Hey there, Analise here. At the moment, Mark is busy futzing with the washing machine (more on that in RV Checkup). We left Boise on Saturday and have since covered nearly a thousand miles to reach Sturgis near the Black Hills of South Dakota. We’re on our way to Grand Rapids, Michigan for Mark’s work, and there’s a boatload of stuff to see along the way.
Thanks, Boise!
We closed out our Idaho adventures with a couple of incredibly good meals. Barbacoa Grill has an entryway covered in cowhides and glitzy doorknobs. Every room has a different extravagant style that is not seen but instead experienced. And they set their steaks on fire on top of a rock:
While we’re on our way to South Dakota this weekend, here’s a video from Barbacoa in Boise. On Wednesday, Analise had her first hot rock steak (served on a 600 degree piece of granite) pic.twitter.com/i0n3aloKeY
— RexyFindsAHome (@RexyFindsAHome) October 12, 2019
For our last meal in Boise, some new friends took us to Cottonwood Grill for some spectacular local fare. We try to get things we haven’t had or don’t find where we’re from, so Mark had the Muscovy duck and I had the elk. (Highly recommend, would have again.)
Wyoming: where the antelope play
The great state of Wyoming is home to some must-see sights that we simply didn’t have the time to see this trip. We had to get from Boise to the Black Hills in a weekend, and our cross-state drive did not take us near Yellowstone or Grand Tetons. (Something to look forward to next time!) But there was still plenty to see on either side of our overnight in Rawlins.
Click the pic to see a bigger pic
The expansiveness of the state is extraordinary. Wyoming is the least populated state in the nation, and the second least densely populated. There is so much space where there doesn’t appear to be anything but scrubby brush with a handful of hills in the distance. Yet there are some incredible landforms — basins and buttes– and we were genuinely excited every time we saw wildlife. We wish we knew more rock words to better describe all the strange formations and patterns we saw in the landscapes. We criss-crossed the Continental Divide at least three times. At one lookout, a group of pronghorn (which are everywhere in the prairies) posed for photos.
Devils Tower
When we plotted the drive to the Black Hills, Mark spotted a local landmark that was just a little ways off our path: Devils Tower, the first national monument in America. I’d heard of the tower since I was little, and this is what it brings to mind:
In reality, it is sensationally grand. Some things you build up in your head and they can’t possibly stand up to what you have in mind. But this does and even goes beyond. It’s so tall and unusual and structured, it doesn’t look real. And yet, there it is. A titan among towers.
At the base of the monument, a colony of prairie dogs make their home and we absolutely had to say hi. They said hi back, though it wasn’t so much “hi” as “intruder alert” and it sounded adorable.
RV checkup
In most ways, the road from Idaho to South Dakota was uneventful for Rexy. Just a couple hitches worth mentioning:
- A bump in the road knocked all of my clothes off the rung in the closet. A couple of Mark’s shirts came down, but ALL of my stuff came down. It doesn’t help that the sliding door doesn’t latch — going to work on that.
- That same bump knocked the washer/dryer unit forward out of its braces. Upon examination with a view to re-secure it, Mark discovered that some of the washer’s connections needed replacing.
On the home improvement front:
- We now have a task chair for the tiny desk! Of course now we have to find a way to stow a recliner that aesthetically and functionally belongs exclusively in an RV. Time to brush up those house Tetris skills.
Lilly watch
Up next
We’re taking in the Black Hills this week which will be covered in another post — bison will feature prominently.
If you have any suggestions for things to see in South Dakota or questions about RV life and our travels, let us know in the comments.