Roam With Friends

Category: camping with children

The Adventures of Betty, Roxie, and The Rockwood: Spearfish Canyon

Social Trails. Ever heard of them? They are not formal trails but they are paths that have been made from visitors who learned about them mostly from word of mouth. On our That’s WY vacation, I was first told about social trails from a park ranger as I was trying to find a way of seeing Midway Geyser Basin from a higher elevation. The Park Ranger told me that there were no approved paths but only social trails. He explained that all the social trails leading to where I wanted to go were not safe and that the entire area in Yellowstone had been closed off due to serious injury and even death on the social trail that I was inquiring about.

Social trails often lead us to hidden gems. Hidden gems can be an out of the way. Not well publicized and generally something only locals know about. Not something you will find in a tour guide or on a map. We all want to find that hidden gem, but we all don’t always have the resources to do so.

Love it or hate it but social media has changed the game when it comes to hidden gems. Once discovered by word of mouth or from introduction by a person in the know to a newbie, these tucked away secret places are no longer secret. The wide spread use of social media has transformed these hidden gems to trending hot spots. People experience a hidden gem and then post about it and disclose the location. Those post are seen and shared with the hundreds of friends who share it with their hundreds of friends and soon hidden gems are no longer really hidden.

Heading into the Black Hills, Meeghan learned through social media about a few social trails in Spearfish Canyon that would lead us to some hidden gems. The warning was clear, these hidden gems butted right up next to private property and home owners had little to no patience with the public out hiking to find the once hidden now public site.

Wanting an adventure, we set out from Rafter J Bar Ranch and made our way north one hour and thirty minutes on Highway 385 North pass Deadwood to Spearfish Canyon. We had no real address, just a general direction as we set about to find a gem called The Devil’s Bathtub. (Side note: why is the Devil in the name of so many cool places?)

We drove up Highway 385 North from Hill City. The drive to Deadwood was beautiful. We passed Pactola Reservior and nearly pulled over for the day! The water was so blue and inviting. Thankfully, the pull of Spearfish Canyon kept up heading north. Although it was only the beginning of June, Deadwood was already full of bikers. This area is a mecca to the two wheeled community all summer long, so if you are visiting here, watch out for them.

Just south of Deadwood we got off Highway 385 and took Highway 85 North to I90. We passed another RV park that blew our socks off, so you if you are looking for a place to stay a little further north, closer to Deadwood, Sturgis, or Spearfish Canyon, look at Elkhorn Ridge RV Park. We took I90 West a few miles and found ourselves at Highway 14A, Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway.

Looking up you see tall pine trees and exposed granite rock. Spearfish Creek runs through the bottom of the canyon. We found our first water fall, Bridal Veil Falls, We were a little nervous that we would overlook the area we were searching for so while we had service we were able to pull up a map and found a road called Cleopatra Place. We knew that Devil’s Bathtub was off this road.

Parking was very limited and on the day we were there to visit, so many people were playing in Spearfish Creek that most of the available sites were taken. “Private Property” signs were everywhere we looked so we knew we had to be careful in selecting a parking site.

After a picnic lunch and refilling our water containers, we set off hiking a social trail. There was no map. We followed the trail that crossed and double crossed Squaw Creek up from the floor of the canyon.

The trail wanders. It is visible in parts and in other parts you make your own trail. It is dry and it is wet. When it is wet, you will find that the water is very cold. At first it feels nice and refreshing considering how hot it is but after extended periods of times in the water, you realize your feet are numb. It is flat and it is rocky. We climbed so many rocks! We were hiking with a wide range of ages (7 to 47) and we all made it. There is shade and there is full sun.

Sometimes walking in the water is the easiest path. You really can’t make it to Devi’s Bathtub without getting your feet wet. We joked this was a smaller, less glamorous version of The Narrows. This is not a joke: wet rocks are slippery. Ask Meeghan, she went under. Completely under. While holding her Canon. The Canon is fine. But Meeghan got wet.

Squaw Creek pools. I think there are three or four pools. One of those pools is Devil’s Bathtub. Being newbies, we overshot it and hiked way out of our way. We hiked so far that we no longer had a clear path to follow. So we doubled back and and we finally found the “right” pool.

The water is deep at Devil’s Pool and it is powerful. We were happy to see a bunch of other hikers hanging around to catch everyone as they came down the natural slide. I have a “thing” with water: we like each other in social circles but we don’t really want to get too familiar with each other. I tried to convince myself during the entire hike in that I was okay to go down the slide. I do believe if that water had been 10 degrees warmer I might have done it. But in the end, I stood by and watched. For those keeping score: Pam’s fear of water: 10,000 Pam overcoming fear of water 23.

The Boy quickly went down and then took all the littles down. He was having a hayday until he scrapped a rock and came up with a few nasty roadrash marks. Then he was done. Thankfully the dads decided they wanted to go and they each took a little down.

The hike in took longer than we expected. The hike out was quick and easy. We had planned to hit up a few more “quiet” areas in Spearfish Canyon but time just got away from us and we found ourselves rushing to get back to Rafter J Bar Ranch for dinner.

We left with mixed emotions, excited at the hike we had found and yet a little sad we had to leave. I can safely say this was the perfect ending to our time in the Black Hills and maybe a favorite of the whole trip. If you are looking for a scenic drive, take Highway 14A through Spearfish Canyon. If you are looking for a moderately difficult hike and like water features, then Devil’s Bathtub Hike is for you.

I put together a video of our time at Devil’s Bathtub. The video takes you from the bathtub to our vehicles. If you are interested in seeing this social trail/hidden gem take a peak.

