Insiders’ Guide to NW Iowa

Our daughters during Orange City’s Tulip Festival, in the late 1990s.

They’re all grown up now.

We’re aware the Midwest states are often considered pass-thrus while people are on their way to more “interesting” places. We’ve been Texans for almost 18 yrs. now, and it’s probably safe to say our state is in a class of its own. Still, we have a soft spot for our former home. We enjoyed a few local specialties and businesses as a part of daily life, and still miss them. One is relatively new to the area, developed several years after we moved. Most of them are on our list when we visit, and you might enjoy trying them too.

Starting near Lake Pahoja, Grand Falls Casino/Golf Resort is on Hwy 9 just a few miles SE of Larchwood, IA. It does have a 14-site RV park next to the golf course (link below). We haven’t stopped there, but Karl’s brother & sister-in-law enjoy the casino occasionally. It’s a just few years old, and looks very nice. Gambling isn’t our thing quite so much (Kristal thinks she sucks at it.) But there is also dining and entertainment. We might be tempted to visit in the future.

Our Rock Island post provided some info on Rock Rapids in 2016. So, we’re going to travel south on Hwy 75 from there.

Take a little side trip to the small town of Hull, IA.  It’s home to the Foreign Candy Co. (E on Hwy 18. to the town. FCC is at SW corner of town.) Their core business is school foreign language teachers, but the public can purchase goodies at the Warehouse Outlet. In researching this attraction to determine what they’re up to these days, I came across a reviewer who was underwhelmed by the outlet’s selections. They complained that the inventory was found just about everywhere. Which is actually true, but I don’t think this individual knew Foreign Candy Company was one of the importers responsible for bringing gummy bears from Germany to the US in the 1970s. (Were marketed to high school German language teachers). Haribo is a German brand. To be fair, anyone who is the same age or younger than our daughters, probably believe these candies have always been in the US.  When our kids were young, in the 1990s, FCC was the place to get interesting candies and other goodies for birthday parties. Kristal took the girls there once, as a special treat for a streak of good behavior she really appreciated.

Return to Hwy. 75. Your next stop is Sioux Center and Casey’s Bakery. It’s in the Centre Mall, located in the middle of town on Hwy.75. Kristal used to treat herself to an occasional lunch at the bakery deli, when she worked in Sioux Center 20 years ago. Can’t think of anything we wouldn’t recommend there, but if you’re looking for a regional specialty try the almond patties or soft rusk buns (6 in pkg.) They also have a gift shop stocked with kitchen items and Dutch imports such as Delft pottery. If you’re passing thru Sioux Center in the summer, keep your eye out for folks selling sweet corn at the city park (north side of downtown, also on 75.) The town’s summer festival is coming up at the end of May.

Of course, we almost always go to our home town of Orange City when in the area. The Dutch fronted downtown is popular with visitors. No surprise it’s the setting for the Tulip Festival, which is coming up very shortly. (Usually the third weekend in May.) Difficult to say if the tulips will be blooming in time due to the cold spring. But they can be surprisingly hardy plants, often coming up under the snow. Our favorite store, Woudstra Meat Market is a must-stop to stock up on cured smoked beef, brats and Saucijsjes (sa-saw-shees - AKA pigs-in-a-blanket.) If you ever do attend the Tulip Festival, yes, it is worth it to stand in line for the brats. Fresh meats can be ordered at the meat counter if you’re looking for something to cook right away. However, if you’re like us and don’t live close by, we recommend buying from their storefront freezers. Kind of handy to put already-frozen items in the RV freezer. The ready-to-bake Saucijsjes are only available frozen. (Can’t speak for anyone else from the area, but one of our favorite meals is still Woudstra’s cured beef in cream sauce on sliced rusk buns from Casey’s.) Orange City does also have a small bakery downtown, on the block just to the north of Woudstra’s. If we happen to be there with either of our daughters, we get cream filled long-johns and Care Bear cookies.

It is possible to get small pumpkins and winter squash as edible souvenirs.

These beauties made it all the way back to our house,

even though we traveled for a month after their purchase.

Just make sure there is no damage to their hard skins.

Otherwise, they should fit in an RV oven or Dutch Oven, if you enjoy campfire cooking.

