(08-27-2026 06:07 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  I don’t know if I could sleep in South Dakota.

It's not too bad in the summer. You know, between July and August. SD is a fascinating state with some incredible scenery. And then a lot of it is just Kansas lite.

(08-27-2026 06:11 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(08-27-2026 06:07 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  I don’t know if I could sleep in South Dakota.

Ha, what is your problem with SD? In August, it kind of looks like every other state, lol.

But not to worry, I will be moving along in a few weeks. Lots to see first, though. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Badlands NP, Deadwood, Wind Cave, wild roaming buffalo, etc.

Mt. Rushmore and the Black Hills are a must. The Badlands is like nothing I've ever seen. It's been almost 50 years since I've been there. I had a blast in Rapid City, but it was a tiny little town back then. I can well imagine that it's changed quite a bit. They were basically in the beginning phases of the Crazy Horse monument when I was there.

(08-27-2026 10:51 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(08-27-2026 07:40 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  You can see wild roaming buffalo in Oklahoma. Way closer.

But none of the others, lol. I really don't see a lot of peeps lining up to visit Oklahoma.

Btw, it's not closer for me now.

I'd like to say that I saw some awesome landscape the times I've driven across OK but I didn't. All I saw of any note was a tornado roll almost over us as soon as we crossed over from Arkansa. Had to take cover in a gas station that I thought was going to be swept away with us in it.

(08-29-2026 07:26 AM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  

(08-27-2026 01:22 PM)TripleA Wrote:  I don't need no stinkin' knee replacements, suckers. I just need about a month's sleep, and I'm good.

I'm in Sioux Falls SD now, my new home address. Headed to get my SD driver's license tomorrow morning, a day before my old one expires, lol.

Brrrrrrrrrrr in the winter.

Haha, sucker. I have to spend one night here every 5 years. I'm now good until August of 2031.

I do plan to spend a few more weeks here in the western part of the state (Rushmore Badlands, ets.), then on to Utah, then Arizona, and on to warm weather long before it gets cold where I'm traveling now, and for a few weeks.

Just got a thing in the mail on a group tour of National Parks of the Old West--South Dakota and Wyoming.

Day 1-Rapid City, tour statues of national leaders in downtown
Day 2-Badlands National Park, Custer State Park
Day 3-Crazy Horse and Mammoth Site at Hot Springs. Mammoth site is a museum that has the largest concentration of mammoth remains and has a boardwalk around the dig site
Day 4-Mount Rushmore and "pictureesque" Spearfish Canyon
Day 5-Spearfish Canyon to Cody Wyoming. <when we were in Cody we went to a rodeo one night>
Day 6-Cody, Yellowstone National Park. Visits the Cody Buffalo Bill Center of the West with 5 museums. In Yellowstone does upper and lower falls and Hayden Valley
Day 7-Yellowstone National Park. Independent Day (they are staying at Yellowstone Lodge). Suggests Fountain Paint Pot Trail, Mammoth Hot Springs, Albright Visitor Center
Day 8-Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson. Lunch at Pioneer Grill at Jackson Lake Lodge
Day 9-Depart Jackson or optional-tour of Jackson National Museum of Wildlife Art at the National Elk Refuge. Exhibit dates from 2500 BC to present.
Day 10-optional Jackson 3 hour tour floating along Pritchard Creek past Bald Eagles and Ospreys, watching for wildlife along Creek. Explore Jackson in afternoon.
Day 11-leave.

(09-02-2026 03:26 PM)bullet Wrote:  Just got a thing in the mail on a group tour of National Parks of the Old West--South Dakota and Wyoming.

Day 1-Rapid City, tour statues of national leaders in downtown
Day 2-Badlands National Park, Custer State Park
Day 3-Crazy Horse and Mammoth Site at Hot Springs. Mammoth site is a museum that has the largest concentration of mammoth remains and has a boardwalk around the dig site
Day 4-Mount Rushmore and "pictureesque" Spearfish Canyon
Day 5-Spearfish Canyon to Cody Wyoming. <when we were in Cody we went to a rodeo one night>
Day 6-Cody, Yellowstone National Park. Visits the Cody Buffalo Bill Center of the West with 5 museums. In Yellowstone does upper and lower falls and Hayden Valley
Day 7-Yellowstone National Park. Independent Day (they are staying at Yellowstone Lodge). Suggests Fountain Paint Pot Trail, Mammoth Hot Springs, Albright Visitor Center
Day 8-Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson. Lunch at Pioneer Grill at Jackson Lake Lodge
Day 9-Depart Jackson or optional-tour of Jackson National Museum of Wildlife Art at the National Elk Refuge. Exhibit dates from 2500 BC to present.
Day 10-optional Jackson 3 hour tour floating along Pritchard Creek past Bald Eagles and Ospreys, watching for wildlife along Creek. Explore Jackson in afternoon.
Day 11-leave.

That's a great tour when you need to see a lot of attractions in a short time. I'm going to do the same exact tour. Just going slower. Plus Deadwood, Wind Cave & Devil's Tower.

Also, due to weather concerns, I will likely skip Yellowstone, depending on how my schedule goes, and pick it back up early summer. Or maybe September, best month for the year for RV rigs there.

When you go to Devils Tower don't go into any spaceships even if they promise you virgins.

