If you've ever driven the highways of South Dakota, even so much at the point of barely crossing the border, there's one place you'll see advertised time and time again.
Welcome to Wall Drug, an iconic oasis in the middle of South Dakota. Situated along US 14 and Interstate 90, this place has become a popular stopping point for motorists going between Rapid City and either Pierre or Sioux Falls. Wall Drug began as a simple drug store founded by Ted Hustead in the 1930's. With a simple drug store in a fledgling town suffering from the depression, and Mrs. Hustead unable to sleep from all the tourists driving by, she decided to try something different to help the business. Why not offer them free ice water so long as they stopped at Wall Drug in the hopes of purchasing something else? To help, she made several roadway signs spelling out a "jingle" to attract the drivers. The rest, they say, is history.
Today, Wall Drug is still very much an icon of pride for the city of Wall, the state of South Dakota, and just about anyone seeking to travel this country by road. The drug store still exists, and the backyard is still offering free ice water, although it is now self-served. Several more merchants have brought their western-themed wares to turn Wall Drug into a bustling plaza attracting thousands of tourists daily from all across the country. Perhaps check out the large dinosaur as you enter the city from the east. Have a bite to eat in their restaurant. Check out the shops both within Wall Drug and across the car parking street. Let the children play for a bit in the Wall Drug Backyard at the center of the plaza. Perhaps stop at the chapel for a moment of prayer and reflection. Even if you're only filling up a jug with free ice water, there's something for everyone.
The City of Wall is approximately 50 miles east of Rapid City, 300 miles west of Sioux Falls, and 117 miles southwest of Pierre. As you drive that way, be sure to check out all the different hand painted billboards, from various offerings at the store to how they have been featured on national media. Even the international public have taken themselves to creating their own homemade signs showcasing the distance to Wall Drug, many of which can be found on the walls of the building near the Wall Drug Backyard. The city is so aptly named because of the "wall" seen to the south, otherwise known as Badlands National Park. The city does have an assortment of other amenities, although the drug store is what has placed Wall SD on the map.
So the next time you're Following your Internal Compass, don't despair if the road seems long. Make a stop at Wall Drug.
One more stop awaits us, this time at the Big Sioux State Recreation Area in Brandon, South Dakota. This park is a bit unique in that it lies within a suburb of Sioux Falls along the Big Sioux River, next to a housing development and local schools, a few miles off Interstate 90.
Grounds: Although Big Sioux is within a suburb, you'd never be able to notice it when you're inside the park. Once inside, it feels like a rural setting in the middle of nowhere. Drive a few miles, though, and you're able to resupply, fix your rig, or even make some improvements. The signage isn't the best when driving to the park, but is sufficient once inside.
Sites: The park boasts 50 sites and three cabins in a single campground area. As it's a state park, there's a 14-day limit, back-in only sites, electric only, and a single dump station near the entrance with several water spigots around. The site was fine-to-medium gravel, but there was a little difficulty finding a level spot. The pads were quite spacious, as we were able to extend our awning for the first time in a while. We did notice some fellow campers with larger rigs having difficulty entering their site.
Staff: Just after parking, we were greeted by two very friendly camp hosts who marked the site and provided helpful information without being overbearing. Based on this interaction, coupled with what we saw in the day use area, we could tell they took great pride in the park, and it was a very welcome place to visit.
Amenities: Big Sioux offers fine amenities for the area, including nature trails for hiking and biking, a disc golf course, and playgrounds where the younger campers can enjoy some time. If something else is desired, the city isn't far away, where pools and courts could be accessed. Cell phone signals are a little difficult due to a transmission line running through the park, which is a bit surprising for being within a suburb.
Atmosphere: Even during the very short stay, the fellow campers we saw on the trails seemed like they were having a great time. Some of the campers seemed they were kicking back on their own or finding day use fun elsewhere in the area, yet still had that vibe of "the place to be".
Overall, Big Sioux State Recreation Area becomes the first taxpayer-funded park, and the second since we began this adventure, to receive the illustrious 10 out of 10 rating. Yes, there's the added entrance fee if you don't have the annual pass, but for a relatively short stay, whether you're a casual camper taking a weekend trip, or in between locations as a full-time RVer, it is absolutely worth it. There's a little something for everyone, and what more could you ask for? This is a place where we will definitely return, and should our Internal Compass take us to Eastern South Dakota again, this park will be at the top of the list.
Let's go to Brandon, and play some more disc golf!