January 16, 2018
The Adventures of Betty, Roxie, and The Rockwood: Needles Highway and Wind Cave National Park

A good book. I always put a good book on my list of things to take on a vacation. Love it or hate my kindle app has made that so easy and lightweight! I can carry around a few hundred books and take up no more space or add any extra weight. When we left town to head on our That’s WY vacation, I was in the middle of reading Dear Bob and Sue.

A good book can help you pass the time on a long road trip. A good book can transport you to a new place. A good book can teach you something. I am reading Dear Bob and Sue, a book about a couple who visit all 59 US National Parks, I learned there were national parks in South Dakota that I did not even realize. I stopped reading and started studying my map quickly making plans for a day visit while we were in the Black Hills. All because of a good book.

Needles Highway and Custer State Park

We left Rafter J Bar Ranch and drove Highway 16 to Highway 87. Highway 87 is also known as Needles Highway because of the needle-like granite rocks that pierce the sky. The road is very scenic; besides the granite rocks, you will drive past Sylvan Lake, tall pine trees, and through many tight rock tunnels.

Before driving Needles Highway, I had watched many YouTube videos of tourist driving through the Eye of the Needle Tunnel. I knew it was going to be tight, or look like a squeeze, but I knew our truck would make it. I still can’t believe that Wayne let our son, The Boy drive through the Eye of the Needle. Wayne did walk in front of the truck and “directed” The Boy through the entire tunnel! I think we would have been fine, but Wayne made him pull the rear view mirrors in.

I offered to turn around and do it again so Wayne could also drive through it. No one liked that idea but me. Needles Highway is approximately 14 miles long but we took Highway 87 south to Wind Cave National Park, which is just south of the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park.

Wind Cave National Park

One of the many things the Todd’s and Taylor’s have in common is a fascination with cave exploration. So traveling the thirty miles (that took an hour) from our base was pretty much a no brainer. Our goal upon arrival was just to get a tour booked. There are three tours scheduled on a regular basis; the Garden of Eden Tour, The Natural Entrance Tour, and the Fairgrounds Tour. The price range to go on a tour is between $10-12 per person (children are half the price as adults). We booked ourselves for the Fairgrounds Tour which is the longest most strenuous tour offered.

As we were waiting for our tour I noticed a small warning sign that asked visitors who were wearing shoes that had been in another cave to let a park ranger know. Well, I live in my Keens. They are my hiking shoes of choice and I was pretty sure that I had worn them when we visited Onondaga State Park Memorial Day Weekend 2016. So, I did the “right” thing and told a park ranger. As a result, I was treated to a private decontamination process by a park ranger. I was not put out or offended that my shoes needed decontaimination. Caves are fragile systems and I don’t want to be responsible for injury to that system.

Wind Cave is a very large cave that is mostly dry. It is believed to have been an ocean a very long time ago. In fact we were able to see evidence of seashell on the roof of the cave. Those shell fish died and sank to the bottom of the ocean where they get all crunched up from the waves. They filtered down in between the cracks of the limestone floor of the ocean. When the ocean went away, and the cave filled with water full of sulfuric or sulfurous acid begins creating the cave by eating away the limestone. But what it can’t eat through is the remains of the shellfish. Hence the boxwork.

The kids enjoyed learning about Alvin McDonald who was one of the early explorers of Wind Cave. The Park Ranger’s told us how he would explore the cave by candlelight and mapped out the cave. We learned that the letters on the ceiling of the were actually made by Alvin McDonald but using a secret code.

Unfortunately during our tour one of the guest got injured and it was rushed a bit. We did not mind, we used our Every Child in A Park pass to get in free and we had a lot of exploring to do before in the area in a short time. After our tour and before we left we did go and see the original cave entrance. The wind in the cave is constantly changing due to barometric pressure. It is either blowing out of the cave or being sucked in. Early explorers often lose their hats at the original entrance.

The day of our visit the wind was blowing out. And my goodness it was strong. Standing in front of that opening was the coolest place outside of the cave.

There are other above ground activities at Wind Cave. We did not partake in any of them. After a day of exploring rock formations, we headed back to Rafter J Bar Ranch for an afternoon of swimming and relaxing. We choose not to drive back through Custer State Park and take Iron Mountain Road. Instead we took Highway 385 and arrived back at base in a shorter period of time.

If a person was inclined to, Jewell Cave National Monument is only 33 miles from Wind Cave. Jewell Cave is the third longest cave in the world with almost 200 miles of mapped pathways. Advance tickets can be purchased to both Wind Cave and Jewell Cave.

And don’t forget to complete your Junior Ranger program. Our girls loved getting sworn in by the ranger who lead our tour.

We hope you have a great time in The Black Hills. What are your favorite activities?

Happy Exploring!

January 11, 2018
2017 Another Year of Camping in Review

We have turned the page on yet another camping season. 2017 turned out to be a great year for us and our favorite pastime. We were able to camp from April to November. Before we get too far into the next chapter, I thought we would spend some time reflecting on 2017. So I asked my camping buddies a few simple questions. I asked my own family a few simple questions. And here is what everyone had to say!

