the kids are so excited for school. Relieved that we made it this far. Unsure of what to do next after so much planning went into this. Unsure about the state of our house (that’s another blog). Dreading unpacking. Overwhelmed by the growing to-do list for home (update the calendar, activities, schedules, coordinate rides…) Super disappointed that Mat’s plans to have his sister meet him after we leave and drive half way back, and then meet his brother to drive the rest of the way back both fell apart (disappointed because I know how much Mat was looking forward to time with them and worried that it will be difficult and not as much fun for Mat to have to travel with Crystal, Peggy and Murphy alone but, of course, he’s fine with it!) Then super grateful that both his sister and brother did everything they could to salvage a trip and both rebooked flights to meet him in different cities than originally planned. So they still get to travel with him which makes my heart happy! So many emotions… and this was just a short car ride home, LOL.

Then back at the campground things got worse, or messier anyway. And by things I mean me. No cell service, no internet, which when camping I would normally enjoy, but we fly home tomorrow and I can’t check flights or see how long it takes to get to the airport. Kids can’t download books and shows for the flight. I can’t make arrangements for landing or contact the people I need to on the other side. So frustrating! And I am getting more annoyed by the second. (How do you call yourself a base for all these nearby attractions – Wind Cave, Custer, Crazy Horse, Black Hills, Mount Rushmore – but we can’t map it out on GPS or look up what time it opens or how long it takes to get there! Grr. I love relying on my map apps or at least knowing ahead of time when I need to plan on paper.) 

So I busied myself with packing to leave. Mat went to do laundry and found the water on this side of the campground is out, including ours. Awesome. But we figure it out like always. This place is gigantic so Mat takes the girls to the front lodge and gets laundry done there and uses their internet to help the kids get ready for the flight. Thanks Mat! I pack up our duffle bags that have been collecting dust under the couch waiting for this very moment. Looking forward to a nice last night with my family and shaking off these heavy emotions, we head to the pool for a last swim. Then off to the shower to get cleaned up for the flight home and find them open and ready to use. Great, water must be fixed. Luckily I turn mine on first and find rusty brown water shooting out of the pipes getting darker every second. Stop! I jump out of my stall and bang on the kids’ doors like a crazy person. Sure enough, every stall looks like a scene from The Shining – reddish brown liquid just pouring out. So gross! Why would you open the laundry and bathrooms again without flushing the pipes clean first? 😭

I hate this place. I want to go home. 

But I’m dirty and really don’t want to get on a plane feeling filthy. So I’m going to fix this, like we always do. I pile the kids and shower caddies in Peggy and drive around this huge place with all these annoyingly happy people just relaxing and enjoying themselves, getting in my way with their leisurely pokey walks on this beautiful sunny day, interfering with my quest for the other 4 “comfort buildings”. I find 2 and there’s no parking at either. I really hate this place. So I give up. Defeated, we head back still dirty, the girls unusually quiet.

Accepting my fate, I decide not to let this place ruin my last night. We played some games (dominoes) before dinner and the family time was just what I needed. I managed to find a shower not out of a horror movie (yay clean Kim!) and Mat made a delicious last dinner (yay fed Kim!) and Maddy made a nice fire in the fire pit so we could sit around in our pjs (yay comfy Kim) roasting marshmallows and looking back on our adventure. My heart is calm and happy again. We played ‘best and worst’ and when it came to the worst part of Maddy’s trip she said “mom freaking out over the shower today, it was kinda scary” and we all had a good laugh. So mom’s not perfect, but it took 44 days before I finally “freaked out” and if that’s the worst part of your trip, that’s a pretty great trip kid. And it wasn’t just about the shower, it was “emotional vomit” as Mat calls it, LOL. 

We ended the trip the same way we started – playing a few games of BS before bed. Both girls have improved greatly with their BS skills – that can’t be a good thing 😂. So today had its ups and downs (that works for emotions and caves too). But even with all the feels, I’ll remember it as one more sweet day with my family. 

Still, I can’t wait to check out of this place.

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Left the very windy badlands today and packed in the tourist attractions knowing tomorrow is our last day and we’ll need to pack up. Wall Drug Store – massive, unexpected complex full of kitschy collectibles, jewelry store, book store, cowboy store, candy store, diner, soda shop, random dinosaurs and decor – even a chapel. It’s quite a sight. Kids had ice cream for breakfast and bought fudge for the road. What kind of parents have we turned into? If you are in the area you have to stop and check it out. Seriously, the dozens of billboards tell you you have to. 

