South Dakota – Our RV Trip

Our 2021 Travels

By Jennie Simpson | December 31, 2021

Hey Guys! It’s December 31…the last day of 2021…and I thought it would be fun to do a review of our travels for this year!

With everything that was going on this year, not only in our country, but worldwide…we weren’t sure how much traveling we would be able to get in. But, you know I had a plan and had us reserved just incase we could travel. Well, not only did things workout…we ended up spending time in sixteen states this year! We added twenty-nine new National Park Units to our overall NP count and managed to visit a new-to-us unit of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge…so 30 NPs all together for us this year. That puts our total National Park count at 189 of the official 423 National Park Units. So…we still have plenty to get to!!

While we spent most of the year traveling, we still got in several weeks of mooch-docking with family in Missouri so we could spend time with some of our favorite humans and get some projects done on our home-on-wheels. It’s always good to go home and see family. It’s always hard to say goodbye when we leave. Some goodbyes are harder than others…

We also had some celebrations during 2021! The boys are now 21, 18 and 17…and we had two high school graduations this year! Two! That means that we are officially done with homeschooling. I’m not sure how I feel about it…it is bittersweet.

We went through all of our 2021 travels and picked out our top ten favorite places we explored this year…so let’s get into it.

The first place we’re going to revisit on our top ten is Wall Drugs in South Dakota. Wall Drugs is in our number 10 spot. I know what you’re thinking…Jennie, Wall Drugs? Really?

Guys…Really. This place was unreal. We’ve explored quite a few places and have been to many many stores during our almost seven years of this crazy #nomadlife and we’ve never seen a store like Wall Drugs. We stayed about a block from it while we were in the area…so we got to see the crowds that came every…single…day. All Day. People would start lining up before they even opened, just to get their famous maple donuts or pecan sticky buns. Because we were staying so close for two weeks, we spent quite a lot of time in Wall Drugs perusing all it has to offer. If you ever need or want a souvenir for South Dakota…this is definitely your place. If you need a break from driving and some foodies…this is definitely your place. If you’re into quirky roadside attractions that have interesting history…this is definitely your place. If you’re anywhere near Wall, SD at all…Wall Drugs is SO worth a stop.

In the number 9 spot is Pipestone National Monument in Minnesota.

When we started this nomad life way back in 2015, we wanted to show our boys the Country they live in. We didn’t want to show them just the shiny pretty places, we also wanted to teach/show them our Nation’s history. Places like Pipestone National Monument, which preserves over 3,000 years of history, is a prime example of why we chose to live a nomad life in order to travel. We’ve learned so much history that we would have never even known about over the last almost seven years. There’s so much out there they don’t teach us in public schools. The historical National Parks like Pipestone NM are some of our absolute favorite National Park Units.

Keeping with our love of history lessons…it won’t surprise you that Scotts Bluff National Monument in Nebraska made it to the number 8 spot on our top ten for 2021.

Scotts Bluff NM has both amazing views and a rich history. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Scotts Bluff NM. It was late Spring/early Summer when we went so the flowers were still in full bloom and the heat was ramping up. The day we went, we saw temps in the 90s so we didn’t spend as much time hiking as we’d’ve liked, but we hiked some and spent time in the visitor center museum learning. I never thought of this kind of landscape when I thought of Nebraska…we were pleasantly surprised not only with this park, but with this area.

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site in Pennsylvania sits in the number 7 spot on our 2021 list.

When I asked the boys to name their favorite places we explored this year…it surprised me when more than one of them mentioned Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site. This is one of the smaller parks we visited but it’s absolutely crammed with not only history…but also engineering. So, it probably shouldn’t have surprised me that my little nerds liked this NP unit so much. We learned about railroad engineering and the way railroads changed life along their routes.

Sitting in the number 6 spot is Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming.

Devils Tower NM is steeped in local Native American history and lore. We loved learning not only about the science of it, but also the lore woven around it. We visited this park on two separate days and it was insanely busy both days. If you go, make sure to pack your patience and since there’s not a lot of educational info available (no museum), which really surprised us, make sure to grab a Ranger and ask about the science and lore of the “tower”.

With our love of battlefields and history…it won’t surprise you to see Stones River National Battlefield in Tennessee sitting at the number 5 spot of our 2021 list.

If you’ve been following along at all, you’ll know battlefields are our jam. So much so, that earlier this year we did a battlefield tour of Tennessee. And while all battlefields have certain things in common…the cannons…the war…the death… there are also the stories of life and perseverance and love…and those are what draw us in. You can learn so much from the stories that surround the battlefields. Stones River was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. The stories we read…especially one about two brothers…really touched the boys and made a lasting impact on their views of life. This is what National Parks will do…they’ll change you for the better.

There are only three places that made it to our top ten that aren’t National Park units. The number 4 spot is one of those with James Island County Park in South Carolina.

Guys…this park is awesome! It’s not only on our top ten of 2021 list…it’s on our top places to stay list. I would go back to this area just to stay at this park. When I booked this place…it was a last resort. There aren’t a ton of places to stay in the Charleston area and when the place we usually stay wasn’t taking reservations because of the whole CV thing…and then the other places I tried were either closed or refusing to take reservations that far out…I ended up taking a chance on James Island County Park. It was the best decision. We love everything about this park. From the walking trails to the fishing pier (sunset pics) to the paddle boats (watch out for the gators) this park is the best one we’ve found in a long time.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee has the number 3 spot on our 2021 list.