We're coming to you, almost live, from the beautiful Big Sioux Recreation Area Nature Trail Disc Golf Course, within the Sioux Falls suburb of Brandon, South Dakota. This is a more difficult course with more hazards, including the Big Sioux River. Again, this is within a state recreation area requiring a fee to enter by one day or annual pass. This course is designed to be challenging yet good for all players, with the front and back nine easily able to be played on separate occasions. The "B" baskets are not standing, forcing players onto the "A" baskets. However, the park was gracious enough to provide scorecards with a map and the "par" rating.
The morning session saw the front nine, this time without the pup. The handicap was in play, where she gets the driver, and he gets the mid-range, with both sharing the putter. Plenty of shots made the tall grass and hit a few trees along the way, but with all that, how did we fare?
Front 9: His holes: 4 Halved: 1 Her holes: 4
Course Record: Him 1 - 1 - 2 Her Holes Record: Him 7 - 9 Her
The front nine saw us going back and forth. Three times she'd win a hole, and three times he'd pull it back even, even with a halved hole in the way. Although unofficial, we decided to keep track of the shots to see how we'd do, and as a result of his terrible first hole, she won the shot count 64-67. This was on a Par 31, so needless to say we'll be sticking to match play for a while. However, with the first nine a draw, what will happen on the back nine?
Back 9: His holes: 5 Halved: 2 Her holes: 2
Course Record: Him 2 - 1 - 2 Her Holes Record: Him 12 - 11 Her
Once again without the pup, after a little more back and forth, along with some terrible hazard luck for him coupled with "tree love" (favorable bounce off a tree) for her on 13, he knew he had to turn it around. However, one shot deep into the rough on 15 and she just wasn't the same, allowing him to take the back nine going away. Unofficially, because of hole 13, he still barely eked out the shot count 57-58 on a Par 30, leaving the entire course to her, 122-124.
However, by all official counts, although he's up one hole in the aggregate, the course record is tied. Which way will it go next time? Find out when we Follow our Internal Compass to the next course.
Time to pack up and head to site number three, the Lake Thompson State Recreation Area in De Smet, South Dakota. This park is on Lake Thompson, a few miles south of Highway 14 in east central South Dakota. Although being a lake in the middle of the country, Lake Thompson has regularly crashing waves and a breeze that will make you think you were near the ocean.
Grounds: Lake Thompson is one of the parks that is a bit off the beaten track, as a paved yet narrow farm road as part of the midwest's famous "grid" is needed to access this place. De Smet isn't too far away if you need to resupply, but don't expect too many largely known brands in this small town. The park is well signed from the highway, as well as within the grounds itself.
Sites: This park boasts 103 campsites, five cabins, and a group lodge within a single campground. As with the other state parks, there is a 14-day limit, back-in sites, and only electric at the site, with a single dump station near the campground entrance and several water spigots throughout the campground and at the dump station. Each site was fine-to-medium gravel and fairly level, although we had to re-hook and adjust our spot due to the winds coming off the lake seeming like they would topple our rig. The 30-amp breaker had its polarity reversed, requiring us to use an electricity alternative.
Staff: The host and maintenance crew were seen now and again, and generally attentive. When we reported the electricity issue to the hosts, they chose a late hour to contact us despite stating in the note to wait until we were gone to fix the plug.
Amenities: Unlike many of the other state parks, Lake Thompson doesn't have as much to offer. There is a swim beach, although the lake is filled with algae to give it a greenish tint, so we had to suffice with long walks while trying to avoid dead fish. There are also walking/biking trails and a few sports court options. Bathhouses and vault toilets were readily available, although the maintenance crew left a sprinkler on in front of the door, leading you to get a shower before and after taking a shower.
Atmosphere: This park had a very friendly vibe, so much to where it was very pleasant to walk the dog around the grounds, or just take a leisurely stroll yourself. The park is relatively family-friendly with kids riding their bikes throughout the area. It's a laid back place where you truly can enjoy yourself.
Overall, Lake Thompson State Recreation Area receives an 8 out of a possible 10 rating. The added entrance fee without annual pass is a usual sticking point. You'd usually expect this to be included as part of the site fees, but given the annual pass and its relatively good deal, it's understandable that the charges are separate, though a bit of "fine print". If there were a couple more amenities or a better kept beach, this would be perfect. We would certainly be willing to return, although we would try to find a site that wasn't on a hill and a little further from the water to protect against the high winds.