Planning a late summer/fall trip? Be sure to visit Pumpkinland, just north of Orange City. They started in the 1990s with an assortment of pumpkins and squashes, including several heirlooms; at a time when many people were just starting to rediscover the almost lost diversity of our ancestors’ gardens. Now, they not only have the pumpkins, but a community craft fair; Alpaca products from a nearby farm; a variety of treats including preserves, caramel corn and whole pies; a corn maze and farm animals to visit. Kristal and Kristen stopped by while we stayed at Lake Pahoja. If it works with your travel plans, we definitely recommend going on a weekday. They’re very popular on the weekends.

http://www.grandfallscasinoresort.com/hotel/rvpark.html

http://foreigncandy.com/index.html

http://www.caseysbakery.com/

http://www.siouxcenterchamber.com/events--calendar.html

https://orangecityiowa.com/

http://www.woudstrameatmarket.com/

http://www.pumpkinlandiowa.com/

http://siouxcountyparks.org/

The last website is for the Sioux County Conservation Board, in case you’re looking for more camping and rec options.

Lake Pahoja Recreation Area

Lake Pahoja was our home base for the last 2 weeks of Sept., while we visited with Karl’s family in NW Iowa. Autumn was also making its appearance there; with leaves changing color, waterfowl beginning to migrate, corn field harvests and mercurial weather.

The rec area is about 13 miles W/SW of Rock Rapids, IA. It’s a Lyon County Conservation Board project. We chose to stay there, rather than the park in town, because it was quieter during the week. For the most part. West Lyon Community School is just a couple of miles to the E of the rec area. There were some school related activities, such as a picnic lunch for elementary students and a high-school cross-country meet. During the 2 weekends, a surprising number of campsites filled up, even though it was after Labor Day. (West Lyon School is on Hwy 182. Lake Pahoja is off 180^th street which runs on the S side of the school.)

Would we stay there again? Most definitely, though like most campgrounds we’ve stayed at, there were positives and negatives. Campsites 1 – 42 have a lot more shade, are a bit shorter in length, and some aren’t level. We stayed in #19. While we had a view of the lake from that site, it went downhill a bit. We also had to get creative when parking the van to keep it out of the road. The shade on those sites would be nice in the middle of summer. But as the weather was cooling and days getting shorter, the ground just wasn’t drying out much between thunderstorms. We were rained on about half the time we were there. Cleanliness/stocking of the bathrooms isn’t exactly a complaint. County employees took care of the bathrooms every morning. Our main issue was night-time use. If campers left the interior lights on all night, bugs invaded in droves. The creepy-crawlies were “not quite dead yet.” There hadn’t been enough freezing weather at that point.

Lake Pahoja is an ADA compliant facility. The main roads in the park had recently been resurfaced. Gravel areas are also kept maintained. The paved path around the lake is easy to access. It was one of our favorite features, nice for walking the dogs, especially when there was plenty of wet weather. There aren’t any specific campsites labeled handicapped, but those with mobility issues would definitely find campsites 43 – 71 suitable, and sites 64 – 71 have water hook-ups. This section’s sites are generally longer and more level. The lake isn’t within sight, but it’s not very far away. There are also seasonal sites. 1 – 8 are paved with concrete. The seasonal sites were all occupied by RVs, most likely owned by locals. We weren’t there for the season, so we don’t know how often those sites become available. (Don’t own an RV? There are cabins to rent.)

This rec area can be a destination in its own right. There is more to do there than just camping; such as disc golf, swimming, no-power boating, fishing and archery. You can get a history lesson at the museum site just north of the lake dam. There are also signs along the path identifying different trees and plants. Kristal enjoyed the photography opportunities which were provided by the transition of seasons. Besides changing leaves, there were purple asters still blooming and bushes with ripening berries. As an overnight stop from I-29 or I-90, it’s probably not as practical, though it is less than an hour from I-90. But if you’re looking for a nice little detour for a few days’ rest, Lake Pahoja might suit you. There is an entrance fee on top of campsite fees. Pay by the day, or a season pass can be purchased. Our visit was long enough the season pass actually made more sense for us.

