Made it to the Black Hills!

smlranger · 09-10-2006, 02:44 PM

Well, four days on the road and we arrived at Rafter J in Hill City today. So far, a wonderful trip with only one problem...my Hoppy powered tail light converter went nuts and I only have running lights and a 'constant-on' right stop light on the toad. No toad turn signals or brake lights. No one along the way has one so will try to get one in Rapid City tomorrow.

Weather mostly beautiful, rig running like a clock. Passed thru Mason City, IA too late Friday to do Winne factory and according to all the locals, it is closed on Saturday. Maybe next time. So far, cheapest fuel was in Mason City (Murphy Oil at Wally World $2.79)...most expensive in IL (TA truck stop $3.15).

smlranger · 09-10-2006, 02:44 PM

Well, four days on the road and we arrived at Rafter J in Hill City today. So far, a wonderful trip with only one problem...my Hoppy powered tail light converter went nuts and I only have running lights and a 'constant-on' right stop light on the toad. No toad turn signals or brake lights. No one along the way has one so will try to get one in Rapid City tomorrow.

Weather mostly beautiful, rig running like a clock. Passed thru Mason City, IA too late Friday to do Winne factory and according to all the locals, it is closed on Saturday. Maybe next time. So far, cheapest fuel was in Mason City (Murphy Oil at Wally World $2.79)...most expensive in IL (TA truck stop $3.15).

glenda1908 · 09-10-2006, 03:25 PM

Hi Smlranger,

We were in Hill City in July. A nice little town. Can't remember the name of the little restaurant we had lunch at, but if you order a "footlong" hot dog, be prepared. It could feed four!

Glad you are having a pretty uneventful trip, but that makes things interesting...yea right!

Looks like fuel has gone down there since July. We were paying $3.00 and up most of the time.

Stay safe and enjoy the Black Hills

rebelsbeach · 09-10-2006, 04:26 PM

Gary and Julia, glad your trip was almost uneventful....it's the little things that keep you on your toes...

Diesel has dropped to 2.60 here in Virginia Beach....guess I could camp like the commercial and just drive across the street!!

smlranger · 09-10-2006, 05:54 PM

Glenda: We will check out Hill City tomorrow...we did stop at Wall Drug and had a 'Buffalo hot dog' which was big enough!

John_Canfield · 09-10-2006, 06:48 PM

We tried the 5 cent coffee at Wall drug and it was so horrible we threw it away after one sip

Best wishes for more pleasant miles!

ichn2go · 09-11-2006, 01:58 AM

Gary, etal,,,glad everything is going fine..Know you are haveing a wonderful time..
Wish I was there.

AdrianLee · 09-11-2006, 02:53 AM

Gary,

Youal stay safe and have lots of fun. Glad to hear things are going pretty good for youal.

Bill C · 09-11-2006, 09:26 AM

Sounds like you're having a good time. If you like aircraft, check out the museum at Ellsworth AFB. I was stationed there back in the 80s. You'll enjoy it. Have a great trip.

smlranger · 09-11-2006, 03:53 PM

Bill:

We will be doing that tomorrow. Me and the DW both like air museums...have visit
ed EAA in Oshkosh and want to do Ellsworth and eventually Wright-Patterson.

Flintstones Adventurer · 09-11-2006, 05:27 PM

Gary;
You really need to get up early in the morning to see the running of the horses at Rafter J. When I was there 2 years ago it always seemed to be around 6:30am. Our site was just two from the open field between the camping sections and they ran within 35 feet of our site! First morning kinda scared the wife right out of bed

But the following mornings we made sure we were up to see them. What a beautiful site and sound.

Also, try to get to Crazy Horse monument. I believe you may be impressed with it.

Have fun, be safe, wish I was there with you guys.

smlranger · 09-11-2006, 07:07 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Flintstones Adventurer:
Gary;
You really need to get up early in the morning to see the running of the horses at Rafter J. When I was there 2 years ago it always seemed to be around 6:30am. Our site was just two from the open field between the camping sections and they ran within 35 feet of our site! First morning kinda scared the wife right out of bed

But the following mornings we made sure we were up to see them. What a beautiful site and sound.

