Tag Archives: Custer State Park

Travelog

Peaceful hikes, peaceful nights

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The day began peacefully with some warm coffee, a little tetherball, a clothed visit with the ranger, and some cereal. Then we were off for our first real hike on this adventure..

After wandering through the campground looking for the trailhead sign we saw the previous night on the way in, we arrived at the edge of the campground. Confused and a little defeated, we let Rubi wader through the tent camping sites as we doubled back to the host station. Finally finding the sign, we continued up the campground road on our way to Centennial trailhead.

Forty minutes later, we still hadn’t reached the trailhead. Instead, we found brief cell tower reception, a boat dock, more deserted (or, more accurately, closed) campsites, and a well-worn unofficial trail leading around Sheridan Lake. Rubi thoroughly enjoyed being off leash, sniffing the grassland and trees, investigating more deer poop pellets, and romping along the lake’s edge.

We packed up camp as 3 new campers arrived. Happy at our luck of having the campground to ourselves for the night, we ventured off to the Crazy Horse Memorial.

Everyone we spoke to raved about Crazy Horse and enjoyed it more than Mount Rushmore. Liz and I would agree.

The memorial’s scale is huge as is the mission to promote better understanding and appreciation of native people.

Crazy Horse scale model (foreground) and construction of full monument (background)
Crazy Horse scale model (foreground) and construction of full monument (background)

Currently, only the face and part of the arm are completed. They have removed 6 million tons of stone, but still have 1.5 million left. It’s unclear how long the project will actually take to finish. Since the project refuses to take any state or federal money, it relies entirely on private donation, visitor’s fees, and sales at the gift shop and restaurant for funding. If you’re in the area, head over and support the project.

The story of Korczak Ziolkowski, the sculptor, and his life’s dedication to the project is quite moving. The fact that his wife, until her death this year, and 7 of his 10 children continue to work on the memorial after Korczak’s death in 1982 speaks to the family’s commitment and dedication.

After Crazy Horse, we took a short drive to Custer State Park. It was relatively quiet, with a few other RVers on the property. We plugged in, took hot showers, and enjoyed a bowl of matzo ball soup to warm up before turning in for the night.

Another Van-cooked meal (matzo ball soup) over route and camp planning
Another Van-cooked meal (matzo ball soup) over route and camp planning
RViejo

RViejo

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Ever since we started this trip, people have been asking what our vehicle is called. For the record, neither Liz nor I are in the habit of naming cars. My first car, a grey 1990 Honda Civic, was “My Civic”. My second car, a silver 2003 Volkswagen Golf, was “The Golf”. Thus far, our current vehicle, a 2006 Gulf Stream Vista Cruiser on a Freightliner Sprinter chassis with a Mercedes Benz engine that’s white with beige RV accent paint, has been the “The Van” or “The Rig” or “The RV.”

The Rig

The Van had 23,000 miles on it when we bought it in 2014, meaning it had been driven very little. It was in very good condition, with everything working properly and with few signs of use. It had a few quirks from the beginning, the most notable being this wood storage container mounted to the dinette table.

Custom made from the original owner, we think
Grandpa’s Box, custom made by the original owner we think

We have made good use of it, as you can see, but from the beginning called it “Grandpa’s box.” There was also a little wastebasket screwed into the side of the passenger’s seat and empty holes from where who knows what used to be affixed, our guess mainly for organization. So began the theory that an elderly gentleman had bought the RV new, intended to use it for weekend fishing trips with or without Mama, and then died.

We ran the Carfax report and found a story rather consistent with our fabricated one. Someone bought the vehicle near LA with cash, owned it until 2013, and then it went to auction. At some point, it traveled from California to Arizona where we purchased it.

Meanwhile, in Mexican culture, an old man, both literally and a husband you’re forced to keep around, is called “Viejo.” Liz’s stepmom called her father, Jim, viejo all the time, as in “Come on, Viejo, get your own pills, you silly man” and “Ay, Viejo!”

While driving down the road, talking about Jim Moore, thinking about our rig, we realized (OK, I said it because I can’t help but come up with horrible names that are puns, like our dog L.B., thus named because he was both a “lazy butt” and from the pound. I’m so clever!) that we might call our RV “ouR Viejo.” So, for the time being, that’s what he is.