Find more information and directions at the following website.

http://www.lyoncountyiowa.com/lake_pahoja

Sioux Falls, SD is the closest large community. It’s about 45 minutes away. Need to take care of “household” matters while in the area? There are newer shopping areas E of I-229 & off Hwy 11/42 (Arrowhead Pkwy). Target (Dawley Farm Village) and Walmart are around the corner from each other. A Hy-vee grocery store is a bit further to the west on the pkwy. Take Hwy 9 thru Larchwood. It becomes Hwy 11/42 in SD. Restock on any supplies you need & head to northbound I-229. From I-229 you can reach I-90. Heading to southbound I-29? From the east side of Sioux Falls, travel S/SW on I-229 to the interstate. If you need to do laundry while in the area, there is an Uptown Laundry on 26^th street. The laundromat is almost new and well-maintained. The owner was on the premises both times we were there. (She’s very friendly and does offer laundry services. Why not drop off your items? Then go have a nice lunch, check-out downtown, or do your shopping?) We were there on weekdays, so it wasn’t a problem to use multiple machines at one time. Even with the 45 min. drive, we found it faster & easier to do laundry there than at the relatives’ house, whose laundry room is in the basement. From the pwky, turn south on 11. (Dawley Farm entrance is on this road.) The next light is 26^th. Turn right, heading west. Uptown Laundry is on the south side of the street. A gas station is on the corner just to the east of it.

So you know… many counties in Iowa have a conservation board. If you find yourself traveling thru any part of the state, visit the site below to find and learn more about CCB camprounds. You might find a campground in an area where there aren’t many other options to stay with an RV.

https://www.mycountyparks.com/default.aspx

Reptile Gardens

It might be safe to say this Rapid City, SD attraction is a family favorite. We’ve been here a few times over the years. If asked to describe in a nutshell, we would say Reptile Gardens is part zoo/botanical garden. Our most recent visit was after Labor Day, when the outside shows are shut down for the winter. Kristen brought her roommate’s 3 ½ yr. old daughter, so a shorter visit was already planned anyway. (Have enjoyed some of the shows during previous visits.) We saw the snakes, lizards and parrots in the dome; then paid a visit to the bald eagle, an owl, giant tortoises, and alligators in the outdoor exhibits.

The flower gardens were still really nice the day we were there. Identification tags for the various plants can be found in the beds, which is great for gardeners who see something they may want to try growing at home. Orchids and bromeliads can be found in the dome. Kristal has several orchids as houseplants. She enjoys looking for varieties she hasn’t seen before, and photographing the collection at Reptile Gardens.

The best parts of a weekday, off-season visit? The admission price was lower, and there were no crowds. Which is ideal if you’re taking younger children or grumpy older folks, like us. After looking at the animals and gardens, we stayed until the peewee decided Methuselah’s Playground was no longer interesting. Since our visit was less than 2 hours, it didn’t feel like we were ripped off.

Our outing was followed by lunch at Pizza Ranch, a restaurant chain with which we happen to have a long history. It was founded in Hull, IA and had several locations in NW IA, including our home town, Orange City. (Had a couple of birthday parties there when the girls were small.) Since we moved to Texas 18 years ago, Pizza Ranch has expanded beyond IA. The Stumer Rd. location is easy to find. From Reptile Gardens, turn left on Hwy 16 toward Rapid City. There are shopping centers west of the intersection with Hwy 79. The larger center has the area’s newest Walmart. Pizza Ranch is in the shopping center on the opposite side of 5^th St. While you can still order whole pizzas and broasted chicken for eat-in or take-out, the buffet is probably their most popular option. It’s our first choice when we go there.

http://www.reptilegardens.com/

https://pizzaranch.com/

Hill City, SD

Like some other towns located in the Black Hills, Hill City is another gold rush settlement founded in the 1870s. Deadwood is in the northern hills, Hill City is in the southern hills.

It’s located on Hwy 385. Which route you take to reach it will depend on where you’re coming from. Hwy 16 from Rapid City, Hwys 40/244 from Hermosa, Hwy 385 from Custer in the south and Deadwood/Lead to the north.

While there is more to do, for us, Hill City is the place to eat and drink. Especially for mommy – daughter outings. Our daughter had a list of activities she wanted to enjoy while we were visiting. Now that she’s a college grad in her mid-20s, her tastes are more sophisticated. Kristal’s birthday was a couple of weeks away during our last visit. Kristen hadn’t been home for them since leaving for college, so she wanted to take her mother to some of her favorite places.