The second of the several state parks visited as a part of trip 10 was the Oahe Downstream State Recreation Area in Fort Pierre, South Dakota. The park is located on the Missouri River just off Oahe Dam, built by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1948 to provide hydroelectric power to the area, while completely blocking off the river into two parts without any sort of canal to access the north, and the greenery of the hill makes the water run underground, avoiding the eye-sore of a concrete walled dam. Visitors can use a state highway to traverse the top of the dam and see the northern Missouri.
Grounds: Oahe Downstream is located just a few miles from the state capital of Pierre, and its sister city Fort Pierre. The easiest access is from the Fort Pierre side on Highway 1806 North. Signage from US 14 will mention "Oahe Dam", but the campground is in the same area. Time is quite a debate, as from Fort Pierre all the way north to the next state, the river serves as the border between the Central and Mountain time zones. One of the park's three campgrounds is in Mountain on the west bank, with the other two campgrounds, camp office, and amenities being in Central on a peninsula. Once you get to the park, the areas are easily accessed and well signed, with self-pay stations to handle entrance fees.
Sites: The three campgrounds boast 205 campsites and a dozen cabins. As with the other state parks, there is a 14-day limit, back-in sites, and only electric at the site, with a single dump station near the highway and several water spigots throughout the campground and at the dump station. The rig parking was on pavement and fairly level, although there was a bit of a drop-off to the spacious grass area with the picnic table and fire pit.
Staff: The staff, although there was a rig and golf cart in the campground host area, was effectively non-existent. This seemed to play a large role in an "anything goes" experience that existed around us. Once in a while, a maintenance staffer was seen to clean a restroom or do lawn care, but the park needed more conscientious attention to what was happening, and if it's going to have regulations, the hosts need to at least attempt to enforce them.
Amenities: Bathhouses are available at Oahe Downstream with showers, however there are curtains at the stalls instead of doors, having to go through one stall to get to another. A swim beach exists with waist-high water all the way to the safety buoys. The park also has a marina and disc golf course, and the nearby dam is a good place to visit and go fishing.
Atmosphere: If you're looking to relax and have a quaint, laid back experience, you will be sorely disappointed. The park was filled with large snooty groups, sometimes numbering almost 20 at a single site, nearly blocking the streets with the overflow of vehicles. Many dogs were let loose without leashes despite park policy, leading to our dog being attacked during his walk. The campers were not the best of character, either, as toiletries were stolen from us during a shower due to the lackluster stall setup, later found to be used and tossed by the same grifter that couldn't be bothered to bring their own. Although this was during a weekend where higher occupancy is expected, the campers and guests had little to no respect for their surroundings, especially with a non-existent staff allowing it to happen.
Overall, Oahe Downstream State Recreation Area receives a 4 out of 10 rating. Apart from the issues we had at the campground, as well as the added entrance fee charge without an annual pass, the flushing hose at the dump station didn't work well. The only saving grace for this park from being a complete disaster was the disc golf course. Needless to say, if our Internal Compass brings us to this area again, another park will need to be found, as we will not return to Oahe without significant changes.
It's a wonderful day back at the park, as we are ready to take to our next disc golf course!
Welcome to Powerhouse Alley, located at Oahe Downstream State Recreation Area just outside Fort Pierre, South Dakota. As with most of the state parks, there is an entrance fee required, whether by a one-day or annual pass. This is an easier course that is good for beginners, but the par number of throws is designed for the player with the strong arm. The course is designed for the player to be able to play the front or back 9 and easily head out for something else, or to play all 18 holes at once. The course is well marked with different tees to suit your difficulty rating, as well as an online map to help guide your way. Be careful of traffic driving around while you play.
We spent a morning playing the front 9. This time, we had the pup with us, and his disc of choice was from our "Can Slam" set that he chased while we played with our starter pack, and not once did he try to pick up our discs. Once again, the handicap was in play, and with such a long course, it made things relatively even. The score ended up as such:
Front 9: His holes: 2 Halved: 7 Her holes: 0
Course Record: Him 1 - 1 Her Holes Record: Him 3 - 3 Her
It was a fairly even game without too much break in number of throws, and only a couple times were the discs "brought out" from the rough with even throw penalty so nothing was lost. On the seventh "green", she was nearly able to pull within one after some difficulty with which goal was to be used, but a successful long putt attempt by him was able to halve the hole. A double-or-nothing was offered on the ninth hole to even up the game, but with it being halved, no change was made. Everything is all even-steven, so who will break the deadlock?
