Mt Rushmore NM: Stone Faces and Obstructive Goats

(2019 Grand Teton Ep 9)

After enjoying the bison, burros, pronghorns and prairie dogs of Custer State Park, we decided to drive the Iron Mountain Road (US 16A) from Custer State Park to Mt. Rushmore National Monument the next morning. It took nearly an hour to drive the 20 mile road. Included were three single lane tunnels (e.g. very narrow and around 10 foot tall) and several pig tails, where the road makes a complete 360 degree loop under itself. Glad we weren’t towing our camper!

When we drove through the first tunnel we realized Mt Rushmore was visible through the tunnel. We turned around and drove through it a second time to get the full impact and to take photos. The third tunnel has a similar view of Mt. Rushmore. Tip: it is better to drive the Iron Mountain Road from south to north for the Mt. Rushmore views.

Although the previous day was overcast with occasional showers, we arrived at Mt Rushmore under crystal clear blue skies. The presidential views were awesome!

Rushmore Courtyard — Courtyard in front of Mt. Rushmore

A large parking garage has been built just outside the entrance because lots of people visit the memorial, so finding a parking place was easy. From the entrance, a wide stone courtyard extends up to an amphitheater below the stone faces. There was construction on the front part of the courtyard so we were unable to walk only about halfway to the amphitheater. The views were fantastic nonetheless.

We also walked the trail that goes immediately under the sculptures. We climbed more than 200 stairs to get a special nosehair view of the presidents. As we returned we stopped by a studio that had the original sculpture from which Mt Rushmore was modeled.

Rushmore Sculpture — Sculpture from which Mt. Rushmore was modeled

We left Mt Rushmore and reentered Custer State Park at the Sylvan Lake/Needles Highway Entrance. We hiked around Sylvan Lake, a tranquil lake at the top of the Black Hills, and then continued along the Needles Highway.

The highway makes its way through some stunning needle-like formations that culminate with a tricky drive through a very narrow (8.5 ft) tunnel. We had to fold in our truck side mirrors to avoid hitting the sides!

There were delays as cars drove through the tunnel – some more than 10 minutes. Our turn came and as we exited the other end of the tunnel we discovered the reason. There were two white mountain goats perched on a rock outside the end of the tunnel. During breaks in the traffic, the goats reentered the tunnel and began licking the minerals on the inside of the tunnel. Only after some assertive coaxing by drivers would they move and let cars pass!

We returned to our campsite and anticipated our drive the next day to the interesting formation made famous by the 1977 movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Bison, Antelope and Prairie Dogs, Oh My

(2019 Grand Teton Ep 8)

Custer State Park is located In the heart of the South Dakota Black Hills. The park is more than 71,000 acres and has an amazing variety of wildlife and natural features. We spent two full days exploring the park.

We started with the 18-mile wildlife loop. The loop traverses grass covered hills with tree covered taller hills in the distance. We saw dozens of pronghorn antelope and as we neared the southernmost part of the drive, we sighted a herd of about 50 bison slowly milling along as they dined on various grasses. At the Wildlife Visitor Center we learned the park can sustain 900-1100 bison during the winter. Each September, the herd is moved to the southern part of the park for a bison roundup. Several hundred bison in excess of the number above are sold and many become parts of bison herds elsewhere in the United States.

After viewing the bison for a while, we took a side trip on a dirt road that left Custer State Park and entered Wind Cave National Park. The views were amazing.

We noticed a number of small dirt mounds in some areas. On many of the mounds, one or more very active prairie dogs acted as sentries. The mounds mark the entrance to their underground burrows. There were lots of prairie dogs, and the noise they make really sounds like the bark of a small dog!

Custer Groundhog — A prairie dog guards his burrow

At the Wind Cave Visitor Center we learned cave tours were temporarily cancelled due to elevator problems. So we joined a ranger-led hike to the historic cave entrance to learn more about the cave.

A ranger demonstrates air being sucked into Wind Cave

The first documented discovery of the cave was in 1881, when the brothers Tom and Jesse Bingham heard wind rushing out from a hole in the ground. The ranger explained that during clear days with high pressure, air is sucked into the cave, and during stormy days with low pressure, air blows out of the cave. Using a small ribbon, he demonstrated a ribbon being sucked into the cave with a surprising amount of force. What a vacuum cleaner!

Although the historic opening is very small, about 10 inches by 14 inches, over 142 miles of cave passages have been mapped making Wind Cave is the third longest cave in the U.S. and the sixth longest cave in the world.

