This year, the bug struck again, and the Igoes set off in an RV across the great, wide North. If you’ve been following along, I broke our trip into a few different posts for the sake of readability but wanted to recap here and speak more to the trip itself than to the finer details.
We picked up our rig, a 24-foot Winnebago, in Rapid City, SD. If you are flying here, keep in mind that Uber XLs can be hard to get, so it was actually faster to get two separate Ubers. The owner the RV was not present when we arrived but left a key and texted several instructions. This actually does make things a bit more difficult. If you don’t RV all the time, you don’t know the basics of things like black valve then grey valve, how to prime the generator, etc. Our owner was quite helpful via phone call and text but getting a walk through is usually better.
The RV had one small slide out for the table bed, a nice bed in the back and the typical loft. We basically wedged Clara in her car seat next to the table, and she spent most nights with JR in the loft, the largest of the sleeping areas. I strongly recommend walking around the outside of the RV and walking through with your camera on so that you can document anything that existed prior to your trip, damage-wise. It was not an issue this time around, but our last trip involved a dispute that was resolved in our favor due to our foresight.
In terms of lodging, we try to stay at KOAs when possible; we have never had a bad experience. That said, there isn’t always one close by, so you have to do some digging. Be sure to read what exactly each site offers. For us, we need full hook-ups and a comfort center (which just means bathrooms and showers). We use the restroom in the RV when necessary but try to minimize it when possible.
This year, thankfully, I hit neither a gas station nor a Dairy Queen, so that’s a plus. The thing one must take into account with every turn of an RV is that the radius is far different than a regular car. You’ve got to give yourself a wide berth and have to be quite careful whilst changing lanes.
All told, if you are willing to take the plunge, I think you’ll love it. Driving an RV is great, and if your kids are the right ages (and constitutions), it makes memories that will last forever.
Our Itinerary
Day 1: We left the Rapid City airport, picked up the RV, drove through Wal-Mart and stayed the night at the Fall River Ranch RV resort, just south of Wind Cave NP.
Day 2: We got up early and spent a few hours at Wind Cave. The cave itself was closed, but I have been before, and it shouldn’t be missed. Above ground, there’s a nice hike called Rankin Ridge, which was definitely worth our time. From there, we went to Jewel Cave and took a short but fascinating tour. We drove back around to the other side of Custer State Park and went to the Cosmos Mystery Area. It’s cool, it’s kitschy, and it’s a good way to kill an hour. We finished the day with a Buffalo Jeep Safari out of the south end of Custer, which was pretty spectacular.
Day 3: We stayed that night at the Mount Rushmore KOA, got up early and went to Mount Rushmore. This is a place that should be visited by every American. Following that, we took a short drive to Crazy Horse Memorial, which while currently unfinished, is still really impressive. We hiked the Cathedral Spires trail that afternoon and spent the rest of the day at Rushmore Tramway Adventures. A note, if you’re driving an RV, you cannot make it through the Needles or Iron Mountain highways.
Day 4: We woke again at the Rushmore KOA and took the kids rock climbing with Sylvan Rock. This took a solid 4 hours, and afterwards, we tried to hike Hippie Hole, but it was inaccessible. Instead, we drove to Deadwood, watched a wild west show and had a nice dinner. We spent that evening at the Spearfish KOA.
Day 5: This was one of my favorite days. We drove into the Spearfish Canyon area and visited Bridal Veil Falls, Roughlock Falls and Spearfish Falls. All three are great and shouldn’t be missed. We hiked Devil’s Bathtub that afternoon. It’s a cool trail but was very crowded. From there, we drove to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. It’s pretty amazing, but there’s not much to do other than take a nice, long look. Following DT, we took our first long drive into North Dakota, to Theodore Roosevelt NP and stayed at the Boots Campground.
Day 6: We spent this whole day exploring TRNP. We started out with a 1 hour horse back ride from Medora Stables, which was a lovely introduction. We spent the majority of the rest of our time in the North Unit, in particular the Caprock Coulee trail. This park is incredible; it was definitely a high point for me. We changed campgrounds that night, due to a mistake on my end, and moved to the Red Trail Campground.
Day 7: This day included our second long drive, from TRNP down to the Badlands. It’s about a five hour drive, and while it’s scenic, there’s nowhere to stop in between. Our first stop was at Minuteman Missile NHS. It’s pretty cool, especially if you’re game for a Cold War history lesson. We spent the rest of this day in and out of the Badlands, including a hike along the Notch Trail and a sunset at Bigfoot Pass. We stayed that night at the Badlands KOA, which was more than adequate.
Day 8: Our last full day on the road, and we spent it all in the Badlands. We hiked the Saddle Pass, Medicine Root and Castle Trails, all very impressive and can be put together to make a nice loop. We also visited the White River Visitors Center at the far end of the park. Unless you’ve got literally nothing else to do, you can skip this stop. We at that night in Interior, SD, a town of 91, at a great little dive call the Wagon Wheel.
Day 9: We stayed that last night in the same KOA and headed back to Rapid City. On our way out, we stopped at Wall Drugs for breakfast, and the experience. If you’re in the area, you shouldn’t miss it.
This was a great trip, and while it might be a bit before we rent another rig, I cannot wait to do it again.