There are 423 National Park Units. Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited National Park unit in the United States. While the park was crowded every single time we went, we were still able to find a few quiet places. There is an underrated beauty to this park that is refreshing. We’ve found that while the “old man mountains” of the Smokies aren’t big and flashy…you won’t find the dramatic views like you’ll find in the Rocky Mountains or the Sierra Nevadas…there is a quiet calm and a beauty to the Smokies. Tranquil is the word that comes to mind…even with the crowds.

Custer State Park in South Dakota is firmly in the number 2 spot of our 2021 list.

Custer SP should definitely be a National Park. We stayed just outside it for two weeks and good grief…the whole area is amazingly gorgeous. This park has it all! Views, hikes, wildlife… We look forward to going back someday. Hopefully, without the tornado that went through while we were there.

As soon as we started making a list of our favorite places of 2021, Badlands National Park was the first place we thought of. And, while we might have disagreed about which numbers the other places on the list fell…we all agreed that the number 1 slot definitely belongs to Badlands National Park in South Dakota.

Guys, this park blew us away! Badlands NP isn’t just on our favorites list for this year, it’s made its way onto our overall favorite list as well. We saw so much wildlife at this park…and the colors were just…amazing. We went in the Spring while everything was still green and the bison were starting to shed their winter coats and all of the baby animals were bouncing around. Badlands NP has got to be one of the most underrated NPs in the NPS system. We spent two weeks going in and out of Badlands and completely loved it.

And….with a year of travel comes a year of foodies. We started listing the places that were fabulous…the places we wanted to include…and well, you can imagine that the list kept growing. So, I’ll leave this collection of foodie pictures here and tell you that we had a very very good foodie year. So good, we all gained a few extra pounds. Ha!!

We’ve been living this crazy nomad life while we’ve been on our #grandadventure for almost seven years now. In those seven years we’ve seen so so many amazing places and made countless memories. We’ve learned more than I ever thought we would, traveled farther than I ever thought we would and did things I never thought we would have the chance to do together as a family. We’ve grown… in more than one way…some of us are quite a bit taller now than when we started this amazing journey all those years ago…and with that growth, comes a need for a change. We’ve decided that 2021 will be the last year we live the nomad life. It’s time we get a more permanent basecamp where the boys can learn how to adult “normally” and go to college and get jobs and start planning adventures of their own.

So…this is the end of our Grand Adventure as a #digitalnomadfamily and as fulltime RVers. When we started planning this whole crazy thing way back in 2014, we never thought it would become our life for almost seven years, take us to 49 states and shape us in the way that only traveling can. And, as with every end, there is the magic and promise of a new beginning. As 2021 ends and 2022 begins we look forward to the promise of adventures…of a new kind.

We hope y’all have a wonderful New Year filled with all of the amazing adventures your heart desires.

Thank you for coming along on this crazy nomadic ride with us…we’ve loved having you be apart of the journey!

Much Love,

Jerl, Jennie, Charles, Alex and Nicholas

#theend

Towers, Canyons, and Waterfalls

By Jennie Simpson | July 31, 2021

Hey Guys! After we left Custer, we headed to Sundance, WY to check out Devil’s Tower National Monument.

The plan was to have a slightly more relaxed week in Sundance, but well…that didn’t really happen. We found out about a few more things to see/do in the area so buckle up and lets go!

The main reason we went to Sundance was to visit Devils Tower NM. It ended up being about a thirty minute drive from Sundance and we ended up having to go twice. The first time we went happened to be the only day of the week that the visitor center was closed. *palm slap* And yes, before you ask, I did check the website before we went and didn’t see anywhere that they’d be closed that day. So, we hiked up to the base of the tower and checked it out with about a hundred other people before heading on. It was neat to see. We were really disappointed with the lack of info about the tower or lore of the area in the park. When we went back… we checked the visitor center for info and didn’t find anything in the visitor center. We did notice that the local Tribes still put prayer bundles in the trees. That tells us they still see this land as scared. When I did some digging, I found that over twenty Tribes consider the site sacred.

Established in 1906, Devils Tower National Monument is America’s first National Monument. Wyoming is the home to the first National Park and the first National Monument! The tower is really a butte made of igneous rock from the cooling of magma. Over the years, the softer earth around it eroded away revealing the 1,267 foot butte we see today. For some reason, we’d all gotten it into our heads that the whole area would be more…desert like, but there was a nice forest surrounding the Tower! We were also surprised to see so much red dirt! It was almost like being back in the southwest! Almost. ;-} We found another prairie dog town! Is it just me, or are prairie dogs one of those animals you can watch for hours. They get up to so much mischief with one another! So much drama…LOL!

All of the Tribes have different names for the Tower…several of the names center around Bear. There are several different legends that go with the names, a few of them have a huge bear in them. I don’t know them well, but the one I can kind of remember goes like this… One day seven little Kiowa girls were playing far from their village and were chased by a bear. They ran on top of a rock and begged it to save them so the rock began pushing them up. The bear scratched up the rock and broke it’s claws as it was trying to get to the little girls. The bear kept jumping and the rock kept growing higher and higher until the little girls were in the sky where they still are today…the stars that make up The Pleiades.