We returned to Custer State Park and the wildlife loop, and saw additional groups of antelope and bison. As we rounded a corner, we were stopped by a traffic jam in the middle of nowhere. Dozens of vehicles had stopped to see more than 500 bison – many on distant hills, others in a field close to the road and even a few walking down the middle of the road!

Not to be outdone for attention, there were about a dozen wild burros in the area as well, mooching carrots and such from passing vehicles. One burro approached our truck and tapped the side gently with its nose to see if we had anything.

It was a great day to see wildlife and the big sky views of the park.

As we returned to our campsite, we looked forward to the next day to see the natural rock formations of the Needles Highway and the manmade massive stone carvings of Mt. Rushmore National Memorial.

Badlands NP, Missiles and a Tourist Trap

(2019 Grand Teton Ep 7)

We left Omaha on Sunday, Sept. 8, and after a night on the road, arrived in Badlands National Park in South Dakota. The Badlands are known for unusual rock formations, fossils and wildlife.

We camped in Cedar Pass Campground, a very short distance from the base of the rugged Badlands rock formations. After a short drive we hiked the Window and Door trails. Each trail provided up close and personal views of the Badlands. The formations are kind of a cross between the Grand Canyon and the beach, although on a much smaller scale.

On the way back to camp, we hiked the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail. The trail was steep with several sets of stairs. We enjoyed early evening views of the formations and valley below.

We set out to drive the 60-mile Badlands Loop the next morning. The loop travels through the eastern part of the park, along I-90 to the town of Wall and then back through the park to our starting point.

We stopped to hike the Notch trail. After a short distance, the trail continued up a 100-foot ladder and then along a narrow ledge trail to the ‘Notch.’ From the Notch, we saw a phenomenal view of the formations extending into the valley below. It was like a scene out of the move Dances with Wolves.

As we returned to the start of the trail, we discovered a large boulder containing a bird skull fossil. We finished the trail with a nervous climb back down the 100-foot ladder!

We continued the loop out of the park and upon reaching I-90, we toured the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. During the Cold War, Minuteman nuclear bomb-tipped missiles were spread in remote locations across South Dakota and other western states. Many of the sites were decommissioned in the 1990s based on arms reduction treaties between US and Russia.

The museum provides a sobering reminder of the potential destructive power of such weapons. It is worth a visit if you are traveling in the area.

We then headed to Wall. Wall is made famous by hundreds of signs along I-90 telling about the many things available in the town. Wall Drug, the most well known place in town, has about every tourist souvenir imaginable, plus a large café offering 5 cent coffee and free ice water.

Wall is a South Dakota icon and an interesting stop on the way going east or west.

We reentered the west side of park and again saw views of the Badlands. Among the formations was a herd of Big Horn sheep and numerous bison.

The Badlands wildlife was a preview of our next destination, Custer State Park.

Man of Steel?

(2019 Grand Teton Ep 6)

As we traveled north earlier in September, we passed by near Metropolis, the home of Superman. Pat took the picture below at a nearby Illinois rest stop.

Click here to see the amazing resemblance to a posting made to our Alaska blog last year.

Superman with a beard and gray hair? You be the judge…

A Visit to Omaha

(2019 Grand Teton Ep 5)

We decided our travels across Nebraska should include a visit to Omaha.

Omaha is a city of nearly a half million located on the western banks of the Missouri River. The city is the home of Warren Buffett, cake mix, butter brickle ice cream and TV dinners. It is clean and inviting for out-of-towners.

We camped a few miles away and after a 30-minute drive, we arrived in the city in the early evening.

We stopped at Pioneer Courage Park. The park has numerous bronze and stainless steel sculptures dedicated to the pioneers. Our visit was cut short when it started to rain and there were several too-close-for-comfort lightning flashes. We QUICKLY (!) returned to our truck.

We drove a few blocks to the Old Market, a historical part of the city that has been renovated to include restaurants and shops. Horse drawn carriages shared brick paved streets with cars and trucks, and street performers entertained curious bystanders and families. We enjoyed dinner at a nice Mexican restaurant.

Many people were wearing Nebraska Cornhusker t-shirts and despite the college football team’s overtime loss to the Colorado Buffaloes, everyone was in a good mood.

After dinner, we visited the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. The 3000-foot suspension bridge crosses the Missouri River to Council Bluffs, Iowa. We enjoyed a sunset walk across the S-shaped bridge and marveled at the changing red and blue lights that illuminated the bridge towers as well as the Omaha skyline in the distance.