Their first outing was at Prairie Berry Winery. The Hill City location does wine flights. Patrons can sample up to 5 wines for free and be entertained by the wine experts serving them. The winery also serves food. The patio, with its grapevine covered pergola, is a nice place to sit when the weather is pleasant. If you don’t have wine drinkers in your party, they can still enjoy the food and find other products in the retail space. Kristal bought South Dakota honey, Kick-Ass Compote (delicious on pork and poultry), and Red-Ass Roast Coffee. Kristen likes the Frost Bite Wine Freeze. (Kristal didn’t buy any wine during that outing, but she did purchase one bottle each of Calamity Jane and Strawberry Fusion a couple of weeks later, while we were in Sioux Falls.) Fall in love with some wines you can’t live without? Prairie Berry has a wine club and does ship in case your address is outside their retail distribution area (SD & WY). 12 bottle cases get free shipping. Like beer instead of wine? They have a brewery next door.

Alpine Inn was the choice for a birthday lunch two days later. This restaurant is known for its Bavarian fare. In case you visit any popular travel websites, and read reviews mentioning a limited menu, that’s the evening service. Want to take a taste bud trip to Munich, Germany without actually leaving the States? Alpine Inn will take you there during the mid-day lunch. The luncheon menu is a bit larger. Kristen had Schnitzel and Mom tried the Kassler Ripchen. While there is a Spaetzle meal on the menu, the pasta can also be ordered as an additional side dish with the other meals. Which of course we did. Everything was delicious. And filling. Unfortunately, there was no room for dessert, but that was easy to fix by enjoying it later. Since we were taking half our meals with us anyway, we ordered some dessert to go – apple strudel and cheesecake with strawberries. Payment here is cash only, and they were closed on Sundays while we were in the area. Before you plan to go, check the restaurant’s website for hours and menus, just in case something has changed.

The 1880 train is another Hill City attraction. We’re actually more familiar with seeing it stopped in Keystone. However, the larger main depot/rail museum is in Hill City. The choo-choo was leaving the station as the ladies left the Alpine Inn. Which was OK. The train wasn’t on the agenda that day. The train ride is a two-hour narrated round trip. The amount of time you spend in either Hill City or Keystone can be determined by your party. Want to stay longer than the 15-minute turn-around? Follow the train’s guidelines for using the schedule to determine what time you want to leave and return. Children are allowed on the train, but parents considering going might want to read thru the FAQs page on the website. According to the site, the engines are working vintage/antiques. To keep them in good working order, they can’t travel at very fast speeds. One-way trips aren’t mentioned on the website, probably for the simple reason most tourists won’t have transportation waiting at the other end. Another option is to visit the Hill City depot, and tailor it to suit your party’s interests/attention spans. It’s a neat place to take some photos. They also serve food. If you want to see the train in action, plan your time there to coincide with the train’s arrivals/departures.

Adults only activities on the train are available too. They can be found on the special events schedule. Look for Rails & Ales, Wine Express and Octoberfest. Our daughter has heard good things about the Wine Express and is interested in trying it. We have yet to ride the train ourselves. When we do go, it will probably be one of the regular rides, as a treat for our uncle. His father was a depot agent, and he’s just old enough to remember some steam engines still being on the tracks when he was a small boy. By the time Grandpa retired in the 1970s, diesel had fully replaced steam. The 1880 Train has both kinds of engines. What they’re running on any given day depends on maintenance schedules. While steam does have a certain romance attached, it’s pretty impressive to listen to the low hum of the generators on diesel engines.

http://www.hillcitysd.com/

https://www.prairieberry.com/

http://www.alpineinnhillcity.com/

https://www.1880train.com/

Deadwood, SD

Despite its small size (2014 population of 1,261), Deadwood is probably one of the best known communities in the Black Hills. If memory serves, it was the setting of a cable TV series a few years ago.

There are 3 ways to reach Deadwood. On our first trip, we took I-90 west from Rapid City and exited at Sturgis on Alt 14. Alt 14 meets Hwy 85 just north of town. When we visited with our daughter, we took a scenic route starting from Hwy. 40. We traveled on Hwy 385 and met Hwy 85 on the south side. (Hwy. 385 will take you past Sheridan Lake and Pactola Resevior.) A somewhat faster route from, and to I-90, is Hwy 85. It’s shorter and more direct than Alt 14. The exit is a few miles west of Sturgis. On paper, it may look like a longer route, but more of the mileage is on the interstate with its faster speed limit.