The Taylor Family

Spent 50 nights in the camper

14 different camping trips

18 different campgrounds

2 City/County Parks

7 State Parks (3 new ones and 4 return visits)

1 National Park (although we visited six National Parks)

8 Private Campgrounds

We had so many favorite camping moments this year. The Beaver Ponds Hike in Yellowstone National Park tops our list. We may have not seen a single beaver but we did run into a momma bear and two cubs. My son loved every wildlife experience that he would not pick just one as his favorite. The Short Chic had so much fun in Branson over Thanksgiving that she named it as one of her favorites. Wayne and I loved boating on a nearly empty Forest Lake at Thousand Hill State Park over Labor Day as much as I loved taking home first place for the scariest Halloween campsite at Watkins Mill State Park in October. However, my absolute favorite memory of 2017 is the time my family spent driving to and from camping locations. I loved it so much that I actually made a short video so I can remember these moments forever!

https://youtu.be/pBRXnepaIEk

We had a many moments that were memorable but a few made our the list of least favorite moments. We almost flooded our camper in Cody Wyoming by leaving the water on while flushing the black tank. That moment when we opened the door to the camper not knowing what we would find will haunt us for a very long time. We also found ourselves on the bad side of a shared site over Father’s Day weekend. We spent the entire weekend staring at the backside of a strangers camper parked some 8 feet from our front door. The Boy will not forgot an unfortunate encounter with a kraken. Before you ask, yes we know krakens are mythological creatures.

We each had a favorite camping location/trip.

The Short Chic: Treetop Adventures, Branson, MO

The Boy: Monster Lake, in Cody, Wyoming

Wayne: Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone National Park

Me (Pamela): Watkins Mill State Park and our annual Halloween Camping trip.

As a family we have set some new goals for the 2018 season. We would like to hike more. Wayne wants to fish more. I just want to spend another 50 nights in the camper. We do have one “new” thing to look forward to in 2018: camping with a dog!

The Todd Family

Spent at least 35 nights in their camper

12 different camping excursions

6 Private Campgrounds

6 Public Campgrounds

Favorite camping moments the Todd family listed were: Yellowstone National Park and Mount Rushmore. Angie stated they have always dreamed of going to these locations but they are happy to say that they were more than she expected them to be. Allen reported his favorite camping moment of 2017 was the couples trip he and Angie took to Old Highway 86 in Branson, MO. They spent the week relaxing, antiquing, wine tasting, and they even made an appearance at Silver Dollar City. Z’s favorite camping trip of the year was Yellowstone. At her core, Z might be destined to be a full time RV’er. She loves longer trips and can’t wait for the next one.

Angie could not think of any moments that she would call her least favorites. We are thankful for that, because in years past we have had a lot of crazy moments; finding a mess of seed ticks while hiking, losing power in the middle of the night, calling in on-sight service for a hot water heater problem that just needed a switch flipped. But this year, nothing came to mind.

The Todd family is looking forward to exploring new places in 2018, Perhaps they will be exploring in a new fifth wheel camper?

The Masters Family

Spent 40 nights in their camper

They stayed in 12 different campgrounds this year

The Masters family reports they had an amazing camping season, in fact so many great moments it was really hard to identify their favorite moments. In the end their youngest selected Yellowstone National Park as his favorite overall moment. Their daughter put our Halloween camping trip as her high moment. Meeghan said our Big Lake trip as well as the Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Yellowstone.

With such an amazing camping season, was it possible for the Masters to select a least favorite moment? Meeghan stated if she had to pick something it would be shared sites. We have not blogged about this yet but this was a summer that we tried shared RV sites. I won’t say too much but knowing Meeghan put it on her least favorite moment list says enough.

Jeremy had his own least favorite moment. This entire camping season our camping group has been teasing Meeghan that she needed a new bike. Meeghan got an old green Huffy from an auction. She had to ride it with the tires nearly flat because it rubbed against the frame if fully inflated. Despite having several speeds, it was stuck in one gear. It was old and heavy. At the Big Lake camping trip, Jeremy bet Meeghan he could beat her in a bike race. He would take the Huffy and she would ride a borrowed bike. If he won, there would be no more talk of getting a new bike. If she won, he would buy her a new bike. Jeremy’s least favorite camping moment was losing to his wife in a three mile bike race witnessed by twenty or so of their closest friends. Maybe bike riding on a new bike will make Meeghan’s favorite list in 2018?

The Masters had three favorite campgrounds this year. They loved Rafter J Bar Ranch in Hill City, South Dakota. They also loved their site at Smithville Lake for the Family Campout (Spot 334) and they loved Watkins Mill State Park in the fall.

Their goals for 2018 are simple: to continue to camp with friends, to get five Missouri State Parks and earn the Missouri Campers Award, and their final goal is to take a camping trip somewhere with just their family of four.

I think I speak for all of us group campers, we had a busy camping season. It was full of many great moments that finding just a few to select as our favorites was actually rather difficult. From the activities we do yearly to a historic solar eclipse we may not see again in our lifetime, we shared these moments together. And maybe that is our favorite part of it all.

Here is to 2018!

January 9, 2018
Campground Review: Arrow Rock State Historic Site

Arrow Rock State Historical Site

Arrow Rock, MO

dates of stay: June 30 – July 4, 2017

Sites 44 and 45.

Winter solstice has come and gone and while we may not be able to see it the days are getting longer leading us right back to our favorite season: camping season. As I sit with my computer covered in my flannel blanket and watch the snow fall out my window, I am reflecting on camping trips of the past.

This past July we visited a new state park that I think is worthy of visiting again so I thought I would spend some time reminiscing about Arrow Rock State Historic Site.

I first visited Arrow Rock State Historic Site the summer of 2016 when I started the Centennial Passport. I am not sure what I was expecting the first time I visited Arrow Rock but it certainly was not an entire little town along the Missouri River. The town of Arrow Rock is rich with historical relevance to the westward expansion and the Sante Fe Trail to name a few. And a bonus, this historical site has a beautiful camping loop.

Arrow Rock is conveniently located just north of Interstate 70 between Marshall MO and Booneville MO. The first observation we made on our trip there was just how quickly we arrived, in fact it took us only an hour and half. Traveling with us on this trip was the Todd’s but we also had other friends in the campground.