We made our way to Hill City passing nothing but beautiful landscapes and one touristy stops after another: mini golf, beer garden, glow mini golf, zip line, chuck wagon dinner specials… we arrived at Palmer Gulch Resort KOA and it’s huge and pretty fun looking. The amenities seem top notch: pools, playgrounds, jumping pillow, tons of rec space, lots of OHVs to rent, even a Tap Room and place called “Grounds and Grapes” – sounds inviting. We get to our camp site, seems far from everything. Maybe that’s good, this place is almost too crowded for comfort. No cell service and no internet. I don’t think I’m going to like that since I have to check into flights tomorrow. We’ll figure that out later.

We didn’t stay long to enjoy the campground. We went to Custer State Park and drove the scenic loop. Awesome drive. We were very oddly excited to see a barnyard animal, but when you call a donkey a “begging burro” and find it wild in this beautiful park, it just seems more exciting. Stopping at Sylvan Lake was my favorite part. If I had just one more day on this entire trip this is where I’d spend it! Playing on the water right here with the gorgeous rocks jutting straight out of the water. We learned this is where they filmed part of National Treasure 2 (who’s wishing we’d watched it now? still me). Leaving the park we took Needles Highway and enjoyed the exciting twists, turns and tunnels.

Along the drive, Maddy had a moment of cell and WiFi just long enough to learn her school posted her classes. She was dying to find out which of her friends were in her class, but just as quick as she got service she lost it. So she enjoyed Needles Highway less than the rest of us. Very frustrated by technology and getting excited for school. We get it. Back at the campground was no better for her. I also found the no cell/internet frustrating and had to go to the campground concierge (I told you, fancy) to get directions and timing to Mount Rushmore’s evening ceremony. Ready to go with paper map in hand, old fashioned style.

After dinner we headed back out to see Mount Rushmore, which many friends and family have been unimpressed with. My mom said “if you are going to go, go for the evening program” and we are very glad we did. We got there early enough to get the Jr Ranger books and complete them (we also had cell service so Maddy could catch up with her classmates, if you were worried). They also had a Senior Ranger book so Mat and I could do activities too! Such a fun way to learn about where you are.

The patriotic movie they play in the amphitheater is 20 years old we noticed but still entertaining and the history hasn’t changed, LOL. The ranger talk was interesting and full of inspiring and surprisingly relevant quotes of four former presidents. And inviting all current and former members of the military onto the stage at the end for the ceremonious flag lowering was touching. The standing ovation that lasted until everyone was on the stage was a resounding applause of gratitude. I found myself more moved by the experience than I expected to be, but maybe it’s because this year alone we went to Mount Vernon (Washington’s home), Monticello (Jefferson’s home) and just came from TRNP so I feel like we have really invested our time in getting to know these people on the rock wall above us. So sitting here tonight did feel special. To be reminded of these presidents’ contributions to founding (Washington), expanding (Jefferson), unifying (Lincoln) and developing and preserving (Roosevelt) our country was inspiring. Time to add a woman up there. 

Learning the ‘who, what, when, where, why and hows’ of commissioning and constructing the monument was also interesting. The sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, did dozens of other famous work all over the world. He was a busy man. 

There is definitely a lot to see in this area, enough to come back for in the future. We didn’t get to do any hiking in the Black Hills here, we didn’t drive the Iron Mountain Road, we missed Crazy Horse Memorial (we did see it from the road if that counts), Jewel Cave and Devils Tower so it’ll all go on my to-do list. Like my tee shirt says, “I haven’t been everywhere but it’s on my list”. I did feel bad about missing Crazy Horse Memorial this trip since we went to Custer State Park and then to see a monument of white men carved into rock, it felt like we were somehow picking sides. But it started a good discussion with the kids about the battle of Little Big Horn where both sides fought for what they believed in and fought to protect their people. So who is right and who is wrong? Should there be memorials and parks in honor of both sides? What would our life and country be like if it hadn’t played out the way it did?  It was a good day of travel and reflection and just what I hoped this trip would provide. 

