Rock Island Park

The old train trestle is on the south side of the park.

It’s part of the walking/biking path.

In our “glamping” post, we mentioned being gone 5 weeks. You might say our daughter had an after-graduation bucket list of things she wanted to do while we were visiting. (And we had time to kill before helping her move anyway.)

If you would like to attend some festivals while on your RV travels, Orange City, IA has a Tulip Festival the third weekend in May. Our daughters were born in Orange City, then we moved to Texas when the girls were in elementary school. The older daughter got to participate in the festival once, but the younger one missed out. This year was the first time we were in the area during the festival, so it was on her list of activities.

Find out more at this link.

http://www.octulipfestival.com/

One of Orange City’s municipal parks does have RV spaces, but we didn’t want to stay there while the festival was underway. This is a town of less than 10,000 people who entertain more than 100,000 in 3 days. Instead, we left the Black Hills for Rock Rapids, IA. It’s approximately an hour north of Orange City, and we have family who lives there.

Rock Rapids has two municipal camp grounds. If you come into town from I-90 on Hwy 9/Hwy 75, you’ll pass one of them in the smaller park on the west side of town. Since we didn’t want to be next to the highway (Semi traffic), it was bypassed in favor of Rock Island Park, at the NE corner of town. Continue east into town. Hwy 9 becomes 1^st Ave. Rock Island Park’s address is North Boone Street. Look for Sunshine Foods grocery store on 1^st Ave. and the street just east of the parking lot. Turn left and drive north 2 blocks. North Boone becomes Park Street inside the park. The campsite registration envelopes are at this entrance. Get your envelope and follow the gravel road to the campsites. (There is another entrance into the park on 2^nd Ave, but you wouldn’t want to take an RV on this rout. This entrance is below a steep, cobblestone covered hill.) Here is the city’s webpage concerning camping.

http://www.rockrapids.com/index.php?pageid=737562746f7069635f69643a3539

If asked how we would rate the different places we’ve stayed so far, Rock Island Park would get an honorable mention. It’s a pretty park sitting next to the Rock River. Some of the campsites are close to the playground and a branch of the river that flows thru the middle of the park.

This is the entrance to the walking path bridge.

Once you've crossed the bridge, this is the view of the path above the river

Several varieties of plants along the path were blooming, including the lilacs.

We can’t grow them in Texas and were happy to be there while they were flowering.

This section under water was closed.

Though the water over the path wasn’t very deep, it was moving fast.

The old railroad depot has some interesting architectural features.

This caboose is part of the Lyon County Museum.

The following are things to do in and around the park. Starting at the old train depot above the park, you will find the paved walking/bike path. It utilizes the old train trestle that crosses the park and river. On the other side, the path follows the river to the north side of the park. It was Kristal’s favorite place to walk the dogs. (Leave the park from the 2^nd Ave. entrance. Go one block west to the post office and turn right on N. Storey St. Turn right on the sidewalk at the south side of the depot. There is also a section of the path that crosses the river in the park, just below the biggest dam, which takes you directly to the north side. The river was flowing over it while we were there, so it was closed.) History buffs may enjoy visiting the complex of buildings, including the old depot, which make up the Lyon County Museum. The community swimming pool is open during the summer months. There is also Smokin’ Hos Pig Time BBQ, located next to the park’s 2^nd Ave. entrance. We camped in the park for 1 ½ weeks, thru Memorial Day Weekend, and the BBQ joint didn’t appear to be open yet. Since it’s an outdoor operation, seems a safe guess to say they’re seasonal. The following link is for their Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/Smokin-Hos-Pig-Time-BBQ-384194645120366/

Northwest Iowa, including Rock Rapids, was hit by major flooding in 2014. The campsites in Rock Island Park were under water. As a result, there are new electrical hook-ups, including 50 amp.