Pactola Resevoir

The Welcome Center/Chamber of Commerce is just north of Historic Downtown. If you’re not staying at one of the Hotel/Casinos, plan on parking there. The hotels reserve their parking for guests only. There isn’t much parking on the downtown streets, either. Parking at the Welcome Center is free. While we were there in September, there was no difficulty finding a space. The Visitor’s Center is a newer, nicely maintained building. The front lobby has plenty of printed material covering most of Deadwood’s attractions. The help desk has friendly, knowledgeable folks and a mini museum. The public bathrooms are clean and easy to find. If you don’t want to walk around town, trolleys come and go from the south side of the building.

Deadwood began as an illegal, rowdy mining town in the 1870s. (It was built in Indian territory.) Eventually, it settled down when the search for gold switched from panning to deep mining. Fires were the most common reason for busts which caused declines. In the 1980s, the town proposed capitalizing on its notorious past as a means of revitalization. Legalized gambling was allowed by the state in 1989. Mention Deadwood to someone and gambling will probably be the first thing which comes to mind. Of course, the casinos provide other entertainment too, like various music acts. The town and surrounding area also have a pretty active event schedule year round.

The vibe does seem to be more adult-centric. Families, and those not interested in “vice”, can still find things to do, however. The afternoon gun fights and Days of ’76 rodeo might be of interest (Summer).  Otherwise, think educational. History buffs can find plenty to do. Mount Moriah Cemetery is the resting place of many western notables like Seth Bullock, Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane. There are also informative plaques detailing the town’s history. Deadwood had a Chinatown and was inclusive at a time when more established parts of the US were not. It was also got telephone lines in 1878 and was an early adopter of electricity in 1883. The Days of ‘76 Museum is north of the welcome center. Adams Museum is south downtown, and Adams Historical Home is further south on Van Buren St.

The smaller town of Lead is just a few miles away, in case you run out of things to do in Deadwood. Science types might want to visit the Sanford Lab Visitors Center at Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center. If you’re going south from Deadwood, just stay on 85. From 385, turn left on 85 and go west.

Love the outdoors? Look for the 109 mile George S. Mickelson trail. The northern trailhead is located in the Lead/Deadwood area, and the southern end is at Edgemont. (Our daughter has hiked portions of it.) Or head to Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway. From Deadwood/Lead, take Hwy 85/Alt 14 south. It’s also known as the CanAm Hwy. After a while the highway will split. Alt 14 is the scenic byway which takes you thru the canyon to the town of Spearfish.

Shopping opportunities include the standard t-shirts/hoodies, biker and western wear; Black Hills Gold and Native American Jewelry; art; postcards and books; cigars at Deadwood Tobacco (Karl’s favorite); and the Deadwood Moonshine Distillery. Our next door neighbors were watching over our house while we were away. They were also keeping us posted about Hurricane Harvey. We thought they deserved a good souvenir. After trying a couple of samples, Kristal chose a jar of apple flavored moonshine as a gift. Everyone has been busy lately, but when we have a few minutes to visit, we’ll ask if they’ve made any interesting cocktails with the moonshine. Our older daughter and her fiancé enjoy reading. We purchased books about the bad boys and girls of Deadwood for them.

Dining options are easy to find. While steak does appear to dominate, there are other choices. When we visited with our younger daughter, we ate lunch at Mustang Sally’s. They do have some outside seating if you happen to be there when the weather is behaving. We’d call it a sports bar, but it does serve all ages.

We’re mostly day trippers these days, usually only a couple of hours at a time. During our brief visits to Deadwood this past fall, we just scratched the surface a bit. However, with family living in the area, we have a good reason to keep returning. Each time we’re in the Hills, we choose a few things we haven’t done yet. The activities in this post are on our bucket list, and we’re looking forward to our next visit, when we’ll enjoy some of them with our loved ones.

You can find more information on the following websites.

https://www.deadwood.com/

https://leadmethere.org/ (Lead Chamber of Commerce)

http://sanfordlabhomestake.com/science

https://gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/george-s--mickelson-trail/

https://visitspearfish.com/

The Black Hills in Autumn

This year, we didn’t embark on a trip up north until August 22. Our younger daughter, who now lives in Rapid City, had been pestering us all summer about our travel plans. As a result, the Black Hills were our first destination this year.

In the post, “Newbie’s Guide to South Dakota”, we provided general information about visiting the Black Hills and South Dakota. This year our visit spanned 3 weeks, from Aug. 26 – Sept. 17 (Day of departure to NW Iowa.) By the time we arrived, school had started for many communities, so travelers with children had thinned out quite a bit. Full-time and reverse snowbird RVers were starting to leave the area too. RV travelers didn’t completely disappear, though.