In our research of Arrow Rock and things we should do while we were there, two things bubble up: J. Huston Tavern and The Lyceum Theatre, J. Huston Tavern is the oldest continuously serving restaurant west of the Mississippi with nearly 200 years of service to the public. Historically this tavern, which started as a family home, boarding house, served meals to traveling settlers and local citizens. Today, it continues to serve two meals a day to travelers and locals. Reservations are highly recommended if you plan to eat at J. Huston Tavern. I tried so hard to get reservations and the wait list was the best I could do.

Thankfully, my phone rang on the way to Arrow Rock telling us they could fit us in at 6:00 p.m. the night of our arrival. We were so excited! At dinner time the menu is streamlined; they serve fried chicken and country ham with all the fixings family style. Our meal was delicious! Everything, from the fried chicken to the potato salad to the mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, and even the buttermilk biscuits, was amazing. We left full and carrying giant to-go boxes.

Before you leave J. Huston Tavern take a moment to look around. We did not realize the restaurant was more than a restaurant and we did not look around. Later we learned about the restored kitchen and bedrooms upstairs so we had to make a second visit during the crowded lunch service.

After a large meal, we did a cursory walk around the town. The roads are flanked by cobblestone drainage ditches. Store fronts have boardwalks with large porches that provide shade from the summer son. First impression of the town of Arrow Rock, I felt like I was in the little town that Mark Twain was in when he wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. What I did not know at the time is that in fact in 1973, Arrow Rock was the setting for a Mark Twain musical staring Johnny Whitaker (any other Family Affair fans out there?), Jeff East, and Jodie Foster.

On our first morning at Arrow Rock we got up early and went for a hike. We found a trail head to the Pierre A Fleche trail was at the end of our campground loop that looked to take us around the entire camping area. Somehow we managed to get ourselves off the trail. We lost the trail down by the original spring but we took a gamble by climbing a steep bank and found ourselves in the primitive camping loop. It may not have been the trail we were suppose to follow but we had a nice hike and by the time we made it back to the campground we were ready for breakfast.

Mid-morning we set out with the Todd’s to do a bike tour of Arrow Rock. The campground is less than 1/2 mile to town but the way to town requires biking on the blacktop highway. There was very little traffic and the vehicles we did encounter were very gracious to us. The entire town is about 8 blocks long and four blocks wide. We followed the self-guided tour. We visited the Shelby Log Cabin, the Masonic Lodge, the Lyceum Theatre, Courthouse, the Calaboose (jail), and the gun shop. We also visited several buildings with historical significance to the black community of Arrow Rock.

I should note that the Lyceum Theatre comes highly recommended. Each year they host a traveling performers group that preform several Broadway worthy productions at a fraction of the ticket price. When we were visiting Mama Mia was showing but we could not get tickets to the show. The 2018 schedule is out and you can find shows like: Mary Poppins, Crazy for You, Footloose, The 39 Steps, Souvenir, A Comedy of Tenors, Honky Tonk Angels, and A Christmas Carol. If you are planning a trip to Arrow Rock in 2018, or any other year, make sure you plan early and get your tickets to the Lyceum. I will give you an insider tip: J. Huston Taven is open every single day the Lyceum has a performance.

History lessons are not contained to the city limits. The Arrow Rock Ferry Site is a short hike/drive from downtown. The Sappington Cemetery State Historic Site and Boone’s Lick State Historic Site are two other historical relevant points of interest very near to Arrow Rock all worthy of day trip visits. The nearby town of Blackwater is also another great day trip destination during your visit to Arrow Rock. Blackwater is home to the Iron Horse Hotel and Restaurant, the Blackwater Telephone Museum (which was not open during our visit), a Calaboose, several antique shops, beautiful gardens and a train depot.

Another attraction in nearby Booneville MO is Warm Springs Ranch. Warm Springs Ranch is a breeding facilities for the Budweiser Clydesdale horses. Advance tickets are required and advance planning to get tickets is a must. We were able to secure 6 tickets but on two separate days. We took the Guided Walking Tour and we were able to talk to the horse handlers, see the harnesses, a 1903 beer wagon, the luxury semi trucks, we watched the grooming of a Clydesdale, and we we able to meet a brand new foal. Tickets cost $14 per person and you will spend 1 1/2 to 2 hours on the ranch.

We enjoyed our time exploring the town of Arrow Rock and the local community. We also enjoyed our time in the campground. Wayne spent some time fishing in Big Soldier Lake. He successfully caught some bass and tried out his new Whopper Plopper lure. Fishing came to an abrupt end when Wayne lost his fancy lure and my cousin’s lure landed in his finger and had to be cut out.

When we checked into the park we had the most amazing attentive campground host we have ever had at a state park. The host helped us with recommendations for local activities, fishing, and hiking.The shower houses were the cleanest in any state park we have ever been to. Unfortunately, they left during our stay to move to a new location. The new host arrives on site but were not ready to resume host duties. This caused a delay in cleaning the shower houses as well as there was no ice or firewood. to purchase.

Our sites at Arrow Rock were huge. They were very long and the mature trees provided great shade. We had lovely neighbors who played the guitar and serenaded me to sleep in the afternoons. I enjoyed it so much I ask them to consider camping with us for the rest of the camping season! When making our reservations, Allen and I carefully selected our sites. Insider tip: this campground is set up to have two campground host but only has one. That leaves one full hookup site to be rented by guest. It is worth it to plan ahead and book this one site if you can.

Overall, we found this to be a lovely place to visit. We loved the small town and the activities. We loved the sites. Arrow Rock State Historic Site felt like we were visiting a community an that community welcomed us with open arms. They even had a Fourth of July pot luck dinner at the campground the afternoon of the holiday.