We ended up doing two scenic drives here…one of them retraced a bit of the other…but the area is so pretty, no one really minded. We stopped by the Aladdin Tipple to see what we could see. The area is fenced off now because the darn thing is going to collapse any day. It looked like a strong breeze would knock it down, but it was neat to see. This mine was a coal mine used to supply coal to the gold mines of Lead and Deadwood. There were three different coal mines that used this tipple to supple coal to the train that would take it on to the gold mines. The last train left Aladdin in 1927.

We found the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center by accident. We were driving through and needed a place to stop and figure out our route. We pulled in the the parking lot of Sanford…and well…being the nerds we are, we spent time geeking out in the little museum learning about the Homestake Mine and the science lab that’s connected to the building that does dark matter experiments. We were really hoping a tour of the lab would be available…but nope. We were so incredibly bummed. Apparently, you have to be a legit scientist…with some letters after your name… to get into the lab.

In the little town of Belle Fourche (Bell Foosh), SD you’ll find a memorial for the geographical center of our Nation. This includes Alaska and Hawaii. And…if we’re being nit-picky…it’s not the actual location of the geographical center. That can be found in a field about twenty miles away, and I think it might be on private property, but this little memorial is close enough. We had a good time wandering around all of the flags and reading each state’s stats. It even has a plaque that looks a lot like an official geological marker where you can snap a picture! Totally worth the stop!

We were so close to Deadwood…and we knew y’all would ask us if we went… So, we stopped in and took a walk down the main street of Deadwood. Back in 1876, thousands of people made their way to the city of Deadwood in hopes of finding gold and like most gold mine towns back then…Deadwood was a wild, rough and lawless type of place. We saw the place where Wild Bill Hickok was shot by Jack McCall and the place where McCall was caught. We saw the famous Brothel and the historic Adams House. We opted not to take any of the tours. While we enjoy the history of places like this, none of us like the showy tourist side of it. We did find a wooden dragon (Toothless) that was pretty darn cool.

We skipped the daily shoot out/gun fight street show, but found our way up to the Mount Moriah Cemetery where we got our daily steps in walking up and down the steep hills. We found both Wild Bill Hickok’s and Calamity Jane’s grave sites. There were some beautiful lilac bushes blooming while we were there and I spent quite a bit of time with my nose stuck in them!

Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway snakes through a nineteen mile gorge with thousand foot high cliff sides and is filled to the brim with postcard worthy pullovers and hikes. You can easily fill an entire day or two hitting all of the hikes and sights on this scenic drive. We were there in the spring, but I’ve heard it’s absolutely gorgeous in the fall with the leaves changing colors. I’d love to go back someday!

I’ve had the Chapel In The Hills on the list for quite a while. It’s an exact reproduction of the famous Borgund Stavkirke in Laerdal, Norway and was built by a local Lutheran Church as a home for their radio ministry. Today, visitors are welcome to roam around and enjoy the peaceful area or walk the meditation trail. The chapel is gorgeous and definitely needs to be seen in person.

You’ll also find an authentic grass-roofed store house or “Stabbur” that is used as a welcome center/store. It was built in Norway and then reassembled in it’s current spot. We went in and bought a few Norwegian items. There’s also a little cabin that was built by a Norwegian immigrant gold prospector back in 1876 and is now used as a small museum. I loved walking around the little chapel and the grounds. We got there in the evening and had the place almost to ourselves. We were lucky with our timing…apparently, the chapel is a very popular wedding spot.

We were only in Sundance for a week but man-oh-man did we squeeze a lot of adventures into that one week! We found some pretty good foodies too! We had to have chislic one more time and we found the Deadwood location of the Chubby Chipmunk for some more hand dipped truffles! Jerl had one of the best Philly Cheesesteaks he’s ever had while we were in Deadwood…it was at a place called Mavericks. It’s a casino, but they let families go up to the restaurant. I found an Indian Taco at a little diner called Cheyenne Crossing in Lead, SD. I was skeptical about getting an Indian Taco in a state other than New Mexico, but someone at the RV park we were staying in told me that she grew up in New Mexico and thought the Indian Tacos were really good. And Guys…they are. Its not the same as the Navajo Tacos you get in the Southwest that are covered in spicy green chilies (those are still my fave), but the Indian Tacos at Cheyenne Crossing are so good I would totally go back just for another!

Well, Guys…I think I’ve covered everything we did in the Sundance area! We saw a lot, but missed just as much. I should have scheduled two or three weeks instead of just the one!

See Y’all down the road!

#NationalParkTour

Basecamp Custer

By Jennie Simpson | July 17, 2021

Hey Guys!! We made Custer, SD our basecamp four two weeks as we explored the black hills area of South Dakota and Guys…there was so much to see and do! Lets get started!

Y’all know we’re on a National Park Tour, so it shouldn’t surprise you that our first stop in the area was Mount Rushmore National Memorial. We drove the Iron Mountain Road to get to Mount Rushmore because I’d heard that there were some interesting views of the Memorial on the way there. There are three tunnels on the Iron Mountain Road and they all frame Mount Rushmore NM. The first one you’ll come to (and probably the most photographed) is the Doane Robinson Tunnel, but the other two are just as good. You can also stop at the Peter Norbeck Scenic View for another view of the Memorial.