Monday, August 23, 2021

We finally saw an amazing, memorable sunset, all together in a national park! It was worth the wait but it did cost us a delicious grilled dinner replaced by air-fried chicken nuggets at 9:30 at night, LOL. The spectacular sunset wasn’t the only memorable part of the day. This was a great national park. We hiked, drove the scenic drive, and saw TONS of wildlife!

1st stop: Ben Reifel Visitor Center and Park Headquarters for Jr. Ranger books and all the exhibits. Next stop: Window Trail, Notch Trail and Cliff Shelf Nature Trail. Notch Trail was AWESOME and satisfied our sense of adventure. Advertised as “moderate to strenuous, not recommended for anyone with a fear of heights, watch for drop offs, treacherous during or after heavy rains” Maddy was the first to insist we do this hike and also the first to try and call it quits when the trail looked like it was headed right off a cliff edge. She made it the whole 1.5 miles and it was a great way to see these unusual rock formations. We hiked into the notch, up a crazy ladder that doesn’t look that hard but is really scary to come down, followed the cliff edges and then meandered among the rocks until we got to an overlook. Very cool!!

This park is so unique. Sometimes you are on the ground looking up at these rock formations that look all folded onto each other and squished together, and sometimes you are above looking down over them and realizing how crazy steep they really are. We learned mountains are formed when the earth is shoved up while buttes are formed when the earth erodes away leaving peaks or flat tops. This park is made of buttes with tons of “peaks and gullies, mounds, suspended silt, sculpted spires,” and tons of prairie lands interspersed. This park actually has the largest amount of prairie land protected in the park system. It’s also one of the “richest fossil beds of mammals on the planet” according to the NPS. The contrast of the grasslands and rocks was awesome. The variations in the colors at every different lookout was awesome. The fact that you are invited to climb all over it is bizarre but awesome. We asked a ranger why we are allowed to climb on this soft looking rock that’s home to fossils millions of years old and protected in a national park, (up close it looks like dried mud – it is harder than it looks but still leaves you covered in a dusty powder that is slippery on every walkway) and the ranger said that it naturally erodes up to an inch every year and human activity doesn’t accelerate that so enjoy it. Cool.

Hungry for lunch we headed back to our nearby campground to eat, walk Murphy and enjoy a longer siesta. When we headed back to the park we did the scenic Badlands Loop Road which isn’t actually a loop unless you leave the park and loop around on the highways so silly name if you ask me. Mat loved the drive and all the lookouts. The kids loved the wildlife. We saw tons of big horned sheep, hundreds of prairie dogs, tons of deer, bison, even cattle as we drove in and out of the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands each time we went in and out of the park. The prairie dogs were so entertaining, and Maddy thought the chubby little rodents were adorable despite Mat and the numerous posted signs reporting that they carry the plague. Seriously. Yuck. The only wildlife sighting we didn’t enjoy was watching dumb tourists way too close to a couple bison that took over a parking lot to use the posts for their scratching enjoyment. Don’t break the rules people. I don’t want to see you get gorged because it would be unpleasant, for me, you are an idiot so…

And finally we parked at Pinnacles Overlook and stayed for the beautiful sunset. It was the perfect spot to see the colors on the badlands change and the sun set on the grassland. Getting home in the dark proved to be an adventure – at least 3 deer ran right in front of Peggy, a herd of calves where playing in the road (is it “horse play” if you’re a cow?) and one started to charge at Peggy. Her cute honk got them off the road. It was a fun end to a great day.

Sunday, August 22, 2021

I LOVED Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It was breathtakingly beautiful even in the pre-storm, morning fog. We made it to the park early to beat some of the rain, got in lots of the “hikes” (their term but these were all easy walks), did the entire scenic drive and all the pull offs that weren’t closed for construction, and finished with the visitor center museum and movie when the rain was really coming down. I think sometimes my reviews of parks are influenced by emotions and everyone was in an exceptional mood today which made the whole experience that much sweeter. The kids were singing and laughing all day and we found everything here enjoyable… direct correlation there maybe?

The hikes were short but show-stopping. Pictures could never do it justice but it was absolutely worth the trip to ND just to stand at the top of Wind Canyon and take in the 360 degrees of views. Nothing but pristine natural land. We joked it looked like and old time photo showing you what the land looked like a 100 years before it was settled. It was a painting come to life.

