(Late September – Early October, 2017) Having bid farewell to my sister, Shirley, and brother-in-law, Craig, we headed south from Custer, South Dakota, toward southern California. Our goal was to arrive in SoCal by the second day of October, so we planned a route to get us there at a comfortable pace, with a daily drive of not more than 300 miles and a two-night stay at each stop. (This is a quick pace for us since we retired!)
(Mid – late September, 2017) After our short visit with my cousin in Lemmon, South Dakota, we made our way south into the Black Hills for a two-week stay near Custer, South Dakota. When planning this segment of the trip I found another instance where GPS directions and Google Maps differed – the later would have sent on us a shorter route, but down a poorly graded dirt road for some miles. Glad I double checked. This is one case where Google Street View came in handy to check out the dodgy looking section of the route. Opting for the slightly longer route on good highways, our dive was pleasant, taking us through rolling plains country, past crops of sunflowers, pasture land and hay fields.
(Late-August/early September, 2017) After our stay at Devils Tower, Wyoming, we wandered north for a week-long visit to Medora, North Dakota, staying at the lovely Medora Campground. This peaceful campground, set in the cottonwood-dotted lowland along the Little Missouri River, has a stunning backdrop of eroded badlands. The park was a great place to ride out the busy Labor Day holiday weekend and as a base to explore nearby Theodore Roosevelt National Park and other area attractions.
DescriptionThe Barstow / Calico KOA is a nice campground with the feel of a desert oasis and sweeping views of sandy plains and rugged hills of the California Mojave Desert. The park is conveniently located just off Interstate I-15, near Barstow, California, and makes for a good stop about half-way between Las Vegas, Nevada, and southern California destinations, such as Los Angeles, Palm Springs, or San Diego.
DescriptionThe St. George / Hurricane KOA is nicely maintained and quiet campground set in the stunning red-rock desert country of southern Utah. The park is a great place to stop while passing through the area or while exploring area attractions, such as Quail Springs State Park, or Zion and Bryce National Parks.
DescriptionThe Springville / Provo KOA Journey is a nicely landscaped campground conveniently located off Interstate I-15 on the outskirts of Springville, Utah. The park has stunning views of the nearby Wasatch Range Mountains and makes for a good stop while passing through the Salt Lake City area.
DescriptionThe Rock Springs / Green River KOA Journey is well-maintained campground conveniently located just off Interstate I-80 on the outskirts of Rock Springs, Wyoming. The park has views of desert hills, rocky bluffs and of White Mountain to the northwest. This KOA makes for a good stop while travelling through the area.
DescriptionThe Casper KOA Journey is a quiet and well-maintained campground conveniently located just off Interstate I-25 at Bar Nunn, Wyoming, a small town just a few miles outside of Casper, Wyoming. The park has sweeping views of the high plains and of Casper Mountain to the south. This KOA makes for a good stop while travelling through the area.
DescriptionThe Custer’s Gulch RV Park is just a short distance from Custer, South Dakota, in the scenic heart of the Black Hills. This lovely park is set in a mountain valley with rolling meadow-land, scattered copses of aspen and pine stands, as well as weathered granite outcrops. This campground makes for a nice base to explore local Black Hills attractions, such as Mount Rushmore National Monument, Custer State Park, or Wind Cave National Park.
The Shadehill Recreation Area is a lovely forested state park and campground nestled on the shores of Shadehill Reservoir, one of the few large lakes in western South Dakota. A wide range of outdoor activities, including hiking, hunting, fishing, kayaking and other water sports are available here.
Shadehill is best-known as the site of the 1823 grizzly bear mauling of adventurer Hugh Glass – abandoned to die by his companions, Glass survived and crawled 200 miles to safety at Fort Kiowa. A marker overlooking the reservoir commemorates the event and the story was recently dramatized in the DiCaprio film, “The Revenant”.