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Chris’ Campground, Spearfish, South Dakota. Tachometer – 4087 miles

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Ron got up excited and finished his morning routine (potty, teeth, clothes) as fast as we could ever remember. He had a hot date with his friend from yesterday and couldn’t wait to get out of the RV. Finally some company his own age with the appropriate stimulation. Not that playing with Shir and Orr is so bad, but we really want Ron to interact with kids his own age when we camp. (more…)

Happy Holidays RV Park, Rapid City, South Dakota. Tachometer – 3996 miles

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The children had a great day. It started with the campsite playground, continued with a petting farm, and ended in this campgrounds playground. Ron also met a friend that was parked right next to us. (more…)

KOA Badlands, near Badlands National Park, South Dakota. Tachometer – 3906 miles

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We lazed around the campground most of the morning, Paola and I taking turns with the kids at the playground. I got the early shift, and we had pancakes prepared for us at the pavilion right next to the playground. For those who are wondering, KOA stands for Kamgrounds of America. It is a franchise chain of campgrounds that are very standardized in the level of service, cleanliness, and other amenities. These amenities usually include a swimming pool, playground, and in most campgrounds a pavilion or common area where food is served (for a fee) usually for breakfast and sometimes at dinnertime as well. (more…)

KOA Badlands, near Badlands National Park, South Dakota. Tachometer – 3880 miles

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It was a cold and rainy day, harshly punctuated by a relentless wind that had me bending the steering wheel of the RV almost a quarter of a turn just to keep driving straight. We took I-90 east for about 90 miles to get to Badlands. On the way we had a very interesting stop at what was once a launch site of US Minuteman nuclear warheads.

The entire plains region, including South Dakota, was filled with about 1000 missile silos during the cold war. (more…)

KOA Rapid City, Rapid City, South Dakota. Tachometer – 3722 miles

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We saw two manmade, larger than life monuments today: The famous Mount Rushmore and the even more impressive Crazy Horse Memorial. They are both located here in the Black Hills and both draw millions of tourists every year. (more…)