Sunset on the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge

Because we were ‘catching up’ with our original trip itinerary, we had to cut our Omaha visit short and move on the next morning. Had we stayed longer, we would have visited the world class Henry Doorly Zoo and renowned Durham Museum. Might have even stopped by to visit Warren Buffet.

Perhaps next time…

Nebraska – Nifty Fifty

(2019 Grand Teton Ep 4)

Enroute to Grand Teton NP, Pat and I accomplished a milestone. Nebraska is the 50th state we have visited since we were married nearly 40 years ago.

Who knows what’s next!

Ultravan: Ahead of Its Time?

(2019 Grand Teton Ep 3)

We’ve made it to Badlands NP in South Dakota (will post trip map soon). Two LONG days of 12+ hours driving and two medium days of about 8 hours.

Our travels took us through Atlanta (always a traffic challenge), Chattanooga (during afternoon rush hour), Nashville (not bad, we took the eastern bypass), St Louis (there is a modern new bridge – to us – across the Mississippi) and Kansas City (a lengthy construction detour).

In between, we were struck by the large number of 18-wheel trucks on the road. A lot of stuff is being moved around the US. For Amazon Prime, perhaps?

Early on we were also amazed at the number of power trucks, tree service vehicles and ambulances leaving Florida the day after Hurricane Dorian. Not much for them to do in Florida, fortunately. We are blessed with amazing resources to help people affected by disasters. Too bad they could not make it to the Bahamas.

Near Omaha, we spotted a rather unusual camping vehicle – a 1965 Ultravan powered by Corvair. We didn’t meet the owners (from Pennsylvania based on the tags) but presume they were on their way to the Ultravan National Rally in Kearney, Nebraska this coming week.

This 1965 Ultravan is surprisingly modern looking, although some say it resembles a whale. The nose and tail are made of fiberglass, and the aluminum center section is built like an aircraft. Perhaps the most interesting detail is it is powered by a 110 hp Corvair engine.

Ultravan went through several powertrain iterations and was finally phased out in the early 1970s. In all, 373 were produced.

For more information about this interesting piece of RV history click here.

Dorian: A Storm to Remember

(2019 Grand Teton Ep 2)

Last Tuesday, not long after posting about our upcoming trip to Grand Teton NP, we learned that (then) Tropical Storm Dorian was expected to intensify and affect Florida.

We decided to delay leaving for Grand Teton until the storm passed by or was deemed to no longer be a threat to Florida.

What a week millions of Floridans have had waiting for the storm! Dorian finally passed by today with no major impact to the state or our home.

The Bahamas were not so fortunate, having experienced a category 5 storm for 48+ hours. Our prayers are with them.

Based on our experiences with Hurricane Michael recovery efforts in Panama City, it will take years for the Bahamas to recover. Meanwhile they have IMMEDIATE needs. Please consider how you can tangibly help by making a donation to the Red Cross, Samaritan’s Purse or other worthy disaster relief organization.

As we resume our travels west tomorrow, we are also keeping the Carolinas in our prayers as Dorian moves along the coast.

Catching Up and A New Journey

(2019 Grand Teton Ep 1)

Hello friends!

It’s been more than six months since our last Rabbitrails blog post! A lot has happened since we returned from Alaska in October and attended the Tampa RV show in January.

We were ‘greeted’ by Hurricane Michael a few days after we got back from Alaska. Although we weren’t directly impacted, the Florida panhandle around Panama City was devastated. Pat and I traveled over to the area several times to assist with hurricane relief work hosted by Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian ministry. Our last trip was is April and although signs of recovery were very much evident, much cleanup and rebuilding remains to be done.

Pat has been spending every other week sharing care for her 90-year-old mother with her sister and brother. Her mom recently moved in with Pat’s sister and brother-in-law while some work is being done on her home. This gives us the opportunity to get away to Grand Teton for six weeks.

2019-08 Henry 002 - 1908122019 — Pat, Liz and Henry enjoy a book

Henry, our grandson, continues to grow and develop. We will visit Liz, Josh and Henry for the first few nights of our upcoming trip.

I was blessed to serve on staff at Christian youth camps in Texas and Ohio this summer. Fun times but LOTS of driving back and forth.

So Long Pancake; Hello Oscar

Pancake, our trusty and small Fun Finder travel trailer, found a new home in February. We will always have fond memories of our travels to Alaska and other camping trips during the seven years we owned her.

