Trip number 27 saw us once again staying at the Angostura State Recreation Area. We have previously visited this park, so take a look at the link for some basic information about it. For this trip, it was a bit different in that we had a tent with us, and a three night stay was had.
Grounds: Although the grounds haven't changed much, there is something that we discovered: If you happen to be staying in the Horsehead campground section, there is actually a second access into the grounds using Angostura Road. This route is much more gentle on the hills and curves than the main entrance that is much steeper, not to mention going through a ranch. Just make sure to call ahead or talk to the camp host when you arrive to confirm you've checked in, and have the park entrance license with you. If you passed Custer State Park along the way, the same pass works. The hosts would probably work with you to let you unhook the RV and immediately go up to the office, but we didn't need that this time around.
Amenities: We previously talked about staff and propane levels when it comes to the showers, but this isn't their fault. The showers themselves just don't put out hot water; lukewarm at best. There is precisely one shower stall all the way up in the Cascade section where it is actually worth getting a decent shower. Even Cheyenne isn't all that good, and Hat Creek doesn't have a bathhouse with showers. It's not something you necessarily feel when you have the RV with you, but tent and tent trailer campers are going to have a rough time. That being said, we did notice the dump station has a well marked fresh water fill, so you won't have to bring along a bunch of water in your travels.
The overall rating for Angostura remains at an 8 out of a possible 10 rating. The biggest selling point for this park remaining high in rating, including one where we'd want to visit again, is the proximity to the Black Hills and relative value for money. It still fills up quickly on weekends in season, so you'll probably have to book 90 days in advance. However, if you don't mind the drive, let your Internal Compass take you here.
Another trip is behind us, and we have returned to our previous trip's location. What has happened, and what have we learned from this?
First off, not all the equipment survived. High winds not even worthy of a special weather statement took out the canopy AND the tent we brought. The tent barely fit the air mattress we were using as it was so it's not a complete disappointment, but those cheap setups from major outdoor retailers are incredibly flimsy and don't hold to anything other than calm desert sunshine. At least the grill and air mattress survived, as we still have use for those with our primary RV setup. So the first lesson learned: Find better quality materials.
Secondly, we've certainly found that we are destination-bound travelers. What we mean by this is that we aren't simply cruising along, looking at every little thing, nor doing that ridiculous 2-2-2 or 3-3-3 that some RVers seem to love. No, we go for aggressive travel days, and we may have over-compensated on scheduling this time around. Looking to do over 1500 miles in a day and a half, mostly because of an appointment, proved tiresome. It's not the first time we've done a long travel day, as we've been known to do over 600 in a day while pulling the RV, and cross-country in four days. However once we did the return in about two days and a couple hours, mostly around a desire to get back to our home, that tells us what we look to do on travel days. Don't get us wrong: The open road is probably one of the most peaceful places you can ever be, and we absolutely love being there, with him behind the wheel and her riding along. However, lesson learned: 750 miles per day while light is comfortable, 1000 is aggressive but doable if we must, but under no circumstances do we drive through the night unless we're forced to do so.
Speaking of that, let's take a look at accommodations. Motels are way too expensive, so we don't use them. Campgrounds close early and we usually don't know where we're going to make for a particular day, as much as we can make a guess. So that leaves rest areas and truck stops. Yes, states crack down on these, but there's some wiggle room for if you're not fit to drive. Even when heavy, we try to let the truckers settle as much as they can since long-vehicle parking is at a premium and we don't have time limiters electronically forced on us. Needless to say, a pickup truck is not a SUV. We can't exactly stick a futon mattress in the back and sleep there. And when you're in the wild, not exactly good to use the truck bed. Switching off may have worked if we were adjusted for it, but we couldn't exactly do that because of what happened before and during the travels. Couple with filling the cab with all of the necessary items meant the seats had to effectively stay where they were.
At the end of the day, what we've figured out is that we'll need to bring the RV when we travel longer distances. We're already bringing half of what's in there anyway, and it'll make for better accommodations where we are. Unfortunately only one of us is comfortable driving it so we're stuck with 500-600 miles per day, but we can make it work if need be. Long story short, we can travel with the truck in a pinch, but only up to the one day limit. Anything beyond that, we take the RV.
So until the next time we look to get on the road again, be sure to Follow Your Internal Compass.
In the immortal words of Willie Nelson, "I can't wait to get on the road again." That sounds like a good idea, so we'll do it.
Trip 27 is going to be taking us to the destination state of South Dakota. Yes, for the fifth trip, that's where we're headed. However, this one is going to be a little different in that we won't be bringing the heart with us. This is not only to save on fuel costs, but also because of a bit of a time crunch in scheduling what we intend to do when out there. You're probably wondering why we'd make this a trip, and some of our other truck-only adventures to not be as such. We had a couple "strictly business" travels during trip 18 and the lead-in to trip 19, so that's not going to qualify. There are a few times we've crossed one or two borders to go visit something, and clearly those aren't going to count as separate trips, either.
So how are we going to pull this off if we're not in the RV? It's time to give the old tent a chance and see if this will still work in a pinch, or if we're getting too old for it. This isn't the first time that we've tried such as thing, as before we had the RV, there were a few tent excursions that we've previously mentioned. Let's dust off the cobwebs and see what's possible in our traveling lives. Worse comes to worst, we return to the truck and use that, as it wouldn't be the first time.
As we embark on our next trip across this land, we remind you to Follow Your Internal Compass wherever life leads you.
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