The city website mentions water and sewer. We saw water hydrants near some of the campsites, which means you can fill your fresh water holding tank. As for sewer hook-ups or a dump station, we recommend calling the city before you plan to stay there. Since our trailer wasn’t fully functional, yet, that was a service we weren’t using. We’re not certain it’s still available after the post-flood restoration. To accommodate our BAV and 31’ trailer, the campsite next to the playground ended up being our best choice, because it was long enough, and one of the sites closest to the bathrooms in the park. (The pool complex sits on the hill above the park. Not as convenient for a disabled veteran. There were still plenty of thunderstorms, too. Our hail photo was taken in Rock Rapids. Best to be close to the potty when it’s raining.) While the bathrooms aren’t fancy, they do have flush toilets. The city employees check on them and tidy up almost every morning. For showers and dish washing, we went to the relatives’ house. Karl enjoyed the time he spent with his mom, but overall the park just wasn’t as convenient a place for us to stay. When our trailer is finished and completely self-contained, we’ll probably find it easier to camp there.

You should also be aware the park has plenty of activity. Weather permitting, the playground is popular with the daycare near the pool, and area families. The locals either like to take a slow cruise around the park or do some fishing on the river. It can be a little quieter on a weekday, but gets busier in the evenings and on weekends. The campsites filled up for Memorial Day weekend. We’re not sure how busy they are during the summer, but 4^th of July and Labor Day are probably in-demand dates too. One other thing that might affect your stay in Rock Rapids would be the speedway races held on Friday nights. They can get loud, and how late they run depends on the schedule. For those who might find the races interesting, the link follows.

http://www.rockrapidsspeedway.com/

An advantage municipal parks can offer is price. Rock Rapids was charging $15.00 a night while we were there. Not bad for a campsite with electricity. Sometimes RVers will boondock overnight in shopping center parking lots while on the road. If you’re comfortable staying overnight in a community, why not see if a municipal campground is available instead? Or perhaps you need an inexpensive near-cation. While we enjoy state parks and army corps campgrounds, visiting small towns can be an interesting change of pace, especially if you time your visit with an event peculiar to the community.

Newbie’s Guide to South Dakota

This photo was taken while we were at Mt. Rushmore.

If you take the Presidential Walk, while you’re on the higher elevations,

be sure to point your camera away from the memorial

and towards the surrounding scenery.

You may have noticed we have more than a passing familiarity with the 40^th State. Karl grew up there. Kristal’s parents moved to the southeast corner of the state in 1985, while she was in high school, then moved to the Black Hills in the late 1990s. Her mom died last year, but she still has some family members there. Even without family visits, we enjoy returning. The residents are usually friendly, and the wide-open spaces make you feel free. It’s a nice change of pace from living in a large urban area.

As you would imagine, the peak time for travel in an upper Great Plains state is late Spring to early Fall, basically May thru September. Most of the tourist attractions in the Black Hills are open during this time period, but we recommend visiting the websites for those which interest you and verify the pertinent information yourself. Some things open earlier and stay open later, while others may be available year round.

For those planning trips during peak season, you may need to start making reservations a year or more in advance for state parks and private RV parks/resorts. That pretty much applies to the entire state. Quite a few Midwesterners own RVs. Some of the state and local campgrounds might be fairly empty during the week, but will be completely reserved for weekends and holidays. (Don’t forget tourists traveling to/from the Hills. Campsites along the way might be filled all week.) The super-popular Black Hills state parks, like Custer, will pretty much be booked the entire season. Many of the private RV parks, such as Hart Ranch Camping Resort, cater to folks who come to stay for the summer. For the intrepid fall/winter traveler, state parks and RV resorts may be open year round. But some amenities, like water hookups might not be available. Those are often turned off, and drained, to keep pipes from freezing and bursting during extreme cold spells.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is probably one of the best known events in South Dakota. It occurs in early August. You don’t have to own a motorcycle to see the races, shows and concerts; visit the venders; or be entertained by the first-class people watching. More than a few RV owners enjoy attending. If you plan to go in the future, do your research on all the lodging/camping options and start making your plans. Many rally attendees come every year and either have long-standing reservations, or make the next year’s before they leave. We’ve never made a deliberate trip to attend Sturgis, but happened to be visiting family a few times while the rally was underway. Before going to the Black Hills during Sturgis keep this in mind. More than 3 million people visit the Hills every year. At least 1 million of them show up during the week of the rally, and they don’t stay confined to the Sturgis area, or the official rally events. Such a large number of visitors are big business not only for all the tourist attractions, but hotels, restaurants and retailers as well.

