Excursion 7, Day 5, Rawlins, Wyoming to Custer, South Dakota

by | May 18, 2022 | Locations and Destinations, Road Notes

East towards the black line of tree-clad, black hills on the horizon. Finally arriving in the lovely but somewhat touristy Black Hills region.

The day begins with sun and the winds fall away. I take my time getting us packed up because it rained a bit and it’s always nice to pack it dry. It is, sort of.

I head over to pay and just can’t get enough of this family. They were traveling in 2020 in an RV, looking at options for a fresh start, and fell in love with RVing so much they decided to find and buy a Campground/RV Park. The KOA was up for sale, an older couple retiring, and they made the purchase and the move. They had made it a very spiffy place—clean and welcoming and with a great giftshop. I bought stuff, which was intended, I believe.

Then off into Wyoming. I love Wyoming. Mountains here, mountains there and all so different. Jagged and smooth, granite and sedimentary, the road winding from one to the next. Soooo much open space. We nearly run the tank empty as we are directed by my friend in the GPS around the city of Casper. But there is one there and I pull in alongside a giant truck and fifth wheel and have a nice chat with the very excited woman who is heading out on their first trip of the season. I have one at home myself, not that large, but I feel a tiny bit of envy. It’s fleeting because the day is gorgeous and Michelle could no longer handle all the stairs, a way of life we’ve had to leave on the shelf.

We stumble on a wonderful place an hour or so later that has hot fried chicken. Heaven!

Then East towards the black line of tree-clad, black hills on the horizon. Finally arriving in the lovely but somewhat touristy Black Hills region. I love this region. It seems so improbable, this tree clad, granite mountains out here on the foothills of the plains.  In a few winding miles, we find our campground.

We may not be the first for the season, but we are close to it, and the Custer Crazy Horse Campground is lovely and almost completely empty. It’s HUGE. Five dogs out front to greet us and we mutually decide that Mo should exercise discretion over valor and stay in the Bus till we get to the camp site.

Looking out over the options from where we are perched by the highway, we settle not on a site but a Cabin! Luxury, though it’s only a sleeping cabin it means no tent set up or tear down and a cozy roof overhead. Truly welcome as I’m pretty much bone tired.

A nice man with headphones on assists me in getting Michelle up the two steps, as predicted this in not a quiet endeavor but once inside she settles right down to a nap.

Mo, slouched on the porch, looks like he could have been a hired dog to do a promo for the place, he’s so perfect.

I get the dishes done after we eat a good meal in moonlight, and both of us sleep like the road warriors we are becoming.