Go West: Backroad Surprises

Traveling, Camping and Hiking My Way Westward Trail/Park: Custer State Park, Jewel Cave National Monument and Thunder Basin National Grasslands Morning Breaks I woke to a thick layer of frost coating both the inside and outside of the camper windows despite leaving a window cracked and running the heater intermittently overnight. I hadn't been cold. … Continue reading Go West: Backroad Surprises

Go West: Buttes and Prairie

Traveling, Camping and Hiking My Way Westward #50 of my 2023 52 Hike Challenge Trail/Park: Badlands National Park (Lakota: Makȟóšiča )  Coffee and Corn There is something I find so wonderful about waking up in the quiet of a campground in chilly weather. The snug warmth of a sleeping bag or my camper that keeps … Continue reading Go West: Buttes and Prairie

Go West 2023: The Best Laid Plans

Traveling, Camping and Hiking My Way Westward Where to From Here In 2022 I did a blitz trip west to visit family and friends in Utah, California and Arizona. As the landscapes rolled by on 10-12 hour days of driving, I had promised myself I would take the trip again in 2023, cutting back those … Continue reading Go West 2023: The Best Laid Plans

Go West: Get out the Map

Traveling, Camping and Hiking My Way Westward Trail/Park: Lake Vermillion State Recreation Area Heading out for four weeks of travel. Today it will be from home to Lake Vermillion State Recreation Area just west of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Despite estimating my route will take me about 4.5 hours to drive, I'm already behind on … Continue reading Go West: Get out the Map

Big Adventure : Road Trip West Pt. 2

I continued to take in the shifting landscape, now filled with mountain peaks in the distance and ranches along the highway.