Back 9: His holes: 0 Halved: 7 Her holes: 2
Course Record: Him 1 - 2 Her Holes Record: Him 3 - 5 Her
The next morning was a great day for her on the somewhat more challenging back 9, with plenty more hazards. He tried to hold on as best he could, including long putts to halve holes, but in the end it wasn't enough, as she took the final two targets to seal the win and even up the course as a whole. She remains in the lead overall, with a two hole edge.
Be sure to stay tuned for the next time we Follow our Internal Compass to another disc golf course, and see what happens.
Looking for a bowl of ramen? Have we the place for you!
Nestled within Downtown Rapid City, South Dakota is Bokujo Ramen. Bokujo is owned by celebrity chef and Food Network star Justin Warner, along with his lady Brooke Sweeten, and has been open since March of 2021. Bokujo offers a number of ramen choices made to order, along with an assortment of other Asian offerings, using locally sourced ingredients during their brunch and dinner serving times Tuesday through Saturday. Patrons are able to dine in, as well as place a "to-go" order online or in person, with an event room for large gatherings and karaoke.
Our visit took place at the tail end of a weekday brunch service, with her making a quick to-go order while he was circling the downtown area for parking options. The atmosphere was Japanese inspired with shirts and other memorabilia adorning the walls. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the menu offerings are friendly towards those with peanut and shellfish allergies, as confirmed by the staff. The chef recommended a good choice based on our likes, and was happy to customize based on the same. Along with a few Oko buns, a Chilled Bison Shoyu and Bacon Mazemen were an excellent choice. The restaurant includes assembly instructions with each of their to-go orders to keep the integrity of the ingredients while ensuring best experience.
Overall, Bokujo has some of the best tasting food we have had thus far. The menu is a little pricey as is expected with most celebrity chef restaurants, but is well worth the cost at this location. Portions were of a sizable amount that you would expect for the price, even without the name notoriety. Although celebrity restaurants are usually reserved for once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and one which should definitely be experienced, Bokujo makes for a great location for a business lunch or dinner. The owners have also opened a second place around the corner, BB's Natural Wine Bar.
So next time your Internal Compass takes you to Rapid City, be sure to check out Bokujo for a great food experience.
Trip ten saw several parks visited within the same trip. The first of these was Angostura State Recreation Area outside of Hot Springs, South Dakota. This state park is located on Angostura Lake in the southwestern part of the state just off US Routes 18 and 385.
Grounds: If you're looking for a way to access some of Western South Dakota's famous landmarks, such as Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, or Badlands National Park, Angostura is a bit off the beaten track. In addition to the winding and hilly county road to merely get to the park entrance, unless you're looking to stay at the lake, you're looking at an hour-long drive each way to other destinations. That being said, Angostura is a beautiful lake with lovely beaches, making it not too bad of a destination in and of itself.
Sites: Angostura sports 169 sites and 12 cabins across four camping areas. There is a 14-day limit to stay, after which patrons must vacate for more than 24 hours. All RV sites are back-in only at about a 45-degree angle, with or without electricity of all standard amperage levels, along with two park-wide dump stations and a couple community potable water spigots at the dump station and in each camping area. Each pad with electricity is medium-to-fine gravel, with the non-electric being grass. A level spot was not able to be easily found, requiring the rig to be kept at a slight angle for the duration of the stay. The grassy areas around the pads were relatively spacious when looking back at some of the places previously reviewed in trips past, however be aware that ticks will welcome you to the spots with long grass.
Staff: The entrance guardsmen (government hired) and campground hosts (contracted for what would assume to be full hookup site only) were friendly and knowledgeable. Their presence was hardly known yet available for any issues that arise. However, they should be trained to check propane levels at their bathhouses, lest the campers be left without hot water for the showers, which did happen during our stay.
Amenities: Angostura has several swimming beaches, boat launches, and a marina across its vast grounds. A disc golf course and volleyball courts may also be found for campers and day use. For the campers at the sites, vault toilets and a bathhouse were found at each camping area, assuming the showers worked and you didn't have to go to another camping area.
Atmosphere: The camping areas were found to be family-friendly. Although many of the adults seemed content with keeping to themselves, you would usually see children riding their bikes around the camping area loop. Being a state park with additional fees for those visiting from out-of-state, many of the campers were in-state residents. Regulations weren't pushy at all, and the environment seemed lax yet under control.