December 29, 2017
That’s WY: Yellowstone National Park Lamar Valley

If there is a place left in our country where the buffalo do roam and the deer and antelope play it is in the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park in Lamar Valley. If animal sightings are high on your Yellowstone bucket list then a visit to either Lamar Valley or Hayden Valley are a must.

The most controversial resident in these two areas is the wolf. Yellowstone re-introduced wolves in 1995 and currently there are eleven packs with an estimated count of 108 wolves living in Yellowstone and nearly 530 in the larger area. A casual tourist driving through these areas is more likely to find a wolf enthusiast camped out along the road than they are a wolf in the fur.

In addition to the wolves, many other animals can be seen in these two areas. Pronghorns, elk, coyotes, big horned sheep, moose, bison, bald eagles, osprey, bears, and even badgers. Of course spotting these animals can take a keen eye or you can just follow your intuition. When you see a group of people pulled over looking off in the distance, you can stop and ask what they are looking at. You will find that not only are they eager to share their find with you but they are also likely to share their spotting scope as well.

Early Bird Gets The Worm

One morning during our visit to Yellowstone, we sat our alarms and took off as the sun was rising to make the long drive from Fishing Bridge to Lamar Valley. Our children were very grumpy and nearly at melt down stage before we even got started. Thankfully, our efforts were rewarded just a few miles from our campground when we spotted a large 400 + black bear running across the road. We were able to stop, pull off the road, and watch this animal cover a ground like he was Jack Be Nimble. There is nothing like seeing a giant black bear to push away the excitement and change a little persons attitude from grumpy to eager explorer.

We made a stop by The Petrified Tree as we had heard rumors from other visitors of Moose sightings in that area. We never saw a Moose so we headed off to Lamar Valley. Shortly after we turned off the grand loop onto Highway 212, I noticed a new animal butt. Wayne thought it was a elk but I had seen my fair share of elk butt’s during this trip and this butt was definitely different. So, we pulled over and set about to explore. Again we were rewarded with a herd of Big Horn Sheep.

Our animal sightings continued; we found a badger, eagles, and even a momma elk teaching her newborn how to run. We sat and watched this new baby stumble, get up, run, stumble, get up, and run until they were no longer visible. The one animal we had hoped to see but never saw was the Moose.

Our activity goal in Lamar Valley was to hike to Trout Lake. We found the parking lot to be small and very crowded. The hike from the trail head to the lake is not a long one but has a very challenging vertical rise. We did make it to the lake and again we were rewarded with a beautiful view of mountain peaks reflecting on the lake. We were surprised to find fly fishermen fishing in Trout Lake. Wayne had researched in and thought the lake was off limits to fishing. We learned that only one small part of the lake, the outlet where the trout spawn, was off limits.

After a good hike and successful animal sightings we allowed ourselves a picnic lunch at the Yellowstone River Picnic area. A very friendly fox made his appearance during our lunch, which allowed us to have great conversations about the side effects of feeding wild animals with the kids.

People Love Sharing Their Passion; So Don’t Be Afraid to Strike Up a Conversation

The Todd’s loved Lamar Valley, in fact it was probably one of their favorite places in Yellowstone. They also had great animal sightings and were lucky enough to see the Moose near the Petrified Tree. The Todd’s learned that the visitors camped along the road are serious about their animal sighting and they are eager to share their passion with others.

Despite an early start to our day and despite the distance between our campground and Lamar Valley, we decided to return to Lamar Valley that evening in hopes of spotting a few more animals on our bucket list.

Off Highway 212, is a dirt road leading to Slough Creek. We traveled down that road and found a large group of wolf enthusiast camped out with powerful spotting scopes. We also learned they were watching a wolf den about 2 miles west of where we were standing. Waiting to see these animals is part of the game. These wolf enthusiast are prepared to wait Our little girls on the other hand find boredom really quickly. In an attempt to distract, Wayne took the girls for a hike down to Slough Creek. Funny, on their hike, they disturbed a coyote who then walked right in front of the wolf enthusiast and they barely saw it. They were looking two miles past that ole coyote.

Our binoculars were not sufficient and we were thankful our host invited us to use their spotting scopes. Having poor eye site and needing corrective lenses I had little hope that I would be able to maneuver my glasses and the scope and be successful in seeing anything. Our host were so gracious and kept letting me try. I had probably tried three or four times and never saw a thing. I felt so inadequate because everyone else who looked through that scope got so excited. Not me. I could make out from where we were standing the den, or the general area but we were so far away and things just looked liked dots. Then, our host patiently offered me one more look and I was able to see the den and the wolf pups playing outside of it. I felt such a sense of mastery when I was able to figure out how to use that scope and got to see those pups (that looked just like dogs by the way).

Persistence Pays Off So Don’t Stop Believing

As much as Allen wanted to see the wolves, I wanted to see a Moose. Rumors haunted me all day of a momma Moose and her baby being spotted along Soda Butte Creek north of Soda Butte Cone. We decided to part ways with the wolf enthusiast to go in search of a Moose. As we traveled Northeast on 212 every finger was crossed that we would be lucky. We kept hearing the momma and her baby lingered in the creek so I kept following the river. It went from wide and slow to narrow and rushing.

We finally turned a corner, the river changed again and we saw all the people lined up along the road. There was a Moose off in the distance eating. I think I slide out of the truck before Wayne even had it stopped. Before I could blink, Angie and the kids were right there. We sat and watched her for a long time and then without warning her baby emerged from the brush. A collective “awww” rose from the small crowd who had gathered. I was so excited I sat in utter amazement forgetting to take photographs!

