After leaving Cody, Wyoming, we stopped for 2 nights in Butte, Montana. At one time it was a thriving town, but due to steep, continuous declines in copper prices the Berkeley operation was shut down in 1982. Currently there is only a very limited amount of mining in operation and the population has shrunk considerably. We took a trolley ride to learn the history of the town and to view the mining area. The guide told us there was still a lot of pride in the city, but that jobs have been lost and many people have left the town. As part of the tour we viewed the Berkeley Pit. The Pit is 7,200 feet long, 5,600 feet wide and 1,780 feet deep. The current volume of water is 40 billion gallons of polluted water, that rises an average of 1 foot per month. Sirens went off during our tour which happens when any flock of birds tries to land in the water or anywhere near the Pit. These sirens were put in place to protect the birds from the contaminated water. From what the guide told us, it appears the EPA and the mining owners have been in contentious discussions for many years on how to clean up the contamination.
Continue reading “Butte, Montana to Coeur d’Arlene, Idaho – Start of the Fantasy RV Tour 07/10/2019”Cody, Wyoming: Big Horn Mountain, Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Buffalo Bill Dam, Cody Rodeo, Old Trail Town and Yellowstone /30 – 07/05/2019
We left South Dakota after 2 weeks for our next-to-last stop at Cody, Wyoming, before we meet up with our Canada/Alaska Caravan. I knew we would have to cross the Big Horn Mountain but I did not know how much I would regret the route we took. Both 14A and Route 16 are marked as scenic routes, so I assumed they would be the hardest to cross. I did see a sign that Route 16 was the lowest elevation crossing, but because it was called a scenic drive, I think Randy and I both assumed it would be the more difficult route. I should have researched the route a little more before we left. US Highway 16 is called the “Sweet 16” and is considered the best and easiest route to Yellowstone Park because of its low grade and gentle curves. It still probably has some steep drop offs, but I do not think it would have been as steep as Route US 14 that we took. We did get to see some amazing rock formations and wildlife (we even got to see our first moose—mother and baby) but I did not like the steep grade and vertical drop offs with nothing on the other side of the low guardrails. It was bad enough for me going up the incline, but going down was way worse. Once we got over 8,000’ elevation my ears were popping like crazy. The summit was gorgeous with beautiful meadows and there was even some snow on the higher elevations. We stopped for a short time in a nice pull-off area to grab some lunch, but I forgot to latch the freezer so once we started going down on the sharp switch-backs the freezer kept sliding open. Randy did his jerk the wheel/RV so the door would slam shut, but it kept opening around every curve. I decided I didn’t really need to see where we were going, so I sat on the floor to hold the freezer door in until we could get to a level spot where I could find the fridge finder to lock the refrigerator. Some sections were so steep I could not stand up to find it.
Continue reading “Cody, Wyoming: Big Horn Mountain, Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Buffalo Bill Dam, Cody Rodeo, Old Trail Town and Yellowstone /30 – 07/05/2019”Spearfish and Deadwood South Dakota 06/27 – 06/30/2019
After leaving Hot Springs, SD, we stopped for a couple of days at the Spearfish KOA. What a nice place to stay! I think this is a new KOA, or at least one that has been renovated because it was a very nice campground. And we finally had more than 2 or 3 cable channels. Not that we watch a lot of TV, but it is still nice to get the news in the morning and to be able to relax a little before turning in for the night!
Crazy Horse Monument and Return to Custer State Park 06/26/2019
On our last day in Hot Springs, we decided to take the “Southern Hills” route to see the Crazy Horse Monument. There were some beautiful farms along the way, but not a lot else interesting to see outside the park. We did look around Custer which is a very small town.
Iron Mountain Road and Needles Highway 06/25/2019
Today’s trip through parts of Custer State Park and the Black Hills National Forest was everything Randy loves. The twisting roads, vertical drops and cliff walls had my ears popping the entire day and my anxiety levels off the charts. But I loved the ride because the scenery was gorgeous and a must do when in South Dakota.
Continue reading “Iron Mountain Road and Needles Highway 06/25/2019”Custer State Park 6/24/2019
OMG the wildlife is amazing! On our 5 1/2 hour trip through Wind Cave National Park and Custer State Park’s Wildlife Loop Road we saw an abundance of animals including bison, antelope, burros, badger, deer, birds, coyote, thirteen-lined ground squirrels, prairie dogs and even a dung beetle. Randy still wants to see bears and a rattlesnake, but they can stay hidden as far as i am concerned. I think we saw a rattlesnake a few days ago when we were on one of the back roads in the Badlands. A hawk was fighting with a snake and trying to take off with it. It was close to us, but still too far away to positively identify the type of snake, but after researching snakes in that area, I think it was a rattlesnake.
The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs 6/23/2019
It was a cool, wet morning so instead of looking for outdoor activities, we decided to visit the Mammoth Site of Hot Springs. This museum and paleontological site is an active excavation site and the world’s largest concentration of mammoth’s in the world. Three woolly mammoths and almost 60 Columbian mammoths have been identified at this site, In addition to the mammoths, camel, llama, giant short-faced bear, wolf, coyote, prairie dog, fish and molluskk shells have also been recovered from the now dry 26,000 year old sinkhole.
Hot Springs: Pioneer Museum 6/22/2019
Instead of going through Badlands National Park to hit I-90, Randy decided to take the shorter, scenic Rt. 44 to our destination of Hot Springs, SD. It was a little bouncy so we took our time but did not have any issues. We passed a small herd of buffalo just before crossing over one small section of Badlands National Park that crossed over Rt. 44. I didn’t get a very good picture as I wasn’t expecting to need my camera. Hot Springs is a little farther out than we wanted to be, but we could not find a spot closer to Rapid City.
Badlands National Park and Prairie Homestead 6/18 – 6/21/2019
I did not realize that the entrance to the Badlands KOA was on the other side of the Northeast Entrance to the Badlands National Park. We got in with no problem since Randy and I now both have a lifetime pass to National parks, but it did cause me some anxiety traveling over the winding, narrow road down to the White River KOA in our large RV.
Sioux City, Iowa, and North Sioux City, South Dakota: Sergeant Floyd River Museum & Welcome Center, the Sergeant Floyd Monument and the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center 6/15/2019
Because we were a few days ahead of schedule and there were no reservations available for any of the campgrounds that I called in the interior of South Dakota, we stopped in Sioux City for 2 days. We stayed at the KOA in North Sioux City, SD. We also will stop for 2 days in Mitchell, SD.