Before it was known as Mount Rushmore, it was known as “The Six Grandfathers” and “Cougar Mountain” by the Lakota Sioux. American pioneers knew it by several names…some of them are Cougar Mountain, Slaughterhouse Mountain and Sugarloaf Mountain. In 1885 David Swanzey, Bill Challis and Charles Rushmore started coming to the mountain for prospecting expeditions. They visited so often that Charles Rushmore, a wealthy investor, started joking that he was going to have the mountain named after himself. In June 1930, the US Board of Geographic Names officially changed the name to Mount Rushmore…five years after Charles Rushmore donated $5k towards Gutzon Borglum’s sculpture project.

In 1924, Doane Robinson conceived the idea of a sculpture cut from the needles of the black hills to represent “American West heroes”. He thought people like Lewis & Clark, Sacagawea, Lakota Chief Red Cloud, Buffalo Bill Cody and Lakota Chief Crazy Horse should all be represented. Renowned sculptor, Gutzon Borglum (pictured above) was brought on to the project. He immediately threw out the idea of carving on the needles section of the black hills due to the fragility of the rock there. He suggested the carving be done on what was then known as Cougar Mountain. By the end of the planning phase of the project, the subjects had been changed to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln to represent the nation’s birth, growth, development and preservation. Peter Norbeck, a US Senator from South Dakota, sponsored the project and found the federal funding to make it happen.

Gutzon Burglum started carving out George Washington’s likeness in 1927, but sadly passed away before he could see the project to completion. His son, Lincoln Borglum, who had been working with him, stepped in and finished the sculpture in 1941. There’s a great museum where you can watch a film about the Memorial and see some very interesting exhibits that include actual tools used, old photos, and information about the entire project from start to finish. We got there late in the afternoon and only had about 45 minutes to see everything in the building before it closed, but you could easily spend a couple of hours there.

Over two million people visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial each year to see what has become to many, a symbol of freedom and hope. We’ve been to quite a few National Park units now and Guys, I’ve never seen a parking set up at a NPS unit like what we saw at Mount Rushmore. I told the boys as we were driving in that I felt like we were going to Universal Studios instead of a National Memorial due to the number of parking garages and attendants to guide you to the correct one. That was definitely a first for us at a National Park unit. We felt like this park was…OK…and maybe that’s because of all the hype about it? I don’t know…but it kind of fell flat for us. Maybe it was the number of people there? Maybe it was the construction going on? I’m glad we went and learned about it…but I’m also glad we didn’t come to the area to see just this particular Memorial.

When we first planned this area of our South Dakota loop, Jewel Cave National Monument was completely closed, but as our visit drew closer, parts of the park started opening up. When we went, the only thing that wasn’t open…was the cave. The park is currently updating the elevator that takes you in and out of the cave. Now, I know what you’re probably thinking…something like, “Why the heck would you visit a NP unit about a cave if you can’t actually go down into the cave?” I know, I know…I hear you. But, there are some scenic hikes and a video that lets you see the cave and since we’ve been into several other caves…we went.

Jewel Cave was found in 1900 by Frank and Albert Michaud as they were exploring Hell Canyon. They felt cold air blowing out of a small hole and became curious about what was in it. They came back and enlarged the hole with dynamite to find a cavern lined with calcite crystals lining the walls and sparkling in their lamplight…which is why they named the cave “Jewel Cave”. Frank and Albert developed the cave and tried to capitalize on the beauty of the cave but their plans ultimately failed.

Word of the cave’s beauty made it all the way to President Theodore Roosevelt and on February 7, 1908, Jewel Cave National Monument was made official. Today, the 1,279 acre park protects the world’s third longest cave (208 miles of mapped passages) along with the forest above it where you can enjoy a few different scenic hikes.

Jewel Cave National Monument is known for its jewel like frostwork and hydromagnesite balloons, but you’ll also see stalactites, stalagmites, draperies, flowstone and a little bit of boxwork. This cave is also an important hibernaculum for nine species of bats! Stay with me here…I know I’m nerding out a bit… hibernaculum is just a fancy way of describing a winter home for a hibernating animal… and yes, there are some types of bats who hibernate instead of migrate. And yes…we probably spent way longer than most in the little park museum as we nerded out over the science found at this park. We’re nerds. It’s what we do. We definitely want to come back to Jewel Cave National Monument to take a tour of the cave!

When we first planned this section of our South Dakota loop, Wind Cave was closed just like Jewel Cave. Luckily, it opened back up before we got there. Tour spots were offered on a first come basis and we squeaked in on the last tour of the day (we got there just after they opened). We spent the day hiking around and seeing what else Wind Cave NP had to offer as we waited for our tour that afternoon.

Wind Cave has been around for a long long time. The Lakota call it Maka Oniye or “breathing earth”. Wind Cave and the area around it is a sacred, spiritual place to Native people and should be treated with respect during your visit. The Lakota believe that this small hole is where their people first emerged into the world. One of the best things you can do is learn about the culture, beliefs and history of another culture. You’ll be better for it.