IMG_20171217_160251202 — Pancake and Max a few days before our trip to Alaska

After a lot of research and Internet searching, we purchased Oscar, our new Shadow Cruiser travel trailer. The camper has an unusual rear slide with wraparound windows. It also has a much larger bathroom and front-to-back queen bed.

2019-03 Gold Head Branch - first camping trip — Oscar is set up and ready for relaxing.

The camper was somewhat difficult to find in the southeast – we had to drive to Frankfort, Illinois to pick Oscar up. In case you were wondering, Oscar is short for Oscar Mayer, a frankfurter enjoyed by millions.

You are now officially caught up. We set out for Grand Teton National Park in a few days. There are a lot of rabbit trails between here and there. We hope you will join us as we explore each one!

1992-06 West to Yellowstone - Tetons 1293-2 — A view from our last trip to the Tetons – June 1992

RV Show Tips/Tampa RV Show Report

We attended the Florida RV Super Show in Tampa, FL on January 16-17. Said to be the greatest RV show in the country, it was the greatest RV show we’ve been to by a LONG shot. The promos said there were 450 vendor booths and more than 1550 RVs in a mere 26 acres. But we weren’t counting…

Show-Entry — An early morning start at the show – already overwhelmed!

Much has been said and written about the incredible diversity of RVs available today – many could be seen at the show. Included were Class As, Class Bs, Class Cs, fifth wheels, travel trailers, toy haulers, truck campers, popups, teardrops, hybrids, park models and probably others I am not remembering at the moment. Each fits one’s lifestyle, budget and style of camping. The show was a great way to see all things RV in a relatively small area and short period of time.

Check out a few of the show views below:

YouTube has lots of videos posted by seasoned reviewers that offer great comments on what is new and different. This was our first BIG show so it was all new and different to us!

There were even Youtube RV celebrities at the show. We had a chance to meet up with Nathan and Marissa from Less Junk, More Journey. They spoke with their online followers for more than an hour!

Diversion 2-LJMJ — Nathan from the **Less Junk, More Journey** Youtube Channel

Besides the mind-numbing array of camping rigs and vendor booths, the show included roving entertainment – a bagpipe band, cowboys on stilts, guitar and trumpet players, and much more.

Hungry or thirsty? There was a variety of fair-type food and drink – pizza, funnel cakes, barbecue, lemonade, burgers and hot dogs and so on.

Tired? Don’t want to walk? There were trams that continually circled the show.

Here are some suggestions to help you get the most out of RV shows you might attend in the future:

Save on tickets. We purchased show tickets in advance for a small savings. Then, as we entered the show, we got free tickets for a second day. Sometimes Groupon or websites have specials as well.

Save on parking. Cash was needed for parking – no credit cards! Carpool with friends to save even more.

Avoid crowds and arrive early to park near the gate. We attended Wednesday and Thursday to avoid the larger Friday and weekend crowds. The show opened at 9 am and we arrived around 9:15. This allowed us to park very close to the entrance. We bypassed the lines at the entrance ticket booths that got rather long by 10 am. We also bypassed kiosks where one could sign up for prizes (signup when leaving).

Decide what you want to see and stay focused. We determined the types of campers we wanted to see and decided on the RV manufacturers to visit. We found them on the show map and visited those at the back of the show first. We then worked forward.

On our second day we looked through campers that caught our eye in addition to those we were focusing on. We also used the second day to look over RV-related products and services in the exhibitor areas.

Show-Dreamy Rig — The $2 million RV of Pat’s dreams!

Dress wisely, take breaks. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing, with removable layers if it is chilly. Include a hat if sunny. We took regular breaks and stayed hydrated.

Take notes and photos. Details of the rigs visited run together after a very short while. We created a checklist of the key features of we were looking for in advance and took pictures to help us remember each rig.

Ask questions. There were lots of salesmen and manufacturer reps at the show. They were happy to answer detailed questions as we looked things over. We noticed they were much more attentive before lunch. As the crowds grew in the afternoon, everyone grew tired!

Enjoy the diversions. The fun and useful diversions were enjoyable – bagpipes, walking entertainers, seminars and the multitude of vendor displays.

Full Camper Line — Not all models of a camper series were at the show.

Wait – there’s more! Not all models of a particular camper could be seen at the show. Review manufacturer brochures and tell sales people/manufacturer reps what you are looking for. What you are looking for may be found at a dealer nearby. Also, carry a backpack to stow brochures, completed checklists and any purchases you make.

Additional ideas? If you have other RV show tips, please add to the comments below.