It’s a Small World

I just don’t like the last day of a trip very much. The unknown has left and the magic is gone. My mind starts to run ahead to home, and I spend miles trying to figure out the most efficient way to unpack, and thinking about how I can put in extra hours at the shop so I can earn money to go again. Always I look ahead. I’ve lived my life chomping at the bit, waiting for the next thing. But just for a bit, while we are traveling, I slow down and live in the moment. Absorb strange sights and tastes, and feel life in all its dimensions. I look at my children and know it’s The Good Life.

We spent our last night by Hanna Campground, in the Black Hills. I said by because the gate was closed so we couldn’t actually drive into the campground, but there was a nice spot to park right outside. We could still grill on the park grills, and use the park trees for Forrest’s hammock n stuff. It’s snowy in the Hills, and really beautiful!

Yesterday we attempted to see Devils Tower Monument, but when we arrived it was shrouded in fog. We killed time, eating fudge, etc., in hopes that the clouds would move but nothing doing. Today we went to Devils Bathtub. Why they name everything Devil out here I don’t know. But that Bathtub is a neat hike! Perfect for a family of individuals like us, cause you basically just climb up a stream until you reach some falls way back. It has as many stream crossings as you choose, which is why we liked it. We didn’t have to follow anyone else, just each choose our own route up. Only Zach kept hollering that his way was best, as if we cared or something.

We pointed our nose homeward at lunchtime. Well, that’s not really correct because our Winnebago doesn’t actually have a nose. More like, pointed our face. The last 5 hours home are always incredibly boring because we live 5 hours in the middle of nothing. Which is terrific during a Pandemic so I will not complain. With a bit of Kobie Kruger humor to keep us going we made it. Our RV never stuttered after that episode the other day, so who knows what it was saying. Maybe it hated high octane fuel, or perhaps didn’t like bears. I hope she doesn’t turn out really temperamental like Louise, our Jag, or Herbie, our boat. Both demand great respect, gentle voices and only top quality fuel. We sold Herbie, and weren’t sure if we should tell the new owner to speak nicely to him or not. It seemed weird.

What takes 3 days for me to stuff into a camper only takes an hour to take out. Not bad when everyone helps out! We spent an hour at our local RV Dump station getting the thing winterized, so now we can park her till our big trip. We’re thinking early May 2021. We have a nice list of things we’ll do different, and we have learned that our tank level gauges really don’t work at all. We wouldn’t have had to conserve near as much water as we did, but you live and learn. And now we’re home in our humongous house, reveling in the small things like being able to pass in the hallway and washing dishes in deep water. Also opening Amazon packages. That’s pretty awesome too! Only none were for me. Until next time…