(07-06-2026 02:58 PM)TripleA Wrote: Hey Ollie, maybe I'll get to El Paso some day, and you can take a spin with me. One of the targets on my list is Hatch NM + White Sands NP. Not that far away from you.
I would love that and we'll see what my wife's situation is at the time. Thanks for the invite.
(07-06-2026 02:58 PM)TripleA Wrote: Hey Ollie, maybe I'll get to El Paso some day, and you can take a spin with me. One of the targets on my list is Hatch NM + White Sands NP. Not that far away from you.
I would love that and we'll see what my wife's situation is at the time. Thanks for the invite.
(07-01-2026 11:16 AM)TripleA Wrote: That's definitely on my list, as is all of the Black Hills and Badlands NP. I am likely going to create my domicile in South Dakota, so that area will be the very first place I visit.
Its pretty cool.
Warning. Hail is common in South Dakota in the summer. We got in a big storm near Custer State Park, but didn't get the worst of it, merely about 5 minutes of golf ball size. The next town looked like it had snowed. We saw a couple cars in the parking lot at our hotel that looked like golf balls with all the dimples. There was a couple on motorcycles stopping in a tunnel and the woman looked pretty dazed.
Probably said this in the original thread, but Wind Caves NP and Custer State Park are really worth it for the buffalo herds. And if its hot, it will feel GREAT being in the cave. Don't miss Wall Drug Store when you go to Badlands. Its not possible to miss all the billboards! The MinuteMan Missile NHS near Badlands is also worth the stop.
We went in the summer of 2021 just after all the quarantines were lifted. We flew into Rapid City and rented a car and of course did Badlands and Mt. Rushmore. Didn't get to Crazy Horse. Didn't have time to do the Deadwood old West Town. Then we went on to Glacier NP and did Teddy Roosevelt NP in North Dakota. Teddy Roosevelt was nice, but the buffalo herds paled in comparison to Wind Caves and Custer.
And in case you haven't already, you need to figure out the restrictions on the National Parks. We had to get into Glacier before 6 am. There were supposedly daily reservations freed every day at 8am, but we could never get through the phone line. It wasn't bad since it was less crowded. After we did Going to the Sun Road, we tried to enter the east side of the park in one of the unrestricted entrances. But it was closed for an undetermined amount of time because they had no parking. It was 4 or 5 at that point, so we headed back to Whitefish where we were staying. And if you are planning on eating out at a restaurant, Whitefish was completely booked up. We drove down to Kalispell to eat.
I haven't been anywhere near the Black Hills at all, so this visit will be great fun for me.
I worry about hail. Best action is to get under a roof or a giant tree, if possible. Hail that big would destroy my solar panels and the fiberglass roof. I would be SOL if I were in Badlands NP.
I'm on no schedule, other than dying, lol, so I will stay at each area location until I have seen all I want to see. As for restrictions, since the time you visited, almost all NPs have dropped restrictions, per my searches.
At Glacier, I plan to park my RV and ride one of the old motor cars across GTTS Road and back.
I will eat out now and then, but most of the time plan to grill outside the RV, so as not to stink up the joint. Anybody have suggestions for a grill? I would like a combo gas grill and griddle but haven't found one with the right price and reviews yet.
In my previous lifetime of travel, I find that I should aim for weeknights, and skip trying to eat out on weekends or holidays.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
The hail was in the hills near Mt. Rushmore. Shouldn't be an issue out in the Badlands.
We were there in the middle of August, and right as we got to the top, we got socked in, couldnt see squat except for a couple of hundred yards of ice heading down. We figured we'd just hang out in the car, but noooo. The park ranger came to chase us down. I was like uh, you see all that ice? No guardrails? He said, "you'll be fine. Just go real slow." I've never been more frightened in my life. Every time I looked out into the abyss it look right back at me as if to say, do something silly, I dare you! The ranger was right, it didn't last long. Was still scary as hell.
Edit: I have no idea what I was thinking of, but it wasn't the Black Hills; it was Pikes Peak, kind of nearby, not...
^^ LOL. Yeah, apparently the Black Hills aren't all that hilly.
Quite a contrast to Pikes Peak. When I was a teenager, my parents, my sister and I took a trip out west, and dad wanted to climb Pikes Peak in the family car. About 1/3 of the way up (just guessing), my mother was screaming to get her out of there, and my dad turned around and headed back down.