Next best thing in this park: the wildlife – WILD HORSES! I’ve never seen wild horses before and I was thrilled to find 2 different herds grazing in these bad lands. We also saw TONS of bison which is really cool up close from the safety of our car. There are only a few hikes in this park that cross the land and given the bison, wild horses, rattlesnakes, black widow spiders, 100+ summer temps… I was happy sticking to the scenic drive and mini hikes. The only animal we were sad to miss were the hundreds of prairie dogs who live together in “prairie towns”. Apparently they don’t like coming out on cloudy days because they can’t see their predators (birds) as well. Another cool park feature was the burning coal veins, you don’t see that everyday. One coal seam burned here for 26 years!

This park has 3 units and we visited all of the South Unit. I would have also liked to see the cannonball concretions in the North Unit of the park but that entrance is 70 miles away and a 90 minute drive in one direction (just to the gate) and my family would not be thrilled if I insisted on this 4 hour excursion in the pouring rain to see stones naturally shaped into balls. So we took our time in the South Unit and soaked in all the beauty there (see what I did there?… ‘soaked in’🌧 ☔️ 😂 ) The 3rd unit of the park is Elkhorn Ranch Unit and home to the foundation stones of Teddy Roosevelt’s 2nd ranch home and even harder to access than the North Unit.

So I mentioned yesterday that Medora loves its history and celebrates Theodore Roosevelt’s years spent here. After learning more about it, you definitely get a better appreciation of what that experience means for all of us, not just Medora. Roosevelt came from NY to ND to grieve after his wife died (just 2 days after giving birth) on the same day and in the same house that his mother succumbed to Typhoid fever, Feb 14, 1884. According to historical accounts, he began healing in this beautiful land and truly relished the hard labor it took to live off this land. Years later he went back to NY with a greater appreciation for this country’s beautiful landscapes and a desire to protect it. When he later became president, he signed legislation to create the first 5 national parks, 150 national forests, the first 18 national monuments, and so much more in his conservation efforts. This is not one of the parks he had a hand in establishing but was later created and named in his honor. It was fun to read about this city boy who arrived in the Dakotas in his “Brooks Brother outfit” and proved to be a very capable cowboy.

So a rainy afternoon in Medora – we visited the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame and The Center of Western Heritage and Culture. It was a small, ambitious museum that covered everything from dinosaurs and fossils, to the wars between tribes and settlers during westward expansion, to the life of ranchers and cowboys, and finally covering rodeos and their hall of fame. Admittedly, we were getting bored by this time but what we did get out of it was an appreciation for a different way of life (our NH schools don’t have rodeo teams!) and a vivid reminder of how horribly the native tribes were treated as America was on its way to fulfilling its “Manifest Destiny”. It doesn’t sit well and Mesa Verde’s final thoughts “why does American history only start in the 17 century?” resonates again. But that was one of the goals of this trip — to learn and contemplate and appreciate our country including its history. So, check. And as we read about the current news in Afghanistan it all leaves me with a depressed, helpless feeling. And since we are incredibly privileged Americans with freedoms I’m currently not taking for granted, we went to the candy store, then the ice cream parlor, and explored this charming little town. Hugging my family closer, grateful to feel safe, to have the freedom to explore and learn, to have opportunities to pursue our dreams, and wish that for everyone.

Lastly, (today was a long drive so lots of time to reflect and knowing our trip is coming to end soon I don’t want to forget any of it!) we found all the people in North Dakota. Were they at the national park? Nope. They were all in the parking lot of the Burning Hills Amphitheater (which seats almost 3000 people!) waiting to find out if the show was rained out. The Medora Musical only cancels shows AT show time, never before, and they ONLY announce it in person, not posted anywhere online. I have to give my family credit, they bundled up for cold weather, wind and light rain and humored me all the way to the show. Which was cancelled. They say they only cancel 3-5 times a summer on average so I am having my first regrets of the trip. Maybe regret is too strong a word, but if I had realized what a spectacle the show was going to be (horse on stage, fireworks, various dance troupes) AND considered how bad the weather was going to be today, I just may have rushed to the show last night when we arrived. But I’m out of planning shape after our 2 week hiatus, and also missed a magic show which would have been great on a rainy day. Mat loves a good magic show, and who knew Medora was going to offer so much entertainment? So we played our first game Scrabble which was fun too.

Friday, August 20th, 2021