Also, try to get to Crazy Horse monument. I believe you may be impressed with it.

Have fun, be safe, wish I was there with you guys. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sorry, but guess all the horses are elsewhere this time of year. Haven't seen any here. There are two mules hanging out near our site which is next to the open field.

campernut2 · 09-23-2006, 04:43 AM

We just returned from our first long trip, it was to the black hills also! We traveled through 1 mile of IL and then went through WI and then MN and then into Rapid City South Dakota. We stayed at the Happy RV resort campground. Very nice campground with nice views and very very clean bathrooms. I would highly recommend it. Rode the 1880's train from Keystone to Hillcity and back. That was a lot of fun. We could stay only a week but covered a lot of ground. Took my Dad with and we all had a blast. He loved the motorhome and thought that it was so neat that he could eat, go to bed and then bathroom and have his coffee all within a few steps.
Can't wait to go back. This was our first long trip and we had no issues with our Voyage 33v 2005. Toad used was a Liberty 06.

rebelsbeach · 09-23-2006, 04:50 AM

campernut,congrats on the first trip with your new coach...

We lost Dad last year but two years ago before his illness set in,we were fortunate to be able to take him to Florida in the Vectra for Christmas and he too LOVED riding "shotgun" and getting his granddaughter to wait on him as we traveled...

He said THAT was his kind of camping....

ENJOY your new rig!!

smlranger · 09-23-2006, 01:18 PM

Travelogue continues: left home on Wednesday, Sept. 6 and as of today, Sept. 23, we are in Amarillo, TX. This has been a real travel buffet...Black Hills, Colorado Rocky Mountains (including a brief encounter with snow at Vail Pass on I-70), thru Wyoming to Moab, UT; then to our favorite so far...Monument Valley, UT...love those rock formations and those Navajo tacos!!; then to Flagstaff to see the Grand Canyon and Sedona; Albuquerque, NM, then now in Amarillo. We did a jeep tour into Palo Duro Canyon and it was great! By far, the most freindly folks we've met have been here in Texas. I can see us coming back to TX another time and just touring this great state.

We still have 14 days and are heading to OK tomorrow, then to St. Louis...maybe Dayton, OH to tour Wright Patterson AFB as a final thing before heading back to VA. This has been a great trip so far and (knock on wood) the Journey has performed admirably.

rebelsbeach · 09-23-2006, 04:00 PM

Gary, I'm so glad you and Julia are having a GREAT time and are getting to see the U.S.A.

Those folks in Texas certainly are a friendly bunch, we have a rather large contingent of them here on the site as well!

I'll be leaving around the middle of the month,headed to Branson,Arkansas and then there to Texas for a rally....

Nice to hear from you guys....ENJOY that vacation!!

smlranger · 09-23-2006, 05:07 PM

Bob:

I've been checking RV's everywhere we've been and have yet to see another IRV2 sticker. We did see an Essex last evening at our location in Amarillo but he left early this AM before I could inquire about any issues he might have had with his rig.

jimandsandy · 09-23-2006, 05:45 PM

Hi Gary,
Being reading about your vacation, what a good trip you have had.
We have just got back form a trip out west to Oregon down the coast. We got home 2 weeks ago.
We are now up at SML in Va. we have a 5th wheel camper up here on a rented lot.
Have a good time
Jim & Sandy Jessup

ichn2go · 09-24-2006, 04:04 AM

Gary, Glad You, Julia and Bear are having a great time and the rig is performing as you expected. Those Winnies don't do to bad do they?
My friend bought a 2000 Horizon used and he has made two trips to the west with no problems at all. You be safe on you return to Va.

AdrianLee · 09-24-2006, 04:50 AM

Gary,

It's to bad you did not get down to San Antonio. We love it there. There are several really nice camp grounds plus the River Walk is great. They have some of the best Mexican food I've ever had.

I worked out of Dayton for years but lived in San Diego. Ocassionally I would have to tay in Dayton for the weekend. People in Dayton say that it is a great place to raise a family. That is translated to mean that there is absolutely nothing to do there except go to the mall in Cinn. or go out to Wright Pat and tour the Air Force Museum which is what I normally did. The museum is well worth the trip to Dayton. Enjoy.