So I still have an itch to get to the top of that sucker, but the tram seems like a much better idea.
(07-12-2026 10:04 AM)TripleA Wrote: ^^ LOL. Yeah, apparently the Black Hills aren't all that hilly.
Quite a contrast to Pikes Peak. When I was a teenager, my parents, my sister and I took a trip out west, and dad wanted to climb Pikes Peak in the family car. About 1/3 of the way up (just guessing), my mother was screaming to get her out of there, and my dad turned around and headed back down.
So I still have an itch to get to the top of that sucker, but the tram seems like a much better idea.
I think I said this somewhere in the thread, but my friend got a headache after 15 minutes on the top (we were in our 20s). Its 14,000 ft. So going down on the tram is better than driving down with a headache. My wife would sometimes get headaches in those 11-12,000 ft. mountain passes in Colorado (in her 40s) just driving on the highways.
(07-12-2026 10:04 AM)TripleA Wrote: ^^ LOL. Yeah, apparently the Black Hills aren't all that hilly.
Quite a contrast to Pikes Peak. When I was a teenager, my parents, my sister and I took a trip out west, and dad wanted to climb Pikes Peak in the family car. About 1/3 of the way up (just guessing), my mother was screaming to get her out of there, and my dad turned around and headed back down.
So I still have an itch to get to the top of that sucker, but the tram seems like a much better idea.
I think I said this somewhere in the thread, but my friend got a headache after 15 minutes on the top (we were in our 20s). Its 14,000 ft. So going down on the tram is better than driving down with a headache. My wife would sometimes get headaches in those 11-12,000 ft. mountain passes in Colorado (in her 40s) just driving on the highways.
Triple, believe me it's much better going by tram to Pike's Peak or like Mexicans love to say it, "Peekess Peek. You'll be too busy not falling off the road if you drive it. It's pretty high and I'd be scared to drive down and lose my brakes. You can get to see more too.
My son at 18 years of age and with a pregnant wife traversed that pass that separates NM from Colorado in winter during a snow storm. I was scared to death that something might happen. It's pretty high and treacherous.
Hey Ollie, I have no intention of driving my RV up Pikes Peak, lol. I'm actually dumping my car, b/c I will be living in my RV full time. I drove the one I want this morning. Found it in Tupelo, about 270 miles from my house.
And...GOOD NEWS...I now have a contract on my house. Looks solid, should go through, and I will be out of here and on to my new adventure in a few short weeks.
That was my first thought when you said SD. That could be a very cold and miserable place for an old man. If I were you, and I'm not, I'd pick a warm place like Arizona for winter. Remember, you already have your portable movable home and can go north in the summer. Someplace close to Phoenix or Tucson where you have all the amenities without going very far. How about Casa Grande, I think it's between both but man that highway that links both cities is a madhouse. I hate going through there and the highway patrol love that stretch of road, my son got a speeding ticket there one time heading to LA. Maybe if I was wearing my FD cap he wouldn't have ticketed us but I doubt it...LOL.
I just can't fathom why having a portable house you would pick SD as your base. Mind boggling, but hey, you do you.
(07-13-2026 08:13 PM)TripleA Wrote: Thanks, Stink. Apparently, I'm not gonna run out of theme songs any time soon.
Here's my initial plan:
Close on the house. Head to South Dakota to establish domicile.
Hang out there for a while: Mount Rushmore, Badlands NP, Deadwood, etc.
Then to Glacier NP, down to Yellowstone and Grand Teton...
On to the "Mighty 5" NPs in Utah...
Then to Grand Canton South rim...
Then TBD...
I am open to reasonable detours along the way. And I will write travel logs all along the way, if at least a few peeps here are in favor.
If I may ask, why did you decide to establish domicile in South Dakota?
Total cost of everything overall (excise taxes, licenses, insurance, domicile setup, mail forwarding, etc.) for full time RVers is lower than any other state.
And due to that, it attracts a large percentage of the overall full time RVer market, which makes it more convenient for everybody in SD, b/c more businesses then cater to that population.
(07-13-2026 08:13 PM)TripleA Wrote: Thanks, Stink. Apparently, I'm not gonna run out of theme songs any time soon.
Here's my initial plan:
Close on the house. Head to South Dakota to establish domicile.
Hang out there for a while: Mount Rushmore, Badlands NP, Deadwood, etc.
Then to Glacier NP, down to Yellowstone and Grand Teton...