Traffic throughout the area will be heavy during the rally. I-90 and Hwy. 79 are the major, multi-lane highways in the area.  Most of the scenic roads in the Hills are two-lane. A large part of the rally’s attraction is enjoying those scenic roads from the seat of a motorcycle. If non-riders don’t picture themselves enjoying the spectacle of so many motorcycles in one place, and going with the flow, it’s definitely better not to visit during the rally.

(Here’s a secret for you. Want that bad-ass Sturgis T-shirt without the rally price? After it ends, and probably even during the last day or two, merchandise designed for specific years or anniversaries starts getting pretty nice discounts.  Leftover dated items are harder to sell the next year.)

To learn more about the Sturgis Rally, pay a visit to the official rally website below.

http://www.sturgismotorcyclerally.com/

Here are other rally related things to be aware of.

Even if you’re visiting another part of the state during Sturgis, keep in mind those attending don’t just magically appear there. Sturgis attendees come from all over, so there will be lots of motorcyclists traveling throughout South Dakota, and neighboring states, a week or two before, and after, the rally. Some of them might be in large groups or traveling alone. Motorcycles coming up behind you can be difficult enough to spot when you’re not towing something. But for RV travelers with limited visibility, the larger volume of motorcycles can complicate things further, especially on the hilly two-lane highways.

Another thing we’ve noticed during rally time is the weather. It could be bone dry most of the summer, then kick up some really big thunderstorms, including hail, while the rally is underway. Since there are approx. 1 million people riding about on motorcycles, it might have something to do with Murphy’s Law.

While on the subject of weather, the wind is pretty much constant in the Plains states, especially during daylight hours. This was mentioned in our last 3 posts. Do your best to be prepared for it, both with appropriate clothing and proper auxiliary equipment to maintain towing safety, such as keeping your RV in its own lane. (Our Pro-Pride is going to need some maintenance before our next big trip, so we’ll do a post on this topic later.) An acquaintance recently mentioned she was nearly blown off the road once, while riding her motorcycle in Wyoming. Such incidents are another reason to keep a sharp eye on everything around you, and both hands on the steering wheel.

South Dakota also has a split personality. East of the Missouri River you will find higher humidity and precipitation. West River is considerably drier. East River has more farms. West River has more ranches. The below-zero Canadian cold fronts can hit the east side of the state pretty hard, along with plenty of snow. The southwest corner of the state may have more reasonable temps and less snow in the winter. Of course, this information is mostly general. It can vary from year to year. South Dakota is also one of 14 states in 2 time zones, Central and Mountain.

This is South Dakota’s official tourism website. Check it out and start planning your adventure.

https://www.travelsouthdakota.com/

The state’s official slogan is something about great faces and spaces. I think it’s safe to say we agree. Even though we’ve lived in Texas more than 16 years now, South Dakota still feels a bit like home.

Mt. Rushmore

If you only do one thing while at the memorial,

take a walk on the Presidential Trail.

Our other NPS visit in South Dakota was to Mt. Rushmore, a National Memorial. Our recent college graduate joined us for the visit with Kristal’s uncle, who lives near Hermosa. We hadn’t visited the Memorial since 2000, when she was in the first grade. It was her request to spend a couple of hours there.

Our recent college graduate

She and Daddy are now alumni of the same university.

Mt. Rushmore is a day visit park. How much time you spend there, depends on what you want to see and any programs you might be interested in attending. Visiting the memorial itself is free. However, a private corporation is in charge of the parking. The parking isn’t free.

History buffs probably know why the four presidents depicted in the Memorial were selected for the honor. But for those not certain about the chap with the glasses, he is Theodore Roosevelt. When the memorial was first proposed, it really hadn’t been that many years since his presidency. While we’re on the subject of the NPS, including TR in the conversation is actually very appropriate. His terms in office occurred before the NPS was created. But he did more than any president before or after to set aside land, memorials and monuments which would eventually fall under the administration of the NPS. (Another interesting fact not mentioned in the following articles: As a boy, TR witnessed the funeral procession of President Lincoln when it passed thru NYC.)