The Icing On The Cake Is So SWEET

We left Lamar Valley to head back to camp with our head and hearts happy. What a day! We started off with a bear, then big horned sheep, then a badger, an eagle, a fox, wolves, and finally a moose. My Yellowstone Vacation was officially complete. We decided to stop by Tower Falls.

However, before we could get to Tower Falls, traffic stopped and began backing up. This is usually a really good indicator of an animal sighting. However, the only animal we could see was a bison, which are so plentiful you honestly stop stopping for them after your first day in the park. Before we could even process that this crowd was forming for a bison, we saw a momma bear and three cubs frolicking in the trees near the bison. The bison moved forward and spooked the bears and up the trees they scampered. No wonder all these people had stopped. The show was amazing. The bison eventually moved along (crossing the road right between The Todd’s and us) and the bears headed for higher ground.

We ended our perfect day by stopping by Tower Falls.

November 20, 2017
Ahoy Ye Scallywags, The Pirates Have Landed

Each year we participate in a Halloween Camping event at Watkins Mills State Park in Excelsior Springs, MO. Each year this event grows in popularity and I will warn anyone interested in attending; the entire campground was sold out within a few hours.

We were luck to reserve six camping sites in a row and we set about creating a scene worthy to compete in the scariest campsite contest. Should I mention we have won this contest for the past two years and feel a need to defend our “title”?

In years past we used easy up tents to contain our decorations. It has worked well for us but we decided this year to tackle a larger space. We made the decision to move away from the tents, Our theme for this year was Pirates.

Our goal was to turn the front of our campers into large pirate ships. We also knew we wanted to use our outdoor movie system to show a popular pirate movie and we wanted to make our visitors walk the plank. The rest came together with the help of a well pinned Pinterest board.

Thankfully, our camping group really likes hanging out together so we had a few work days prior to the event. We painted a lot of cardboard, empty wine bottles, and put our creative minds together to sketch out a plan that we hoped would be sufficient to win this contest for the third year. I should also state that our goal for this contest is always to use as much recycled/reused materials as possible.

So, please let me walk you through our 2017 Halloween Campsite: Shipwreck Cove.

Up till this weekend we had pretty much a beautiful, dry fall. Our children had been counting down for this weekend; madly crazy about the idea of camping and trick-or-treating as well as seeing our campsite plans come to life. Not only where the kids excited but we adults were as well.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature had her own plans for this weekend. A massive storm was scheduled to move through and it should be hitting the campground right around trick-or-treating time. We were determined that the show must go on despite the weather. Mid Saturday morning the campground host came around to tell us the organizers had moved up the time table in anticipation of the storm.

We scampered to set everything up. We had to bail on the night time effects (outdoor movie, fog machine, lighting, ect). We barely finished decorating in time and found ourselves with only twenty minutes to get ourselves into costume/make up. The wind kept picking up the entire day. Our massive sails took a beating. We ended up having to cut tears into them to allow the wind to pass through.

From the moment trick-or-treat started until the costume contest started we had a line of kids (and parents) coming through the site. They entered and got their candy, walked a path by the pirate table, Played the Hook Toss game and then got to claim their bounty. However, they soon found out that since they touched the bounty they had to walk the plank, right past a “giant kraken”!

The scariest site judging was a little odd this year. The judges came by our site during the trick-or-treating but the organizers had told us that actual judging would not occur until 8:00 p.m. We stayed in costume the entire day despite trick or treating ended by 4:00. The judges came by a second time right before 8:00. We started taking things down as soon as they left and by the time they came back 10 minutes later to tell us we won, it was pouring down rain! What amazing timing!

So, here is to another year of Halloween camping. We are excited to have won but most importantly, we are excited to have another weekend together. Sadly, the grand fall weather we had been having blew away with the rain we got that night. It has been very cold since then.

November 11, 2017
6th Annual Family Camp-Out

School starts here next week. Where has the summer gone? It just seems a few short weeks ago that we were finishing school and starting our big That’s WY vacation.

Last week The Short Chic told me she was sad summer was about over but she was excited for one thing. I asked her what the was, thinking she would say seeing her friends, meeting her teacher, cheerleading, etc. instead she said “it is almost time for my favorite camping trip of the year, the Family Camp-Out.”

If you are new, we have hosted a camping trip every September for the past five years. It started off as a small idea to find a family with children to go camping with us back when we were in between RV’s. To my amazement not only did we find one family we found nearly 10 families. It is a weekend full of friends, activities, fun, and fresh air.

This year the 6th Annual Family Camp-Out will be on September 15-17, 2017 at Crow’s Creek Campground at Smithville Lake. This year we are in Loop F. There are still spaces available in that Loop if you are interested in joining us. Many people like to join us for two nights of camping while others prefer to day camp. Last year I noticed a trend of many campers to tack on a third night.

We have cultivated a few camping traditions over the past few years. Saturday afternoon we will have walking tacos for lunch. We will once again tie dye t-shirts. Saturday night we will have a bon fire with hot dogs and s’mores. After dinner, you can expect we will break out the black lights and the neon for our annual “Glow Party”!

To help you prepare for the camping trip, I am providing a few helpful items.

Reservations for camping at Smithville Lake can be made on their website.

Sign-Up for community food at this Sign Up Genius.

Tie Dye Kit: we are asking each family bring a tie dye kit as well as t-shirts/clothing they would like to dye. I found this kit at Dollar General but if you can’t find this one, you can find reasonably priced kits at Wal Mart, Hobby Lobby, or Michael’s.

Meals:

There are three organized community meals: Saturday lunch, Saturday dinner, and Sunday breakfast. You will find a sign-up for those ingredients on the Sign Up Genius. Friday night, All other meals are on your own including Saturday morning, or even Sunday afternoon meals.