So….we had our tickets and we had an entire day to fill until we could go on our cave tour. We hit several hikes to enjoy the rolling hills of the largest remaining natural mixed grass prairie in the US and forests that make up the above ground portion of this park. It wasn’t the worst way to spend a day. The views were pretty stellar.

What would become Wind Cave NP had been known by Native Americans for a long time before it was found by Jess and Tom Bingham in 1881 as they were exploring the area. Jess and Tom are credited with being the first western explorers to find the cave. They were out riding their horses up a draw and heard a loud whistling noise. When they got off their horses to explore further, the wind coming out of a small hole blew Jesse’s hat off his head. Well, some say it was Jesse’s hat that got blown off his head…other accounts say it was Tom’s… Someone’s hat was blown of their head when they looked into the small hole.

Eventually, we would learn that this cave actually “breathes” as the air constantly moves in and our of it in concert with the outside atmospheric pressure. It’s this barometric wind you feel at the entrance and what the cave is named for.

Wind Cave became a National Park on January 3, 1903 to preserve the world’s largest concentration (95%) of boxwork. Boxwork is a honeycomb looking formation made of calcite fins that is as fragile as a potato chip. This large concentration of such a rare formation is what led President Theodore Roosevelt to set aside the 33k+ acres and make Wind Cave National Park the first cave to be designated a national park in the world.

We did the Natural Entrance Tour which is about 2/3 of a mile in length and includes about 300 stairs. No, I didn’t count them…I felt them…but, I did look up the number of stairs on the official website. Guys, this cave isn’t going to win any beauty contests. People don’t tour it to see pretty shining gem like formations (like Jewel Cave), and you’ll probably only see the boxwork and a little bit of cave popcorn (even though you’re supposed to see some snowballs and frostwork too)…but it’s worth taking a trek into Wind Cave to see the massive amount of delicate boxwork. The stairs were mostly all going down and we got to take an elevator back to the surface (thank goodness!!).

We saw a surprising amount of wildlife during out Wind Cave NP explorations! We saw another badger and another coyote! Guys, if you want to see badgers and coyotes…go check out the prairie dog towns because that’s where we seem to always find them! The fluffy cows were definitely out and about. We ran into one while out on a hike and it got a little…puckery. He was startled…we were startled…he did some stomping and grunting…we did some fast back stepping and tried not to piddle right there on the trail… All kidding aside, it was nerve-wracking to pop up over a hill and come face to face with this battle cattle. He, of course, had the right-of-way and we just tried not to trigger his charging instincts as we crept away. It all turned out fine, but we were done hiking for the day after that. Fluffaloes might look like big fluffy cows, but Guys, they will kill you dead. Dead! They’re really fierce battle cattle that can run faster than you.

I saved the best for last. Custer State Park is definitely the crown jewel of the Black Hills. Custer State Park is South Dakota’s first and largest state park. I, honestly, can’t believe it hasn’t been made into a national park. Custer SP has it all. Scenic drives, epic views, wildlife, hiking, lakes and ponds for watersports…. It’s 71,000 acres of jaw-dropping beauty. We spent two weeks going in and out of Custer SP and it was by far our favorite adventure of the area.

Custer State Park is a drivers dream. You’re not into hiking…no problem! There are three scenic drives that will get you to some of the best views in the park. I mentioned the Iron Mountain Road earlier in the post during the Mount Rushmore section. What I didn’t tell you was that the Iron Mountain Road was designed in the 1930s by Peter Norbeck and he purposely made it narrow with one lane tunnels and pigtail bridges…the road is meant to be a slow scenic drive so you can appreciate the beauty you’re driving through.

Needles Highway is a fourteen mile scenic drive that winds its way in, out and around the high granite “needles” and the ponderosa/spruce forests that make up this part of the black hills. Two narrow tunnels have been carved right through the granite wall…you’ll find scenic views and trailheads and if you’re lucky…you’ll spot some mountain goats. We didn’t see any goats, but we were told by a few different people that they like to hangout in the needles section of the park. Funny story about the mountain goats…they’re not native to the area. Back in the 1920s the park wanted to put in a zoo and they started with mountain goats…they didn’t count on the goats escaping after only six days. The zoo idea pretty much stopped after that.

The last of the three scenic drives in Custer State Park I’m going to tell you about is the Wildlife Loop Road. This is where you go to find the fluffy cows and the begging burros. We saw sooo many baby bison…affectionately called red dogs by some due to their size and their red coloring. I’d been looking forward to seeing some red dogs during our South Dakota loop…we didn’t see any in Badlands…none at Wind Cave… I was getting pretty bummed at the thought of not seeing any at all but, we found them at Custer! So many mammas and babies!!

Alright, let’s talk about the begging burros. You can see them in the pictures above with their heads stuck into a vehicles windows. These burros are the decedents of a pack of hard working burros that used to take visitors of the park from Sylvan Lake Lodge up to a nearby summit. When the pack animals weren’t needed any more, the lodge let them loose in the park. The burros you’ll meet today don’t have nearly as hard of a life as their ancestors and they’re not above begging for food. Any food will do. They’re not picky. The Rangers do request that you stick with apples or carrots to help keep the burros healthy.

One more tip for Custer SP area… the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway includes the three scenic drives I told you about plus a bit more. Make sure to check it out if you’re in the area!