Learn a little bit more about Mt. Rushmore and Theodore Roosevelt at the following links.

https://www.travelsouthdakota.com/explore-with-us/great-8/mount-rushmore

http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/theodore-roosevelt

https://www.nps.gov/thrb/learn/historyculture/trandthenpsystem.htm

If you haven’t spent your entire day at Mt. Rushmore, or your money at the gift and ice cream shops, pay a visit to Keystone. It’s an old mining town on Hwy. 16 and just down the road from Mt. Rushmore. Depending on the direction you take to the memorial, there is a good chance you’ll drive thru it on your way. The majority of the town’s tourist shops are on the boardwalk in the center of town, including the obligatory Black Hills Gold jewelry stores, t-shirt/sweatshirt shops, old-timey photo studio, a Victorian themed restaurant, and rowdy saloon (especially during the Sturgis Bike Rally). The sugary treats are covered too. The salt water taffy and fudge shops are our favorites.

This year, Kristal finally agreed to a photo shoot with our daughter at Professor Samuel’s. There was a bit of disagreement about how they were going to dress up, floozies or cowgirls. Mom wasn’t feeling the floozy option. (She “believed” they were overdone.) But cowgirls got guns for props, something that appealed to both.

Rattlesnake Rae and Kactus Kris

We had hamburgers and onion rings at Grizzly Creek Restaurant, picked up our bag of salt water taffy, and visited Black Hills Glass Blowers for thank you gifts. (When neighbors and older daughters are watching the home front for more than a month, you owe them an extra special gift.) Neither Grizzly Creek, or the glass blowers’ shop are on the boardwalk, but they aren’t difficult to find. Info on the various businesses and attractions located in or near Keystone can be found on their Chamber of Commerce website. Look under the “Plan Your Visit” menu.

http://keystonechamber.com/

This is the first year we brought our Airstream to the Black Hills. We boon docked in the yard where Kristal’s uncle lives, which isn’t an option for everyone. For our next post, we’ll provide some info, including RV lodging, to consider before your visit to South Dakota in general and the Black Hills in particular.

The Badlands

Kristal was a bit worried a cloudy day would dull the colors of the rock formations.

Actually, it doesn’t affect the colors much at all, and an overcast day

means you can take pictures in any direction without worrying how

the sun will glare on your lens.

Since it’s an election year and there has been plenty of other “stuff” in the news, we’re not sure how many Americans know an important milestone has occurred in our country.

This year the National Park Service is celebrating a big birthday – 100 years. Have a special family event coming up? Instead of spending your precious time in an amusement park, why not join the birthday celebration and go play in America’s backyard?

Seven attractions in South Dakota are under the supervision of the National Park Service. Of the natural attractions, The Badlands are probably the best known.

Several signs are situated around the park.

Most of the signs we saw were located at overlooks

or on a broadwalk that allows you to view the prairie up close.

 The Badlands are mostly oriented East to West with two entrances into the park. You can do a one way trip through the park like we did, depending on which way you travel there, what you want to do while visiting, and where you’re traveling when you leave.

We traveled to the Badlands from Ft. Randall Dam. Rather than following the Missouri River up to I-90, we got on Hwy. 18 and headed west. We picked up lunch and topped off the gas tank in Winner. No matter how much gas you have, fill the tank in Winner if you take the same route we did. Once you get into the Indian reservations, gas stations are difficult to find. (The one gas station we did locate right off the highway wasn’t a very good fit for our big van and 31 ft. trailer. The pumps were also old and didn’t take cards for payment. We got gas in Interior before driving through the Badlands.) From Winner you can take Hwys 183 & 44 to Interior, or you can stay on Hwy 18 to Mission, then take 83 to 44. Just be aware traveling through this part of the state can be a bit challenging. While they are paved, most of the highways are not in great condition. You also won’t have a cell phone signal all the time, or see a lot of people. However, your sense of adventure will be rewarded with the feeling that you have the world to yourself.

For those who want to camp, there are some options including 2 campgrounds run by the NPS. The campground at the Southeast entrance of the park is right off the paved road. It has electrical hookups. The other campground at the west end of the park is undeveloped and off a gravel road. There are also some private RV parks in or near Interior, the small town closest to the Southeast entrance. We stayed at the KOA located about 4 miles SE of Interior because it was not only a full-service RV park, but was the most sheltered place we could find in the area. When the weather is cold and windy, small valleys and scrubby trees (when there are few in the area) can make camping more tolerable, even with an RV. It also turned out to be an interesting place to do some people watching. A big, red double-decker bus full of European tourists stopped there for the night, too. From what we could gather, there were a total of 25 people including the driver, and the bus had individual sleeping compartments for everyone.