Glow Party:

We provide the black lights and a play list. You provide the creativity. Neon glows well but so does a plain white t-shirt. Body paint is a huge hit and it can be purchased on Amazon. I am not sure if the kids or the adults love this fun activity the most. Either way, it makes for one enjoyable evening.

Have a great first week of school. September will be here before you all know it. We look forward to seeing everyone who plans to join us so you can see that fall camping is the best camping of the year!

August 9, 2017
The Adventures of Betty, Roxie, and The Rockwood Part III: See Ya Later, South Dakota

As we hopped back onto I-90 West on day three of our vacation the mood of the group was relaxed and playful for many reasons. First it was the first time we felt we were some place other than “here”. Then, we had spent an amazing night at Badlands National Park and we had spent the morning exploring Wall Drug Store. And finally, we had a short drive to our next destination (Devils Tower) and we made a decision to take an impromptu side trip to Sturgis, South Dakota. One of the great things about vacationing is the ability to slow down and enjoy moments differently than you do when you are rushing to get to a job you work at all day long more days than not. Deviating from the plan to take in a side trip is one of those small vacation wins.

I should probably pause here and make a full disclosure admission to you all. Our vacation group is full of former bikers/current bikers. In his younger days, Allen had a bike. Wayne had a bike right up till The Short Chick joined our lives and the Masters family still bikes. The Master’s have been to bike week in South Dakota numerous times and going to bike week use to occupy a space on my bucket list, (I took it off my list after attending Bikes, Blues and BBQ in Arkansas and seeing how crowded the third largest rally in the US was, I knew I had changed my mind about the largest rally.) Still, I thought a visit to Sturgis not during bike week sounded fun. So did everyone else.

A quick 90 minutes after we left Wall, South Dakota, we pulled into Sturgis, South Dakota. The town was quiet. There was no traffic. We pulled into the old Full Throttle Saloon and looked around the charred remains on a former Sturgis powerhouse. We purchased t-shirts, took photos, drank a beer and spent time chatting with old bikers who still linger at The Full Throttle. The bikers recommended we lunch in town at Rosco’s and highly recommended we take a scenic route over to Devil’s Tower. Again, we are on vacation and we can afford to be leisurely so we took them up on both recommendations. I ordered the steak salad and Allen ordered the steak tips. We would recommend both if you are visiting Rosco’s Steak House in Sturgis.

We took Highway 34 to Belle Fourche and then we entered Wyoming by following Highway 24 to Devils Tower. The scenic route was wide, had good shoulders for pulling over (which we did not need to do), and a beautiful view the entire 90 minute trip from Sturgis. Coming from the Midwest, we are usually pretty hesitant to take the back roads. But we found this alternate route, as well as all other routes we would find ourselves on during this road tip, to be very friendly to travelers; even those who tow big campers.

Last year Kerri Cox with Travels with Birdy went west and recommended the Devil’s Tower KOA. We booked our sites at Devils Tower based upon her recommendation. As we got settled into our premium sites we noticed the rock climbers on the tower. We were so excited and ready to explore Devils Tower National Monument that within an hour of our arrival we were off and headed to the park.

The entrance to Devils Tower is literally a few hundred paces from the entrance to Devils Tower KOA. Upon arriving, the littles immediately set about becoming Junior Rangers while we got our national park passports purchased and stamped. A rain shower moved in so we huddled under a canopy as the soon-to-be Junior Rangers finished their workbooks. We passed the time watching rock climbers and other tourist. As I watched a tourist carry out large pieces of deadwood, the men watched in awe as a rock climber fell. He was safely caught by all the safety mechanisms but it provided a moment of adrenaline for those who witnessed it (and I am sure for the climber).

The rain did not stick around for long so with four newly sworn in Junior Rangers, we sat out to hike the Tower Trail. Tower Trail is a little over a mile paved trail that circles the base of the tower. We passed by pine trees and boulders. There are a few scenic overlooks, one of which we could see our campers waiting for us down below.

Devils Tower is considered a holy place to Native Americans and they come here to pray. For each prayer they leave behind a physical representation of their prayer and that is called a prayer cloth. We noticed several different types of prayer cloths. Some were little bundles tied to the tree. Some were strips of materials. Others even multiple smaller strips tied to a larger piece of material. The park rangers told us the bundles hold offerings like tobacco with their prayer. The smaller strips tied to a larger piece of material are multiple individual prayers. The prayer cloths will stay on the trees until they either decompose or the family who placed them come back and replace these cloths with new prayers.

As we exited the park that evening, we passed right by Prairie Dog Town for the second time. Meeghan had let us know we missed spotting them on the way in and we were determined to see these rodents. As we approached their area, we were shocked to see so many. I am not sure how we missed them on the way in other than to say, sometimes when you are looking at the forest you miss a tree. And trust me, there are a lot of trees in the forest or in this case, there are a lot of prairie dogs in Prairie Dog Town.

As night settled in the temperature dropped. We had considered going back to the park for an evening ranger program but it was chilly enough that we wanted to be inside with the heater on. Tomorrow we move further west to Cody, Wyoming where we will linger a few days before heading into Yellowstone National Park.

July 11, 2017
Tin Can Ice Cream

Nothing beats the heat of a Midwest summer than sweet creamy cold ice cream. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to bring that to a camping trip. Unless you have an RV with a fridge, keeping a gallon of ice cream from melting while camping can be a real challenge. Tin Can Ice Cream is a way of making ice cream any where with minimal equipment which makes it perfect activity for summer camping.

