July 28: Arrival at Custer State Park
We made it! We reached our primary target: South Dakota, Custer State Park, and Mt. Rushmore. We had campground reservations, but weren’t expecting much, as it was a private campground – not a National or State Park. We generally try to avoid privately owned and operated campgrounds, as they are usually crowded and loaded with the big 30-40-foot 5th wheelers and Class A motorhomes, generators blasting, TV dishes deployed, and kids running and biking everywhere. Don’t get me wrong. They serve a great purpose for those simply wanting a safe place to park and hook up while using it as a base from which to explore. There are usually multiple activities for kids of all ages as well as laundries, pools, and other amenities. They offer very little by way of space, privacy, or quiet interaction with the outdoor environment.
Behold the exception – Spokane Creek Cabins and Campground! Now, before I describe our campground, let me explain why we couldn’t find a camping reservation of our choice in the area – bikers. Yep…thousands of bikers, primarily riding Harleys, were in the process of descending on the area for the 77th Sturgis Rally (http://sturgismotorcyclerally.com/). This is the official description of the Rally – “500,000 riders, concert fanatics, and street-food enjoyers attend the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally every year. Sturgis is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, only minutes away from Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Devils Tower, Custer State Park, and some of the most scenic riding in the country.”
They were everywhere: on the roads, in the shops, at the eateries, in the campgrounds. Men and women came from all over the United States. And…oh boy…do they come equipped with
bikes, trailers, campers, RV’s, pick-ups: all new, big, shiny, and impressive. And during our stay, we never met a biker we didn’t like. All were happy, really nice to talk with, and geared to simply having fun at the Rally and enjoying the area.
Our site at Spokane Creek turned out to be almost ideal at the end of the line, backed up to a wooded hillside, and comfortably spaced from neighbors, particularly for the latter part of our stay there. Paddington had a great grassy field in which to play ball, which he usually had all to himself. Cows grazed happily at one end, horses neighed quietly on the other side, and the coyotes filled the middle at night. We happily used it as our base.
We had obligations in this part of the country. This was one place we had a date certain by which we had to arrive. We were to meet Nancy’s younger cousin for one to two days either at our camp site or in Rapid City. And, we had a lunch date with friends from California, who have a cabin in the area to which they retreat each July. We arrived at our campsite, registered, “dropped” our trailer, and rushed off for our lunch date – late. In between time, we were texting with Cousin, as she was leaving very early in the morning to make the six-hour drive from Denver to Custer.
As we rushed to make lunch, we realized we were further away from our meeting spot than we thought. We mistakenly took Iron Mountain Road, the longest route possible from campground to lunch site in Hill City, – http://www.ironmountainroad.com/ : 17 miles, 314 curves, 14 switchback, 3 pigtails, 3 tunnels, two views of the 4 presidents, and 2 splits. We had to drop down to 5 miles an hour and electronically pull in our sideview mirrors to get safely through two tunnels. Even so, Nancy had to keep a sharp eye on the passenger side to assure we did not leave a streak of red paint on the tunnel rock siding!
The gorgeous views totally escaped us as we rushed to the appointed restaurant arriving over an hour late! Fortunately, our friends were flexible, understanding, and patient; and, the restaurant was accommodating, and we found a parking place right in front.
We had a delightful lunch with our friends at the Alpine Inn in Hill City (http://www.alpineinnhillcity.com/ ). We caught up with each other’s busy lives, learned about the area through their extensive knowledge of the area, and enjoyed our lunch at the historic restaurant. We then followed them to their cabin nearby and learned about family history and their many summers at the cabin with family and friends. A delightful afternoon made more special as they were leaving to return to California the next day, yet took the time to share their special place with us.
Somewhere throughout this day, we discovered that Nancy’s cousin had encountered auto trouble on the road and would not be able to join us after all, which was a great disappointment for us. We had not seen her for several years and were looking forward to catching up with her life. Back at camp, we reworked our schedule and looked forward to exploring the park and crossing one thing off Nancy’s Bucket List: Mt. Rushmore.