Leaving the Black Hills

(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!)

South Dakota to Wyoming and Utah

Travel Itinerary 2017 – Season End Part 1

Our first stop was the Casper KOA Journey at Barr, Nunn, Wyoming. As we left the Black Hills we ran into intermittent rain all the way to Bar Nunn. During our two-night stay we had drizzle and occasional heavy showers, making for a rather soggy time.

Heading south from Bar Nunn our next stop was the Green River / Rock Springs KOA Journey at Rock Springs, Wyoming. We ran into intermittent heavy weather all the way. It seemed like we had a bit of everything! Heavy rain south of Casper, turning to sleet and snow as we crossed the Continental Divide, then more rain as we passed through Rawlins, Wyoming, and merged on Interstate I-80. The rest of the way to Rock Springs, we hit scattered thunderstorms with lightning, rain, sleet, snow-showers, and hail. What a drive! We pulled into the very soggy and muddy Rock Springs KOA, grateful that we were off the road. The next two nights were good – unsettled and cold weather, but no more rain.

Weather was great as we headed on to Provo, Utah – sunny, clear and warming up. Approaching Salt Lake City, we left the I-80 and swung south through scenic Provo Canyon, stopping for two nights at the Springvile / Provo KOA Journey. The scenery around the campground was spectacular, with a backdrop of the freshly snow-capped Wasatch Mountains.

We so enjoyed the drive through Provo Canyon that we took a day-trip back the next day. Fall colors were starting in the area and the canyon and mountain slopes were ablaze with patches of scarlet and yellow, contrasting nicely with dark greens of conifers, live oaks, or trees yet to turn at a lower elevation. We enjoyed seeing the cascade of Bridal Veil Falls and mountain reflections in the still waters of Deer Creek Reservoir.

Utah to California

Travel Itinerary 2017 – Season End Part 2 

Skies were threatening again as we left the Provo area on Interstate I-15, but soon cleared out and were nice and sunny. Our next stop was at the St. George / Hurricane KOA Journey, at Hurricane, Utah. This is another campground where you should NOT trust your GPS – follow the driving instructions found on the campground website. Otherwise, the GPS may direct you along a very rough, poorly maintained section of Old Highway 91.

We enjoyed our stay at the Hurricane KOA, with its sweeping vista of the southern Utah red rock desert. We took a short day-trip to Quail Springs State Park, just down the road from the campground. This reservoir looks like a wonderful place to kayak – next time we pass through the area we’ll have to stop for a paddle. (Spoiler – As of winter 2018 we have kayaks!)

From Hurricane we pushed on through Las Vegas, Nevada, and stopped at the Barstow / Calico KOA at Yermo, California. We enjoyed the late-season high desert warmth and sweeping desert vistas behind the campground. Kim also contacted a long-time friend, Diane, in the area and we had a nice lunch and visit with her.

SoCal, At Last

Our last day on the road was a short, 123-mile, drive to our winter digs at the Silent Valley Club, near Banning, California. We looked forward to being off the road for the month of October and were curious about spending Halloween at Silent Valley. (Halloween is a BIG deal at this park, with many sites going all out on decorations!) We also planned to spend much time with family & preparing for the memorial services for Kim’s mother – a difficult time for all.

That’s all for now. Safe travels and enjoy the journey!