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Kristal has done a little research to identify some of the plants she photographed,

But she hasn’t found positive IDs for some of them.

We’re guessing this little beauty is a primrose.

The flowers’ shape and their stamens are very similar to the pink primroses

we have here in Texas, but the foliage isn’t the same.

Notice the “soil” around this plant. It looks like it should be soft and powdery.

Don’t be fooled. It’s hard and slippery almost like glass.

Park officials would prefer visitors don’t leave paved areas or paths anyway.

If you need to get closer to something within a few feet of designated areas,

step carefully.

Not sure what this plant is either. Perhaps a type of Clover?

As for the Badlands themselves, the road provided by the NPS is nice to drive on and many pull-offs/scenic overlooks are available for your photo taking opportunities. Though it’s a time of year when the weather can be uncertain, we recommend going in the spring. The multi-colored rock formations are even more interesting to look at when surrounded by a sea of green prairie grass. There will also be blooming wild flowers. Sometime between early to mid-summer the prairie grasses on the Great Plains usually turn brown. Of course, when this happens depends on how much rainfall occurs into summer. By the time we got home in early June, Kristal’s uncle reported it got hot in the Black Hills and the grass was already brown. Other years, it can stay green in the area most of the summer.

Big Horn Sheep are quite good at blending into their environment,

and we almost missed them.

Kristal is still shopping for additional lenses for her camera and was using her kit lens.

She got as close as she dared to this group (1 ram & 3 ewes) without disturbing them.

Wildlife sightings in the Badlands are possible. Seeing the prairie dogs is pretty much a given. They are active most of the day and some of their “towns” aren’t too far from the road. If you’ve never seen them before, they can be entertaining to watch. Other sightings are going to be dependent on animal species and time of day. We drove through the park during mid to late morning and had given up hope of seeing anything else, since we were on our way out at the west end. Suddenly, we noticed some movement on the south side of the highway. A Big Horned Sheep was walking along the edge of a ravine, while a small group lay on the ground nearby. If it hadn’t been for the moving sheep, we would have missed them. Unfortunately, the area where they were located was beyond the pullouts and overlooks. The only option we had for getting photos was to pull onto the gravel road that goes to the undeveloped campground so Kristal could walk back with her camera.

Information about the park can be found here - https://www.nps.gov/badl/upload/Badlands%20Visitor%20Guide%202009-2.pdf

The extent of our visit was driving thru and taking photos, but since Karl has an America the Beautiful Pass, we may be back for a longer visit. Kristal would like to attend the Night Sky Program. Sadly, we were there before it started in June.

After we left the Badlands, we went to Wall and made a brief stop at Wall Drug. Traveling with an RV? Just follow the signs to the over-size vehicle parking lot. Besides the famous free glass of ice water, there is a restaurant and plenty of gift stores. Think of it as a Western and Pioneer themed shopping mall. (Though in their defense, the original drug store has been around longer than most malls – since 1931) We were traveling with our pets, so we weren’t able stay very long. Still, it’s one of South Dakota’s original tourist traps. Those first glasses of ice water were handed out in 1936, during an era when Americans were starting to discover the joys of leisure travel. Note that year, fellow Airstreamers. It’s the same one that saw another icon take to the open road for fun and adventure. That alone makes Wall Drug worth at least one visit in our opinion. Learn about it here - http://www.walldrug.com/

North Point Recreation Area, Ft. Randall Dam

A view from the north side of Lake Francis Case to the south,

looking across the main channel of the reservoir and Missouri River.

If you’ve ever traveled in South Dakota it’s a good possibility you have encountered the Missouri river at least once. Traveling East/West on I-90, or through the Southeast corner of the state to/from Nebraska, means crossing it somewhere along the way.

