More Time Off | More Time to Travel
Anyone who knows me well knows I love the American West. From animal watching in Jackson Hole, to taking in the marvels of the Grand Canyon - I just never get sick of the views. Paul and I travel out west in our motorhome once a year. It is one of the things that makes all of our long hours and lost weekends worth it.
This year, our time was cut short due to issues with our motorhome. When my son Ryan mentioned wanting to visit Mount Rushmore this Fall, I was immediately on board!
Always Looking on the Bright Side
Many of you may already know Ryan and Lexi work with us in the shop. We’re usually too busy to both be out at the same time - but not right now. We’ve been a lot slower than usual due to COVID, and the canceling of all of our Spring and Summer shows.
As with most things, there is actually a silver lining. In this case, it was being able to share an experience Paul and I love so much with some of our family.
Driving - The Only Way to Travel
Something about my family - we’re road warriors. When we go on vacation, we never fly. Partly because we always seem to be delivering a few orders on the way, and partly because we are motorhome/travel trailer enthusiasts. We decided to take our motorhome for us, and pull along our camper for Ryan & Lexi.
I Know What You’re Thinking!
Who has a motorhome and a camper? True blue travelers that’s who! There is
actually a little more to it though I guess. We got our first motorhome just for traveling out West. It was convenient, because it carried a lot of water and propane, so we would stay places without hook-ups and not worry about running out of either. We often stay in Walmart parking lots, because they allow RV's and truckers to stay free.
We also love the extra space motorhomes have, and the ability tow vehicles and trailers behind. As I mentioned before, we typically deliver orders while on the road, and just this year we towed a van filled with furniture that we would park and unhook for delivering.
We got the camper pretty recently, because we can tow it behind our show van.
We used to stay at hotels, but it got old. You can’t cook properly, you always wonder about cleanliness, and rowdy neighbors are a little too common for us “early to bed early to rise” folks.
Besides, we hated leaving our dog Sven home, and pet friendly hotels are hard to find. Our camper has even enabled us to add a second fur baby - meet Sadie!
Now That’s Cleared Up!
We decided to spend a day in the Bad Lands, before moving on to a few days at the Rafter J’s campground in the Black Hills.
We went to Mount Rushmore, saw the Needles Highway, drove through Bear Country, had a cowboy meal, shopped at Wall Drug and so much more. We made memories, ate good food, and Paul got to try the Rhubarb Jalapeno pie at the Purple Pie Place.
All in all, we had a fantastic trip, and we’re already thinking about where we’re going next! Have you been to the Bad Lands or the Black Hills? What was your favorite thing to do or see?