For a smaller town, Custer has some really good foodie spots! We found a place called Black Hills Burgers and Buns…Guys…this place has The. Best. Burgers! I’m drooling just thinking about those burgers…

We found these Chubby Chipmunk Hand-Dipped Chocolate truffles at a little market right next to Black Hills Burger…they’re a little pricey, but so good! Tip: You can find them in Deadwood too!!

Nicholas celebrated a birthday and started his senior year in high school while we were in Custer. I can’t believe our youngest is almost done with high school!! My mama heart is feeling a little weepy about it.

Custer and the surrounding towns are all fun to explore. You’ll find little hidden gems in all of them. We really enjoyed looking at all the bison art throughout Custer and the huge Smokey in Hill City.

We didn’t make it to the Crazy Horse Memorial this trip. I’m looking forward to going back to the area someday and spending an entire day there. The museum and cultural demonstrations look amazing!

That’s all we had time to do while we were in the Custer area. We had some pretty bad weather while we were there. A tornado landed close enough to the RV park we were staying in that we could hear the tornado and feel the pressure changes that come along with it. It was probably the scariest day we’ve had as Nomads. South Dakota weather is no joke, but we’ve definitely found another favorite state!

See y’all down the road!!

#NationalParkTour

Badlands, Bison and Burgers

By Jennie Simpson | July 3, 2021

Hey Guys! When I planned this loop I gave us two weeks in Wall, SD to explore Badlands National Park and the Minuteman Missile National Historic Park. After reading that most people just drive through Badlands on their way to or from somewhere else, I wondered if I’d made a mistake by giving us so much time in one spot for just these two National Park Units. I almost changed it to one week. I’m so glad I didn’t…we had such a good time exploring Badlands NP!!

Badlands National Park protects 244,000 acres of buttes, canyons, pinnacles, spires and grasslands along with one of the world’s richest fossil beds. For thousands of years the Lakota people have called this area Mako Sica which means land bad and I can see why. Between the clay that gets slick and sticky when wet to the jagged canyons…along with the brutally cold and windy winters to the amazingly hot and dry summers, this land was difficult to pass through. Add to that the lack of year round drinkable water…living in the badlands was pretty much impossible.

Archaeologists have found evidence of over 300 ancient campsites…some dating back to 12,000 years. It is believed that these campsites were just temporary camps for hunters as they traveled through the area.

It wasn’t until 1862 when President Lincoln signed the Homestead Act into law that pioneers, desperate to have a chance at a new life, started trying to build year round homes in the Badlands area. Thanks to the Homestead Act, a US citizen could claim a 160 acre parcel of land out west. All they had to do was fill out an application, live and work the land for five years and then file for a deed within seven years. In 1907 with the completion of the Milwaukee Railroad through the White River Valley, homesteaders poured into the Badlands area to take advantage of the Homestead Act. With little to no water and soil not fit to farm on, most of the homesteads became “Starvation Claims” and were abandoned or sold. The Stock Raising Homestead Act of 1916 turned things around though…this Act promised 640 acres of land for ranching purposes and lowered the time pioneers had to live on the land down to three years instead of five. Ranching turned out to be better and today the ranches are measured in thousands of acres instead of 160 or 640 acre plots. The unpredictable land and weather still test the resolve of the ranchers pretty much like it did the old homesteaders of the past, but now there are machines that help with the hardships of working and living in the Badlands area.

Badlands National Park protects one of the largest mixed grass prairies in the US and it blends so beautifully with the ravaged land that’s been eroded into buttes, pinnacles, spires and canyons. The erosion has uncovered a colorful…and bizarre landscape that’s so picturesque it’s hard to believe your own eyes.

Guys, we saw soooo much wildlife in this park!! Most of it was found on the Sage Creek Rim Road…the sheep we found all over the park…the ones with the babies liked to stay up higher on the rock formations and could be seen at several different spots. We really wanted to see some baby bison, but all of the mammas and babies were in the middle of the grasslands where the roads didn’t go.

We didn’t do many hikes while we were at Badlands NP. There really aren’t too terribly many hikes to do, but we did one called the Notch Trail. It’s not a long trail (1.5 miles roundtrip), but you get to walk through a scenic canyon then climb a wooden ladder right up the side of the canyon wall! There’s nothing too hard about this hike and it ends in a spectacular view.

Personally, my favorite part of the park is the Yellow Mound area. There’s a pull off…it’s really just a wide spot in the road…that has the best views of the yellow mounds! There’s a place down the road from the Yellow Mounds Overlook that’s wide enough for your car to safely pull to the side at 43.84947914, -102.21353146 where I took the pics above.

There’s a 39 mile scenic drive with 16 pull-offs for scenic views…most people will spend will spend less than an hour in Badlands NP, driving the scenic drive on their way through the area from one destination to another. Slow down and stretch your legs on one of the short hikes or drive down a bit of the Sage Creek Rim Road and you’ll find out just how breath taking the Bad Lands can be.

The other National Park Unit we visited was the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. The Minuteman Missile NHS preserves two former Minuteman Missile facilities (Delta-01 Launch Control Facility & Delta-09 Launch Facility Missile Silo). You need to reserve a Ranger led tour to see Delta-01 but you can drive out to Delta-09 and look around on your own. We missed out on tour tickets due to the whole pandem thing.