When it comes to rivers in the United States, the Mississippi is probably the most famous. But it isn’t actually the longest. That honor actually goes to the Missouri, which is one of the Mississippi’s larger tributaries. While the Mississippi is a major shipping route, the Missouri is the gateway to the West. It has long-standing importance to Native Americans, but its contribution to US history starts with the explorers Lewis and Clark. During the early 19^th century it continued to be a route for fur trappers, then became a thoroughfare for pioneers and river boats. By the 20^th century, it was a source of irrigation and electricity, with several dams built on it, including the 6 mainstem dams. The mainstems are hydroelectric and hold some of the largest reservoirs in the US. Four of those dams are in South Dakota.

South Dakotans are well aware of the recreational opportunities to be found on the Missouri River. But if you’re in the habit of just crossing over it on the way to the Black Hills, you’re missing an opportunity to see a state which is far more interesting than the view from I-90 would have you believe. Starting from South to North the dams are Gavin’s Point (Yankton), Ft. Randall (Pickstown/Lake Andes), Big Bend (Chamberlain/Ft. Thompson) and Oahe (Pierre, the state capitol). After our daughter’s graduation we planned a visit to a relative in the Black Hills, traveling from Vermillion to Hermosa. We made it a two night trip by way of Ft. Randall Dam and the Badlands.

Northpoint Recreation Area has some nice, long campsites.

They’re also reasonably spaced from their next door neighbors.

Ft. Randall Dam/Lake Francis Case has at least 2 state parks located near the dam. North Point Recreation area is located on the north side and just a bit up creek. It’s nicely maintained with paved roads, gravel campsites that have electrical hook-ups, and modern bathrooms whose showers have free hot water. (For those who prefer to use the provided bathrooms, hot water in the showers, without having to pay extra for it, is a big deal. We encountered state parks in Oklahoma and Nebraska who didn’t provide hot water unless some quarters were given in exchange.)

Like most reservoirs, camping, boating, fishing and hunting are some of the activities that can be found around the Mainstem dams during certain times of year. Their hydroelectric facilities are also available for tours. Since we were there for one night, it was mostly enjoying the scenery and taking the dogs for a walk. However, though it was a sunny day, our visit was during the cold spell which came to South Dakota for almost 3 weeks. Besides being chilly it was plenty windy when we arrived in the afternoon. The wind finally died down to reasonable levels in the evening, allowing Kristal to take her camera out during the golden hour for some photo taking.

Another view to the west, across a large bay which borders

the west side of the campground.

Kristal liked the strong contrast between light and dark

that the setting sun created on the hills.

Considering we were there on a Saturday, it was a pleasant surprise to have the place mostly to ourselves. Might have had something to do with the colder weather or that our visit occurred before Memorial Day. We don’t really know for sure, but it was nice.

Want to learn more about the Missouri river in South Dakota? Start at this site - http://sdmissouririver.com/. Find info on North Point Recreation Area here - http://gfp.sd.gov/state-parks/directory/north-point/. From this page you can find links which will allow you to locate all the state parks in South Dakota, including others which can also be found by the Missouri River reservoirs.

We Wouldn’t Call It Glamping…

Fortunately, this was small hail.

However, it still sounds scary when you’re in an aluminum travel trailer or tent.

While we were aware of the chance for a severe thunderstorm,

this storm still took us by surprise.

It blew in suddenly, about two hours before sunset,

while Kristal was doing rabbit playtime and chores in the tent.

She didn’t have any choice except to wait for a break in the weather

before bringing the rabbits and herself into the trailer.

We interrupt this renovation to bring you another trip! Yes, folks, we’ve done it again and took our trailer up North before completing all our projects. This time we were gone for a grand total of five weeks.

The catalyst for our latest adventure was our younger daughter’s college graduation. We ended up staying north for more than a month because she wanted us to help her relocate to another apartment. (She has no immediate plans to return to Texas.)

There have been delays to our renovation schedule for various reasons, including bad weather. However, we’ve been fortunate not to lose anything during the flooding events which have now occurred in the Houston area for two spring seasons in a row. Not being able to complete work on the trailer is a minor annoyance compared to what others have been through recently. However, getting it out of town was a minor miracle, and that was just the beginning.