Overall, Angostura State Recreation Area receives an 8 out of a possible 10 rating. Aside from the shower experience, one sticking point was the added entrance fee in addition to the campsite fees. If you stay for multiple nights or visit other state parks, such as Custer and its wildlife loop, the annual pass would easily pay for itself, and allow you to experience many of the other state parks for the rest of the year. In addition, our camping area was the one furthest from the entrance, making for an even longer and hillier drive that could be taxing on the rig. However, we were lucky enough to get our site on the bend of the loop, making for a straight and easy back-in. We would certainly see ourselves visiting this park again, although hoping to find a site closer to the entrance. The park fills up quickly, especially on weekends and holidays, with a 90-day window for reservations.
When you're finishing a long day of travel, chances are that you want to park for a bit, but don't necessarily want to shell out for a campground. There's one particular option that seems quite tempting.
Situated all across the roads of this country, both two-lane and four, rest areas give the driver a chance to take a break. However, most states have been cracking down on their rest area usage. Whether it's lobbying from hotel owners, governments believing the homeless population will increase, or evidence of crime, rest areas have been severely limiting stays, banning overnight parking altogether, or completely closing down these roadside stops. Leniency is shown to truckers because of electronic logs shutting off the engines, but even then it's not always welcome. Thankfully, the state of Kansas still allows overnight stays, although only one night, and as it should be since progress should be made to the next destination.
Many think of interstate highways when it comes to rest stops, and they aren't always in the best of shape with thousands of motorists using the facilities, coupled with limited maintenance, to where they take a beating. When you look at the roads less traveled, you may see somewhere much nicer. Enter the Cherryvale rest area, situated at the US 169 exit off the US 400 super-two highway in Eastern Kansas. Not only is it a fairly quiet place to stop for the night, but if you have a pup with you, there are a few walking trails in between the pollination areas to help bees continue to thrive. It is a bit off the beaten track being nowhere near an interstate highway, but when RVing, these aren't such bad roads to take.
One added benefit to the rest stops in this state, as well as several other midwestern and southern states seen during the escapades of Freedom Rolling, is the addition of dump stations. These are beneficial not only for those with RVs, but also some truckers. Dump stations are offered as part of the cost to maintain the rest area, and typically include a simple sewer manhole with a water outlet. It's not recommended that the potable water be filled with this, since the piping is designed for flushing purposes only, as opposed to drinking. However, if you've just left a campground without a sewer hookup, it's not a bad choice for lightening your load.
So the next time you Follow your Internal Compass, whether on the highways or byways, don't forget to take a break every once in a while, and maybe you'll find a good way to not only completely recharge, but take care of your added carrying.
For Miles, it's state number 25. For the map, it's just another bit of coloring. For the humans of Freedom Rolling, one little day trip means so much more.
With a non-trailer trip into North Dakota, the hosts of Freedom Rolling have finished visiting every state in the Continental United States together. All of the lower 48 have been seen, side by side. This is not to say they hadn't previously seen what they were missing separately, with one of them having a trucker in the family, and the other visiting all of the lower 48 states in a single vehicle that was decommissioned just before leaving the old home for good. However, some of the states were first achieved with the other, and with the relationship rooted in our desire to be on the open road, it's only fitting that this be accomplished.
As of the writing of this, readers may look at the map and notice about 20 states missing. What gives? In the 48 state accomplishment, the hosts are certainly counting adventures before the RV, and were there a few of them! The Great Lakes and Northwestern states were accomplished during a vacation in 2016 to the Pacific Northwest. With a honeymoon in Las Vegas, the remainder of the southwestern states were covered. California was all of one exit beyond Primm while trying to kill time for the room to open up, but they saw the call boxes, so it counts. South Carolina came in 2019 during the first trip to the Space Coast of Florida just after driving the Blue Ridge Parkway, although had previously touched it during the first ever road trip together. The rest were accomplished during day trips, including a hockey game in New Jersey, an encounter with Lula in southern New England, and an impromptu trip to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, where the hosts continue to promise themselves not to take 500+ mile day trips, and seemingly continue to break that promise to this day.
With that goal being said and done, what's next for Freedom Rolling? Obviously making the rest of the states to be a "not black" color on the map is one of them. Hawaii is a little tough for a drive, and Alaska will require some extreme preparations and favorable conditions, especially with the drive through Canada. The rest of the lower 48 should certainly be something that is easily able to be accomplished. Some of the National Parks are certainly on the bucket list for any RVer. There are a few destinations each of the hosts would like to visit. It all just comes down to following your internal compass.
Copyright 2021-24 Freedom Rolling.
Logo Image Courtesy Clipartmax.com
United States Image Courtesy Simple Maps