I learned to make tin can ice cream from my friend, Meeghan. Meeghan and I began camping together shortly after we met in graduate school. She always told me stories about how she grew up camping. Every time she reflects back on her childhood camping trips, tin can ice cream is there. She said she can’t remember a camping trip that her mom did not break out the tin cans and put Meeghan and her three siblings to work making ice cream. I think Meeghan’s mom was probably the smartest mom ever. She might have ended up with a cool afternoon treat but she also knew that making tin can ice cream would keep her four children entertained for a half hour (or so) and that they would likely meet other kids from the campground to play with during their stay. Meeghan reports that every time they made ice cream other kids would come by to see what they were doing, end up helping, and they ended up making new friends.

Making tin can ice cream is easy. There is no machine to carry around. No intricate parts to be washed afterwards. In fact, you don’t even need electricity. You simply need 2 different sized coffee cans; one large and one smaller to fit inside the large one. You will need ice and rock salt. Easy. The recipe is perfectly portioned, you will easily eat all the ice cream in one sitting and have no need to deal with leftovers. Of course, if you have a crowd, you might plan to make a couple of batches.

Meeghan says she has no idea where her mother got the recipe from or even how old she was when they started making it. We have made it a few times at on group camping trips and the kids love it. We hope you will as well.

May 24, 2017
Should You Agree To Camping With Your Child’s Friends?

If you have children and you camp, then I am going to guess you have at least mentally tackled the question: do you allow friends of our children to go along on camping trips? We have two children (with a significant gap between ages) and quickly found ourselves pondering this question very early on in our camping journey. Because of the way we camp, group camping with friends, our daughter has a playmate at every single camping trip but that has never been the case for our oldest.

We had a popup trailer the first time The Boy asked us if he could bring a friend along on a camping trip. Wayne and I processed the request differently. I started calculating bed space and extra food. He never made it past the bathroom situation. The popup camper had a cassette toilet and the only privacy was a shower curtain. Knowing an unrelated person was behind the curtain made him super nervous. We never took that friend camping but we did start looking for a different camper.

The great thing about children is they continuously present you with second chances. Last year The Boy asked if he could take his best friend along on our family vacation to the Smoky Mountains. Two weeks traveling in the campers with The Todd family. It was a simple request on the surface but not a simply decision.

There are several considerations for us to mentally think through before we agree to take another child on a trip with us. Even though we enjoy less structure during our trips, there are still camper rules: pick up after yourself, no running or jumping in the camper, no feet on furniture, and leave the outside voices outside to name a few. There are even campground rules: respect the other campers, no cutting through other campsites, quiet hours, no wondering off alone or without permission. The question we must ask ourselves is, “can this guest follow our rules or be redirected if needed.” Our agreement to take another child camping with us hinges on the answer to this question.

If we make it past the first step, the second step is to ponder the personality of the invited guest. Your child obviously gets along well with this friend but how well does the rest of the family? At the core you are simply assessing family dynamics. The addition of one can, and will, alter the status quo of your family. Big brother can be less likely to play with younger sister when his friend is around. Hopefully this child has spent some time around your family so you can assess what type of impact their presence will have on your camping trip. Do they interact with everyone in the family? Are they standoffish? Do they join in during activities or do they watch from the side lines? Camping trips can be fun moments for a family full of adventure and new experiences but also be full of moments of down time. Do you know enough about the invited guest to make an informed decision about the impact they will have on the camping trip just by being there?

I am thankful that my children love camping, and even love camping with us. I can count on them to be salesmen when talking to their friends. They are going to point out all the reasons that camping is cool and why their friends should go along with us. I, on the other-hand, am the realist. I want to explain to their friend all things that a novice to camping might not think is cool. Things like; all the kids sleep in the same room, or that conserving water is a really big deal to us and all showering will happen at the campground bathhouse. I will even let them know about lack of internet, cell service, general activities we engage in, and the fact that we generally do not eat out. I am hoping that between my children glamorizing our time together and my realistic preview, the guest has a good idea of what is about to go down if they decide to join us for a camping trip.

I would imagine some would add expense to the list of considerations; and I believe that is valid. Of course and extra person comes with expenses: food, activities, or even camping fees (some private campgrounds charge a per person fee). There are ways of handling the extra expense. You could ask the parent to cover some of those cost but we have always taken the stance that if we take on the responsibility of taking another child we also take on that expense. This has worked for us.

Lastly, before we say yes, we go right back to the popup camper and the close quarters. Do you have physical space for another child? Everyone needs privacy and a sense of boundaries. Families have a long history of establishing these but a newcomer to that mix won’t have that history. Walking around in your skivvies may feel comfortable at home or in your camper with your family but suddenly with a stranger present feels inappropriate and naughty. Even having a cocktail after dinner feels different when looked at from a strangers perspective.

We did consent to taking our sons friend with us on a two week vacation. The inclusion of one more balanced things out for us; everyone had a buddy and everyone got along so well. I actually think we had less sibling spats on that trip than we have ever had. The vacation ended up being one of the best vacations we have ever had. My son and his best friend still talk about that vacation and the memories they made and now share.

We have said yes to taking other friends of our children on trips since then (our camper upgrade in 2015 has made that so much easier). We love camping and love sharing that with others. Every time a child goes with us and they say, “I have never done this before,” “I did not know that,” or even, “this is so cool,” we get excited. We hope that we are planting a seed, a seed that will continue to grow and might just develop into a love for the outdoors and for camping. We hope we are introducing a new generation to something they will see as an escape, or a way to disconnect from a busy world, or a lifestyle. Enjoying life can be about small moments. Our biggest hope is that besides our own two children, one of the “extra” kids we have taken camping will grow up to be a camper.

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May 16, 2017