The Cold War: duck & Cover drills in school, Sputnik, fallout shelters, the Iron Curtain… The Cold War was primarily fought with politics, economics, indirect military confrontation and MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction). Our nation’s backyards became the frontline of an unwinnable war as the government hid 15 Minuteman II launch control centers with 1000 missiles that covered 13,500 sq. miles…all hidden in plain sight amongst the peaceful rolling hills of South Dakota.

Minuteman Missile National Historic Park is the first National Park in the world that is dedicated to commemorating the events of the Cold War that led to fear and distrust and a nuclear arms race between the US and the Soviet Union. Two countries built up their nuclear arsenals so that each could destroy the other. There would be no winner so no one would start the fight.

“Our arms must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction.” ~President Eisenhower

The power to destroy the world was hidden in plain sight, ready to be used in a seconds notice. Twenty-four hours a day/ seven days a week/ three hundred and sixty-five days a year for thirty years.

Welcome to Wall Drug. Guys, this place is crazy…I’ve never seen so many people show up every single day just to walk through a souvenir shop. We stayed at the RV park right down the road from Wall Drug so we got to watch the daily crazy as people started showing up by 7am to stand in line for the donuts and sticky buns…and the crowds never let up. It was busy every day all day the entire two weeks we were there! I get it though…I do. We went several times to walk around and look at the art on the wall or peruse all of the souvenirs. They have absolutely anything you could want as a souvenir… and if I’d known how sparse the selection would be at Custer…I would totally have gotten all of my South Dakota souvenirs at Wall Drug.

Wall Drug has been run by the Hustead family since 1931 when they took a leap of faith and bought Wall Drug. The town of Wall was tiny and mostly populated by poor farmers who were struggling due to the Great Depression or drought. Wall was a blip on the dusty road with no reason to stop and spend some time. The family decided to give it five years…if they couldn’t make it work after five years, they’d leave. The summer of 1936 was hot and dry and that was when they figured out how to entice people to the store…free ice cold water. It worked and helped make the store the phenomenon it is today…where…you can still get a cup of free ice water. You really need to see Wall Drug to appreciate it for what it is. Stop in and get a free ice water and snag yourself freshly made maple donut, then spend some time learning the history of the store. It really is a true American Dream come true.

Wall, SD is a pretty small town, but there’s still some foodies to be found. We found a place called Red Rock Café and Guys…we ate there five times in two weeks. It was fantastic! We also stopped at a place called Sickies Garage in Rapid City when we went to get groceries…it’s another great find…but the star of our time in Wall was definitely Red Rock Café.

Well Guys…that’s all for this stop!

See y’all down the road!

#NationalParkTour

Sioux Falls & Pipestone

By Jennie Simpson | June 19, 2021

Hey Guys!!

After we finished our Tennessee loop, we headed back to Missouri for a couple of weeks while we prepped to head north to South Dakota. We were trying to time our South Dakota visit so that we not only missed the massive summer crowds but also avoided the summer hail storms. We found out from another traveling family that South Dakota has some hellacious hail storms during the summer…and not just the small pea sized hail…no, they said it was golf ball sized hail and that they experienced a storm every afternoon while they’d been in South Dakota. Thanks but no. I think we’ll pass on that weather.

One of the projects we did while we were back in Missouri was install a shelf on the side of our kitchen counter for extra space. Guys, I don’t know why we didn’t do this six years ago when we first started this whole nomad/tiny kitchen life. We found an untreated board at a local hardware store and sanded/stained it then had Nicholas (our youngest) draw our logo on it. I think he did a great job! We love the finished product! And Y’all…we totally use this extra space daily. It’s been so nice to have.

Our first stop on our South Dakota loop was Sioux Falls. That was too far to drive in one day so we stopped in the Omaha, NE area for a quick visit to some friends (waves to Omaha friends…you know who you are) before heading on the next day. One of the best things about living in a home-on-wheels is having the ability to visit family and friends who live all over the country.

The entire reason we stayed in Sioux Falls was to visit Pipestone National Monument. I feel like these small parks are usually overlooked, but Guys, they’re worth the trip. Especially this one.

Pipestone National Monument was brought into the protection of the National Park Service in 1937 to preserve the site where, for many generations, various American Indian tribes have come to quarry the red pipestone used to make the pipe bowls for their ceremonial pipes.

“When you pray with this pipe, you pray for and with everything.” ~Black Elk~ (not pictured)

The various tribes have differing beliefs, but many believe that when you pray with a ceremonial pipe, your prayers are carried to the Great Spirit with the smoke from the pipe.

Archeologist have found evidence that the area of Pipestone National Monument has been used for over 3,000 years. This area is still considered sacred to twenty-three different Tribal Nations & Indigenous peoples from all across the country. These tribes keep their traditional quarrying practices alive as they come back to Pipestone NM time and again to quarry for the pipestone. This park remains an active quarry site and is considered sacred ground to these Tribal Nationals and Indigenous peoples so if you go, please respect that and go with a humble heart and an open mind to learn about their beliefs, culture, and traditions.