On to the "Mighty 5" NPs in Utah...
Then to Grand Canton South rim...
Then TBD...
I am open to reasonable detours along the way. And I will write travel logs all along the way, if at least a few peeps here are in favor.
Make sure to plan around winter. You've chosen a pretty cold part of the country for home base and to start your trip.
LOL. I'm starting in August, and I only have to spend one night a year in the state to remain qualified. You can bet that one night won't be in January, lol. Or November through April, either.
The home base is strictly for expense purposes, not for actual presence.
(07-14-2026 09:45 AM)olliebaba Wrote: That was my first thought when you said SD. That could be a very cold and miserable place for an old man. If I were you, and I'm not, I'd pick a warm place like Arizona for winter. Remember, you already have your portable movable home and can go north in the summer. Someplace close to Phoenix or Tucson where you have all the amenities without going very far. How about Casa Grande, I think it's between both but man that highway that links both cities is a madhouse. I hate going through there and the highway patrol love that stretch of road, my son got a speeding ticket there one time heading to LA. Maybe if I was wearing my FD cap he wouldn't have ticketed us but I doubt it...LOL.
I just can't fathom why having a portable house you would pick SD as your base. Mind boggling, but hey, you do you.
OK, I will repeat this one more time. The great majority of full time RVers pick SD for the same reason. It is by far the cheapest state in the country in which to domicile (home base), when you consider all expenses.
HOWEVER, to qualify for those benefits, you only have to spend ONE NIGHT A YEAR in the state. And keep a receipt for legal purposes.
You guys have a lot to learn about the Ins and Outs of full time RVing.
Btw, I currently have exactly 1,004 full pages of notes on RV living, accumulated over the last few weeks, and I have read every word on every page at least once, and important things multiple times. I also have them categorized by subject matter.
I'm trying to give myself the best education possible in a short period of time.
My closing is now set for no later than August 14. One month to go.
(This post was last modified: 07-14-2026 10:49 AM by TripleA.)
(07-13-2026 08:13 PM)TripleA Wrote: Thanks, Stink. Apparently, I'm not gonna run out of theme songs any time soon.
Here's my initial plan:
Close on the house. Head to South Dakota to establish domicile.
Hang out there for a while: Mount Rushmore, Badlands NP, Deadwood, etc.
Then to Glacier NP, down to Yellowstone and Grand Teton...
On to the "Mighty 5" NPs in Utah...
Then to Grand Canton South rim...
Then TBD...
I am open to reasonable detours along the way. And I will write travel logs all along the way, if at least a few peeps here are in favor.
If I may ask, why did you decide to establish domicile in South Dakota?
Total cost of everything overall (excise taxes, licenses, insurance, domicile setup, mail forwarding, etc.) for full time RVers is lower than any other state.
And due to that, it attracts a large percentage of the overall full time RVer market, which makes it more convenient for everybody in SD, b/c more businesses then cater to that population.
Oh, as for watching out for bad weather, I plan to strictly follow the sun all year. I will winter from about Thanksgiving until the end of March somewhere way down South, likely either Florida, Texas or Arizona.
During that down time, I will plan my route for the next travel season, roughly from April through November.
Starting in early April, I will leave my wintering spot and slowly head north, arriving at the northern most route as summer begins, then slowly working my way across and back down, until I end up at my next wintering spot. I will likely change up snowbird sites from year to year to prevent boredom.
Right now, southern AZ looks like the cheapest spot to winter over, south Texas looks like the best overall spot, and Florida is the most fun, but also the most expensive.
(This post was last modified: 07-14-2026 11:57 AM by TripleA.)
(07-14-2026 10:56 AM)TripleA Wrote: Oh, as for watching out for bad weather, I plan to strictly follow the sun all year. I will winter from about Thanksgiving until the end of March somewhere way down South, likely either Florida, Texas or Arizona.
During that down time, I will plan my route for the next travel season, roughly from April through November.
Starting in early April, I will leave my wintering spot and slowly head north, arriving at the northern most route as summer begins, then slowly working my way across and back down, until I end up at my next wintering spot. I will likely change up from snowbird sites from year to year to prevent boredom.
Right now, southern AZ looks like the cheapest spot to winter over, south Texas looks like the best overall spot, and Florida is the most fun, but also the most expensive.
One of my neighbors follows the same timing you mentioned. I guess it is common among RV travelers.