(09-02-2026 05:17 PM)olliebaba Wrote:  When you go to Devils Tower don't go into any spaceships even if they promise you virgins.

Exactly what would I do with a virgin?

(09-02-2026 05:22 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(09-02-2026 05:17 PM)olliebaba Wrote:  When you go to Devils Tower don't go into any spaceships even if they promise you virgins.

Exactly what would I do with a virgin?

Uhm, "Teach!"

But seriously I would have stayed with the cute blonde (Melinda Dillon) looking for her kid! I like the quiet, affectionate and appreciative type!

(09-02-2026 05:22 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(09-02-2026 05:17 PM)olliebaba Wrote:  When you go to Devils Tower don't go into any spaceships even if they promise you virgins.

Exactly what would I do with a virgin?

Okay, okay, don't take the virgin, I'll take the virgin and you can take the old hag Wasserman Shultz, she is an alien you know...she'll be there.

Presently in Sequoia National Park. I highly recommend, but the narrow road twists and turns.

(09-02-2026 07:44 PM)Tiger1983 Wrote:  Presently in Sequoia National Park. I highly recommend, but the narrow road twists and turns.

Thanks for the warning. With a 20' truck and a 22' trailer, I think I will avoid.

But I hope you have a great time!

(09-03-2026 04:21 AM)TripleA Wrote:  

(09-02-2026 07:44 PM)Tiger1983 Wrote:  Presently in Sequoia National Park. I highly recommend, but the narrow road twists and turns.

Thanks for the warning. With a 20' truck and a 22' trailer, I think I will avoid.

But I hope you have a great time!

If you come from the south side you can get to one of the campgrounds before it gets to twisty to drop your trailer. On your grand adventure you can't skip Sequoia/Kings Canyon. Seeing those giant trees in person is def top 5 outdoor experiences I have had. Pictures do not do them justice

(09-03-2026 06:34 AM)bobdizole Wrote:  

(09-03-2026 04:21 AM)TripleA Wrote:  

(09-02-2026 07:44 PM)Tiger1983 Wrote:  Presently in Sequoia National Park. I highly recommend, but the narrow road twists and turns.

Thanks for the warning. With a 20' truck and a 22' trailer, I think I will avoid.

But I hope you have a great time!

If you come from the south side you can get to one of the campgrounds before it gets to twisty to drop your trailer. On your grand adventure you can't skip Sequoia/Kings Canyon. Seeing those giant trees in person is def top 5 outdoor experiences I have had. Pictures do not do them justice

Thanks. All good advice.

Change of plans. I am in Sioux Falls and about to finish up all my paperwork. I was next heading west to Rushmore to start the fun part of my trip.

However, my sister Nancy will be finishing up her search in MD and VA for something to build a house on, and not having a lot of luck, so she has volunteered to head toward me, meet in Springfield IL (600 miles east for me and 900 west for her), and hang out together for a couple of weeks. Then she will head to the Memphis area to an AirB&B for a month at the end of September, and figure out what she's doing next, and I will turn back west and continue my journey.

Your sister live on the east coast of Fla? Or far N. east?

(09-03-2026 07:43 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  Your sister live on the east coast of Fla? Or far N. east?

She lives just outside Memphis in Collierville, where her son and 2 grandkids are. But she also has a daughter in DC, so she is considering moving there. My guess is she stays near Collierville, rather than moving to the DC area.

(09-04-2026 04:48 AM)TripleA Wrote:  

(09-03-2026 07:43 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  Your sister live on the east coast of Fla? Or far N. east?

She lives just outside Memphis in Collierville, where her son and 2 grandkids are. But she also has a daughter in DC, so she is considering moving there. My guess is she stays near Collierville, rather than moving to the DC area.

DC is a great place to visit, terrible place to live. I hope she stays near Memphis.

(09-04-2026 09:38 AM)mlb Wrote:  

(09-04-2026 04:48 AM)TripleA Wrote:  

(09-03-2026 07:43 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  Your sister live on the east coast of Fla? Or far N. east?

She lives just outside Memphis in Collierville, where her son and 2 grandkids are. But she also has a daughter in DC, so she is considering moving there. My guess is she stays near Collierville, rather than moving to the DC area.

DC is a great place to visit, terrible place to live. I hope she stays near Memphis.

I know. I worked out of DC for about 15 years. Worked there, but lived in Atlanta the whole time.

But she has extenuating circumstances. She has lived near her son in Memphis for 28 years. Never lived near her daughter. And her daughter is struggling with a severe case of Rheumatoid arthritis right now, and needs help, and she is in her late 40s.

(09-04-2026 04:48 AM)TripleA Wrote:  

(09-03-2026 07:43 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  Your sister live on the east coast of Fla? Or far N. east?

She lives just outside Memphis in Collierville, where her son and 2 grandkids are. But she also has a daughter in DC, so she is considering moving there. My guess is she stays near Collierville, rather than moving to the DC area.

The reason I asked you said 900 miles drive for her to make yall's meet up. From your talks I know she has other family but once she gets her home build figured out its probably going to be winter time by the time the site/foundation. Which means slow work. Seems to me (based on what you said on the board) brother and sis, would have a great time spending the winter somewhere warm, close to a ocean! Both being FREE for a couple months probably doesnt happen often. Just me butting in adding my 2 cents LOL