There’s a short hike you can take through the tallgrass prairie to get up-close to some of the red pipestone. The day we went it was cold (no one bothered to take jackets because we weren’t expecting it to be that cold) and rainy, but we still made the short hike. It was totally worth it and we highly recommend it.

There are some rock formations that have names. I always appreciate it when a park puts up signs that help you figure out which rock they’re talking about. It’s always helpful!

If the amazing red rocks don’t impress you (and they totally should) then the Winnewissa waterfall will. The whole park really is beautiful and has a peaceful vibe. We encourage everyone to make a trip to Pipestone National Monument to learn and appreciate the history, culture and traditions this park protects and preserves.

On our last night in Sioux Falls we found Falls Park where you can see the falls that the city is named for and what remains of the Queen Bee Mill. It’s a great place to get some fresh air and walk around…right in the middle of the city.

The most exciting thing we did while in Sioux Falls was celebrate Alex’s (our middle kiddo) graduation from high school! We’re so very proud of the young man he’s becoming and I know that our travels are a big part of that.

Shall we talk foodies?! We found some great burgers from a few different places, but what stood out the most…and was new for us was the

South Dakota foodie known as chislic! Chislic is deep fried or flash grilled pieces of meat. We had steak chislic, but it can also come in lamb or venison. I’ll admit…I was a skeptic, but it was really good! What we got was an appetizer served with fries and ranch and honestly, it could have been a meal on it’s own.

We only spent a week in the Sioux Falls area, but we could have easily spent two or three weeks. There are several things to go see and do. Hopefully, one day we’ll make it back and finish up our “to see” list!

See y’all down the road!

#NationalParkTour

The Dakotas

By Jennie Simpson | May 24, 2015

I’m going to be honest…the Dakotas are a bit of a blur for me. It was raining on and off the whole time so we had to cram the few activities we had planned into a couple of jam-packed days. Now, keep in mind, we’re really just making our way up to Alaska and checking off a few things on our list as we go.

Since there really wasn’t a whole lot we could do during our time in the Dakotas this go around, I’m grouping them together into one post.

South Dakota! We didn’t get to see Mount Rushmore this time around. We will definitely be doing that before it’s all said and done though. In South Dakota we stayed in Fort Pierre which is right across the river from the State Capital, Pierre. Every time we crossed the river we switched time zones. It got to be a joke for us. In the movie The Mummy with Brandon Fraser, there’s a part where a boat they’re on goes down and half of them are on one side of the river and the other half end up on the opposite side of the river. The good guy calls out to the bad guy, “You’re on the wrong side of the river!”…Anyway, that phrase was said quite a bit and we all laughed every time. Yes, we’re those people. Fun fact…Pierre is the second smallest State Capital.

Not so fun fact…there’s not much to do there and almost no cell service.

Fort Pierre and Pierre (seen in the picture above) are really quite picturesque! We went up on some of the surrounding hills and found some great views of the cities of Fort Pierre and Pierre. There are pheasant everywhere! They’re like the armadillo of The Dakotas! For some reason they like to stay right by the road.

We stayed near the ruins of the original Fort Pierre. There wasn’t really much to see. A rock with a plaque in the middle of a grassy field. There was a sign that told where they thought everything was based on a wall they found.

The State Capitol Building in Pierre was very ornate. The inside was richly decorated in golds and marble with murals and plenty of mosaic tile flooring. It really was very pretty. I’m a sucker for a good dome and this Capitol Building didn’t let me down.

We went to the South Dakota Culture Heritage Center and spent an hour looking at all of the history of the state. If you ever get a chance to go into one of the Culture Centers you really should. The ones we’ve found so far have been free (donation appreciated) and have been really spectacular museums! I won’t post up all the pictures I took (I took more than I probably needed to), but I’ll share the tee-pee with y’all. All three boys enjoyed walking through the tee-pee.

In North Dakota we stayed in Menoken. It’s a small town east of Bismarck (the State Capital). It was a teeny tiny town with zero cell service. I will say this about the RV park we stayed in…it had the cleanest and best bathrooms we’ve come across so far. The bathrooms had wall heaters! That’s huge when you’re trying to shower and it’s cold outside! Oh! And the showers were free! It’s the little things.

In North Dakota we went to see Sitting Bulls grave site and found Fort Manuel. This fort…sheesh it was hard to find and then when we finally found it, it ended up being closed. Plus, the guy’s drive way we had to go down to get to it…he was less than amused. We still walked around it and enjoyed the views. Here are a few photos from the Fort.

They think Sacagawea (Sakakawea in the Dakotas or “Jane” by Lewis and Clark) is buried nearby. There wasn’t a headstone or a grave site so I’m kind of doubtful that she is.

On our way to Montana, we made one more stop in South Dakota!

We did the scenic drive stopping for a couple of quick hikes and to look at the wildlife! The Badlands were full of…buffalo,prairie dogs,wild horses,and awe inspiring views!

The two little boys became official Junior Rangers.Ranger Amy was the best! You can really tell she loves her job. Because of her, our Littlest has now decided he wants to be a National Park Ranger.

So there you have it. Our time in The Dakotas. I’m sorry for the long, picture filled post, but now I’m all caught up with state posts!! We’re currently in Montana and will be taking this week at a leisurely pace since we only have one thing on our list to see for the whole week!

See ya on the road!