We stay with family while in the Black Hills, and our time there is as much about seeing people that matter to us, as visiting tourist attractions. Not that the area goes into complete hibernation after Labor Day. It just depends on your interests. This is the time of year when you find out what the locals like to do.

Weather is the wild card. As we’ve mentioned, we’re long-term Texans, who once upon a time, lived in South Dakota and NW Iowa. Past experience has taught us that the transitional seasons can be tricky the further you get from the equator. We remember a year or two when our daughters had to trick-or-treat in snow suits, and others where Indian Summer lasted until November. Not even a jacket required for Halloween. Moving, and acclimating, to a region which only has two (maybe 2 1/2) seasons, can make packing for locations more than 1,000 miles north a bit complicated. Just like our late spring, early summer trip last year, the weather was hot at home while we were packing. Even hotter, actually. It’s typical to have temps over 100° at the end of August in Texas. An exact date wasn’t set for our return, so we tried to cover our bases by packing some warm weather clothing, long sleeves & jeans, and waterproof rain gear. This was not the first time we’ve visited in August, after Sturgis, either. Just a week later than usual this time. But we’re quickly learning past knowledge can only help so much.

The day we arrived in the Hills started off warm and sunny in Nebraska. As we traveled north on Hwy. 385, especially after we passed thru Alliance, we entertained ourselves by watching thunderstorms develop north of us and speculating where they were headed. Turned out they were part of a system we drove into, just past the junction of Hwys. 18 & 79 in South Dakota. We encountered wind and heavy rain first, then were hailed on before we got much further down the road. Visibility was poor enough that we were forced to pull over and wait it out, along with other motorists. The sound was terrible. We prayed nothing would be broken or dented. We got lucky. Fortunately, the hail stones stayed small, and the worst of it passed over in less than 15 minutes. (May have been less than 10 minutes. Seemed to last a long time.) When we reached the home of our uncle, water was rushing over the lowest point of his driveway, the ground was still covered with hail, and the temperature had dropped more than 30 degrees. This episode pretty much set the tone for the 3 weeks we spent in the Hills.

While there were still summerlike days, there were just as many which were damp and chilly. The daylight hours were definitely getting shorter, and deciduous trees were starting to turn yellow. During our last night there, the temp went below freezing. Our uncle joked the Bluebirds, who regularly visited his bird bath, would have to bring ice skates. Officially, the calendar still said it was summer. But as most of us know from experience, the calendar is lousy at predicting weather. Still, this is earliest we remember being given a taste of Winter. Besides a northern latitude, the Black Hills do have higher elevations which can make the weather more unpredictable. (Granted, they’re not as high as the Rocky Mountains, where snow above 10,000 feet is not unusual in July.)

Luckily, we were traveling at a time of year when purchasing warm clothing and accessories wasn’t a problem. We even got to take advantage of Labor Day weekend sales to pick up a couple of heavier sweaters, stocking caps and thicker gloves.

There was another issue that took some of the fun out of our visit; air quality. No, Rapid City isn’t known for smog like the major cities (yet). Big fires around Los Angles have been in the news most recently. But large blazes were burning in several of the western states this year. Wind carried smoke from these fires a few hundred miles to the east. Some days there was a faint brown haze. On others, it was heavy and the smell of smoke was actually noticeable. It was bad enough to give Kristal a sinus headache on a couple of days. And probably contributed to the sinus aggravation she found herself fighting as we began our return to Texas a few weeks later.

Though it wasn’t perfect, we still enjoyed ourselves. Kristal and Unc got to do some star gazing. They tried her new telescope on the moon and some favorite constellations/star clusters. She’d never been to Deadwood. We went there 3 times; once by ourselves & once with our daughter. The third trip back was to find a new pair of glasses which Karl had dropped from a pocket. A kind stranger found them and turned them into a store where he’d been sitting on a bench out front. (They may never read this, but “Thank you, kind stranger!”) We also paid a couple of visits to downtown Rapid City and Hill City. Then there was the scenic drive we took on Hwys. 16A through Custer State Park, 87 through Wind Cave National Park, and 385 down to Hot Springs.

Any resemblance to Cousin Eddie is purely intentional.

Overall, it was one of the most relaxing visits we’ve had so far. We’ll just make sure to pack some of our winter gear next time.

Red Willow Recreation Area

We think Prairie sunsets are just as spectacular as any at an exotic beach.

