Recently retired and ready to spread their wings, Len and Faith Todd wanted to do more with their time than just wait for the grandkids to stack up. Avid travelers, they purchased a toy hauler with the expressed purpose of doing some snowmobiling in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. But another motivation waited, unexpressed, in one of their hearts: to tour Alaska, the trip of a lifetime. They waited three years and then, in late June of 2009, the trip of a lifetime began. Here’s Chapter 2 of their story…
We weren’t on the road too long before we learned how quickly an Adventure can become an INVENTure. Everything that can go wrong never will, but you do face your fair share of challenges. Thank goodness Len moonlights as MacGyver. He would have plenty of opportunities to put those skills to the test on our adventure.
Complications were the farthest things from our minds, well mine at least, when we set out for South Dakota.
That changed quickly when we pulled into Indian Creek Campground at Chamberlain. As Len was hooking up the water to the trailer, the hose revolted and soaked my laptop. This was one I would have never put on my “could go wrong” list! But there I was holding my computer—my window to the world—dripping and, presumably, now little more than a soggy paperweight. Len came to the rescue! I admit I was a little concerned when I saw my lifeline in pieces on the table, but a few minutes with a blow dryer and the computer was up and working great!
Similar “oops” moments were common, but each time Len would pull out a tool I didn’t even realize he’d packed, and we were back in business. Without that kind of forethought and “Adventure Prep,” we may have come away with a book full of horror stories instead of a lifetime of incredible memories.
What all did we bring? To this day I’m not completely sure, but I do remember Len telling me something about a couple of chains “just in case” we busted an axle. How’d we think of that one? While MacGyver was plotting our course he spent hours on online travel and RV forums.
Of course, all the planning in the world can’t help you if the amenities you anticipated were less than expected. We rolled into Lake Park Campground in Rapid City with the intention of hooking up, logging on to the WiFi and seeing what there was to see in the town. Hook up went great—no water on the laptop this time…unfortunately there was no Internet on the laptop, either. Apparently the WiFi was not to be. Local management was less than sympathetic, so we pulled up stakes and headed down the road to Happy Holiday Campground. It’s good to be flexible when you’re on an adventure, but there are times, you know?
Mount Rushmore is absolutely jaw-dropping. The sheer size and artistry involved overwhelms the imagination. It’s just an amazing feat! Of course there’s amazing, and then there’s inexplicable. We made it to Rushmore on the 3rd and learned that the 4th of July fireworks were scheduled for that evening. Did I mention it was raining buckets? But, apparently, when South Dakota wants to celebrate a national holiday a day early, not even weather that would drown a duck can spoil the mood. After a mile hike to the site, we spent the evening watching, but not quite seeing the rockets red glare light up the sky.
That’s something else you need to remember for your adventure. You may have a strict timetable, but no one else is wearing your watch. Stay on schedule, and do your best to take the “uniqueness” of certain people and places in stride. That is part of the fun, after all.
The 4th of July took us to the Sheridan Recreation Area, a beautiful lakeside campground run by the U.S. Department of Forestry. This time we knew going in there would be no WiFi or electric hookups, but we can run off our batteries for a couple of days—or use the pair of generators MacGyver made sure we had for the trip. Of course, that doesn’t get me WiFi, but I managed a day or so free from the Internet tether—it was Independence Day, after all. Later, we stopped to marvel at the colossal monument to Native American hero, Crazy Horse. Over 60 years in the making, there is only one way to describe it—this thing is big. You could fit all four of Mt. Rushmore’s Presidents on his face. Crazy Horse gave us a moment that demanded to be captured.
We wouldn’t have to wait long for another.
Nothing brings an adventure to a screeching halt quite like a rockslide…unless, of course, those boulders have horns and hooves. Keep your eyes on the road when you’re behind the wheel or you might miss something. For instance, a herd of bighorn sheep who don’t believe in sharing the highway. We stopped, snapped a few (hundred) pictures, and the sheep moved on, oblivious of the human presence.
That evening we rounded out our celebration of America with the Presidential Walking Tour in downtown Rapid City. Life size bronze statues of the first 41 Presidents greeted us, one per corner. The realism and detail used to portray these men who have helped shape our nation were amazing. What an incredible way to celebrate our Independence!
Of course, freedom is even sweeter when you know you get to wake up in the morning and head out in search of a brand new adventure.
For more information on campsites and places to eat in the area, click here to read Camps and Roadside Eats.
Chapter 1: Dude—No Way!
Chapter 2: Celebrating Our Independence
Chapter 3: Exploring Black Hills and Plush Valleys
Chapter 4: Rodeos, Rivers, and Bears—Oh, my!
Chapter 5: Big Fish and Bigger Sky (Wyoming and Montana)
Chapter 6: On the Fly in Wyoming
Chapter 7: Glacier National Park & A Glimpse of the Great White North
Chapter 8: Yukon Get There From Here
Chapter 9: Alaska … Roads, Rain and Rabbits
Chapter 10: Seward’s Glory
Chapter 11: Not Just for the Halibut
Chapter 12: Mountain and Flame
Chapter 13: Fairbanks, Loonies & The Road To Destruction
Chapter 14: Icefields, Parks and Canada in the Rearview
Chapter 15: Reservoirs, Dinosaurs & the Devil’s Playground
Chapter 16: Superior Views & Yooper Trails
Chapter 17: The Adventure Continues