Some people who come into RV ownership are those like us who already have experience with camping and/or long-distance travel. Vintage RV ownership adds another dimension to the endeavor which can be fun, but despite the public’s fondness for calling this particular past-time “Glamping”, that darling camper isn’t a perfect bubble of protection from all that is unpleasant. We’ll be the first to admit we enjoy looking at other peoples’ pretty pictures of their RVs and the places they’ve been to. Yes, our trailer, as an Airstream, is already considered a Glamper. We went to some neat places ourselves during our last trip, and will share a few pictures in upcoming posts. But this trip also included bugs; cold, stormy weather; hot, sunny days; lots of wind; and dirt. We often found ourselves wondering who invented the word “Glamping”. Had they ever camped? We didn’t think so after cleaning up muddy prints off our new floor after one of many rain storms we experienced.

A frequent newbie question we often see on forums is, “I would like to own RV (__). Where do I start?” Being honest with yourself about your budget is always a good place. There are some other things you should ask yourself, too. What is your motivation for wanting an RV in the first place? How often will you get to use it, and how far do you plan to travel with it? Do you have practical experience which will allow to you to enjoy your new acquisition with confidence? (1. Preventing emergencies. 2. Dealing with emergencies when help isn’t close.) Last, but not least. Are you willing to do some real work while you’re on vacation?

Yes, RV ownership involves real work. For the vintage crowd, restoration/renovation will have plenty of non-glamorous projects which will need to be addressed before you get to the fun stuff, like decorating. Once the projects are completed, there will be ongoing maintenance if you want to keep your baby in tip-top shape. That maintenance will also include your auxiliary equipment which helps keep you safe while traveling, or provides electricity when you don’t have shore power (Sway-control/weight distribution hitches, generators and/or solar system.) Long-distance traveling and being gone for several weeks could mean you’ll be working on your RV while on the road. Karl needed to add some grease to our sway-prevention hitch after windy wear-and-tear and some bad roads. Then the original air conditioner decided to get finicky. Fortunately, there really wasn’t anything wrong with it other than a few years of dirt.

Bringing the “comforts of home” with you generates work as well. Meals to cook, dishes to wash, cleaning house… If you travel with children, pets, or both, there will be plenty of cleaning. Oh! Don’t forget the laundry. Stay away from home long enough, and you will have to figure out where clothing and bedding will get washed, not to mention when it will fit into your travel schedule.

How much stuff you have with you will determine how long it takes to set up and break down camp. Hitching up to your trailer involves making doubly sure all connections are secure and all signals working properly before you hit the road, every single time. Staying somewhere only one or two nights? Take our advice. Don’t unhitch unless you have to, but do make sure you unplug the 7-way cord from the tow vehicle while stopped overnight (and remember to plug it back in again before leaving.)

Travelers of all kinds are vulnerable to the weather, including RVers. If your home can be destroyed by a disaster, your vehicle and RV certainly could. Even a weekend trip does not excuse you from keeping a close eye on weather conditions. Pay attention to, and heed, all advisories. Weather isn’t just a concern when you’re staying somewhere. It affects you while on the road, too. (Stormy weather from Texas well into the Great Plains states delayed leaving on our last trip by 4 days. Our daughter was getting concerned we might not be there for her graduation.) Remember the wind mentioned earlier? It not only makes being outside at your campsite less than pleasant, crosswinds with big gusts will provide plenty of white-knuckle driving. Heavy rain and/or hail, flooding, poor visibility, tornado warnings, icy conditions, extreme drought and fire hazards… are also good reasons not to be on the road or visiting a particular area. So be prepared to adjust your plans. Mother Nature doesn’t care if you have a schedule or bucket list.

If you have travel with a trailer whose interior storage space is not yet completed,

you will be living out of a suitcase.

It isn’t the end of the world, but does make it a bit trickier to pack for a longer trip.

We used a 50/50 rule for both cold and warm weather.

Still, there were some things we wished had been packed since the weather

turned unpleasant for more than 2 weeks.

Kristal got tired of having cold, wet athletic shoes so she ordered the water-proof shoes

and had them sent to our daughter’s address.

When you keep your extremities warm and dry, life is far more pleasant.

Just make sure you have a back-up plan in case you forgot something,

or didn’t have it in the first place.

We were traveling in May, and it was difficult to find cold weather necessities in stores.

The internet can be your oyster as long as you have the means to access it,

and a physical address where items can be shipped.

