New Camper

WOW --- we are no longer tent campers.  We have graduated from backpacking in a tent and carrying all your gear on your back ---- to camping in this.

I love it!!!!  YES --- those backpacking years were wonderful and I wouldn't trade those memories for anything!!    But this is good!!  No longer do you have to sweat to have fun.   :)  :)  This even has Air Conditioning....(when you have an electric hook-up). 

We had gone shopping a couple of different places - Mitchell and Pierre.  Nothing seemed right.  So the next stop was Rapid City.  Now this is a town with lots and lots and lots of trailers for sale.  We went to 3 different dealers and looked at ??? 8 different trailers.  Some too long -- some too pricey.......some not well taken care of .  Then we found it.  Yes --- we signed on the dotted line and gave the man a check to say we meant to come back and pick it up and pay the full price.   Then we went home ...... we couldn't stay in Rapid City long enough for THEM to go over it with a fine tooth comb (according to them)....and then have instructions on how to operate it.  So we gave them a date that would work for us to come back and pick it up.

Now --- after a week ......and all those trailers we had looked at ....... I really think they could have set anything before us ....and if it was nice and had a couple of the things we had been looking for in it....we would have said "yes" this is the one we signed up for.   To tell you the truth -- neither one of us was for sure on it.   But it's grand  -- and the "number" was the right one .....and so we are happy.

We headed for Sheridan Lake.

What a beautiful spot in the Black Hills!!  We didn't catch much for fish....just little ones.  But we had a good time touring the country side.  We also went to Hill City and Keystone..... two tourist towns.  We found some things that we want to go back to do...... a steam engine train that takes you from one town to the other - Hill City to Keystone  - a 2 hour ride.  The helicopter ride over Mt. Rushmore looks interesting -- but a little pricey.  There are a couple of other things on our "bucket list" --- but won't give them away right now.....if ever   :)   :)    Got you wondering now    :)

We rode thru the Needles Highway and stopped in at Sylvan Lake.  We would like to make it to Hearney Peak sometime ---- but didn't have the right footwear this time.  There are about 7 tunnels on this highway --- we made it thru all of them.   But we were sure glad we didn't have the trailer behind us.  That wouldn't have gotten thru some of them!

The Hills are a beautiful spot and tons of things to see and do -- so I'm thinking we will be back.
Hope you enjoy the photos!
Gary and Barb