However, the most colorful shows usually occur when there are clouds in the sky.

On this particular evening, thunderstorms were developing

to the north and west of us.

When observed in the wide-open skies of the Great Plains,

it’s much easier to see and appreciate their awesome power.

And a big relief when they go storm elsewhere.

This rec area has a nicely maintained little campground. It’s a few miles north of McCook, NE (SW corner of the state) and easy to reach from Hwy 83. The roads into the campground and down to the reservoir are gravel. Most of the campsites are graveled, with two exceptions. The handicap sites are concrete. They are placed next to the bathrooms, a handy option for those who need or prefer to use the campground’s facilities. We used the site closest to the campground entrance. (Karl is a permanently disabled veteran.) The handicap accessible bathroom next to it doesn’t have his/hers sides. Each unisex restroom has one flush toilet and coin-operated shower. The bathroom near the other handicap site, placed in the middle of the campground, might have vault toilets instead. (Our stay was in August. Memory is getting a bit fuzzy.) It’s easy to identify vault toilets by their (usually) taller ventilation pipes, handy knowledge if you don’t want to be camped next to, or like to use them.

Wherever you stay in the campground, it looks like Red Willow is either a new recreation area or has been recently updated. The gravel, concrete-paved handicap sites, bathrooms and power posts don’t appear very old. Since decent facilities are not always a given at any price range, including more expensive private RV parks, it’s always a nice surprise when you find them. Our only complaint here would be the coin-operated showers. Karl took a shower there and wasn’t certain he got the amount of time he initially paid for. He had to use more quarters in order to rinse off. We’ve now stayed at three NE state-run modern campgrounds. (Platte River SP, Fort Kearney & Red Willow Rec Areas) Each one of them had coin-operated showers, which may be standard for all of their developed campgrounds. So, come prepared with plenty of quarters if you need to use the showers.

In Nebraska, you will find two kinds of state-operated outdoor opportunities; state parks and recreation areas. Like many states, some of the state parks are historical sites and may not offer camping of any kind. The recreation areas offer camping, but when deciding which facilities (park or rec) you wish to visit, you will want to pay close attention to available amenities. In both cases, some are more developed than others.

For those who have never visited Nebraska, there is a reservation system for a certain number of state campsites. Some of the rec areas are first come, first served for all sites. If you don’t find a facility in the online reservation system, it’s because reservations aren’t taken for that location. Both SPs and rec areas require payment of a daily entrance free, but some of the rec areas do not have a manned entrance where your payment is taken and a campsite is assigned. They are self-serve, and at some locations it’s required that guests have the state’s annual recreation pass before using the facility. Red Willow is self-serve and has this requirement. Some other campgrounds may allow you to add the entrance fee to the envelope with your campsite payment. Contact Outdoor Nebraska if you need to verify which rec areas require the annual entrance pass and where at those locations it can be obtained. Otherwise, just make it easy on yourself and purchase the pass online, far enough ahead of a trip so it has enough time to reach you by mail. The pass does cost more for out-of-state visitors. However, daily entrance fees can add up when you’re spending more than a day or two at any of the campgrounds. At the very least, you could break even. Camp long enough, or use the parks/rec areas frequently for other activities, and the pass will actually save money. By the way, the self-service rec areas aren’t unsupervised. They still have state employees who keep things tidy and check up on campers.

The following is the official website for Nebraska’s parks and rec areas. This link is specifically for Red Willow. However, it’s not difficult to navigate if you’re looking for facilities in another area of the state. The official state and McCook tourism sites have lots of useful information, too. There are more camping opportunities in the McCook area, including 3 other rec areas also on reservoirs. Red Willow worked out best for us, since we took Hwy. 83 all the way from Childress, TX to I-80 at Ogallala, NE, while on our way to the Black Hills. Just so you are aware, it’s on a hill above the lake. Some of the sites at the back of the campground have a lake view. If you want a lakeside site, you may be able to find one at the other rec areas.

http://outdoornebraska.gov/redwillow/

https://visitnebraska.com/

https://visitmccook.com/  or http://www.gotomccook.com/

From a Colorado native and former mountain snob (Kristal), if you’re wondering why anyone would deliberately visit a “boring” mid-western state now that the Great American Eclipse is over, ponder this quote by Willa Cather found on the Visit McCook tourism home page. “Anybody can love the mountains, but it takes a soul to love the Prairie.”