When making those lists of items you want to bring, don’t forget the necessities, like first aid kits for various bites/other injuries and bug repellants. Get vet records for the pets and make sure they have the appropriate insect deterrents. Most of us know flying, biting insects are just a part of life regardless of where you live. Creepy, crawly blood suckers are another matter. Urban dwellers may not be acquainted with some of those, like ticks. Also, wildlife encounters, even with smaller critters, can have bad consequences. Take time to make sure everyone in your party learns to use a little common sense, including your children. And never assume you are staying in an area where proper supervision of everyone isn’t necessary.

In addition to being a home for wildlife, tall grass and heavy underbrush are prime tick country, but even if you stay out of those areas, you may find them invading your campsite. They’re especially active in late spring and early summer. Lyme Disease is no joke.

Even though we came prepared, we still had to deal with a tick invasion right after we arrived in South Dakota. A hot day brought them out in droves. A last tick check at bedtime had us feeling pretty safe when we went to sleep. Until Kristal scratched her head at 4 a.m. and found a tick in her hair. Four out of 5 dogs had ticks too. (The topical we use on our dogs at home doesn’t include tick protection. We got an oral preventive from our vet before we left, but had to wait a week to give it since the topical had just been applied. Once the oral kicked in, it worked like a charm.) We ended up going into town for more Permethrin for the camp site and kept at least a couple of bottles on hand for the remainder of our trip. Everything inside and outside the trailer was treated. .

Enjoy the wildlife sightings. Just make sure you aren’t feeding the animals, deliberately or unintentionally. It’s a dangerous thing to do for a variety of reasons. Being tired after a long day of traveling doesn’t excuse you from securing all food, including the vittles for your pets. When we began the return journey home, our first stop was a state park in Nebraska. Traveling with 5 dogs means feeding one at a time, not in confined spaces. By the time everyone was fed and treated to a long walk around the park, we were exhausted. The pet food containers were still sitting on the picnic table. Surely, they were OK for one night. Wrong, wrong, wrong! The fact that they were left out caused Kristal a somewhat sleepless night. Finally, she couldn’t stand it anymore and got up to check on them. Two dark shadows ran away from our campsite, and she found the dog food container on the ground with its lid lying almost a foot away. She’s fairly certain the uninvited dinner guests were raccoons. You may be picturing a certain movie, “The Great Outdoors”, right now. She did too. When you do something stupid, or get lazy, finding some humor never hurts. Still, getting more dog food isn’t that easy if you feed a brand which isn’t widely available. (Kristal’s rabbits came on this trip too. Their food, easily found at a feed store, wasn’t touched. Raccoons, being omnivores, could have chosen either way. Of course, being prime opportunists, they went for the expensive dog food.)

Also be aware there are some critters you may not want to meet unintentionally. Kristal encountered a snake in the grass (literally) during our return home. It was in mowed grass, less than 2 feet from a road. She was walking one of the dogs and came very close to stepping on it. If it hadn’t reared its head, she wouldn’t have seen it. The snake didn’t seem terribly large. However, it was hard to tell. It appeared to be coiled up in a depression under the grass. What concerned Kristal was the possibility it was a rattlesnake. The shape of the head made her a bit worried, but she wasn’t going to get any closer for a positive ID. This is one of those occasions when you’re better off making an assumption. Stumble upon a snake? Unless you’re a true expert, just assume it’s poisonous. Stay calm and carefully back off. We were at a lake in Oklahoma, and the nearest town was very small. It’s doubtful the emergency services to deal with a poisonous snake bite were available there. Rattlesnakes in particular have a very large range in North America, though each region will have more than one species of poisonous reptile. We were at a modern Army Corp campground with some of the trappings of civilization – paved roads and campsites, electricity, flush toilets and hot showers. The snake encounter was a good reminder for us that tragedies can occur anywhere and a certain amount of vigilance is always a good idea. When you start taking things too much for granted, you’re more likely to have a bad experience.

You can still call RV travel “Glamping” if you wish. When you find the courage to act on them, dreams are often the catalyst for launching us on new adventures. But being able to find enjoyment in those adventures, even when they’re less than perfect, is a true gift. Just add a healthy dose of reality to your fantasies, and someday you’ll have a lifetime of special memories to cherish.