Van now in USA

[mojo]

South Dakota 18 Aug

Drove through the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota to reach the Badlands NP.
A sad sight to behold .Many towns on our travels are obviously down on their luck but on a reservation it gets one stage worse.
A huge area of grassland interspersed with tiny settlements mostly all using what we would call static caravans in ruinous condition often with collections of trashed cars.
Before and after the reservation on the same grassland they have prosperous looking farms but the Indians showed no obvious signs of success from a western perspective.
It reminded us of our travels through Aboriginal lands in Australia who also did not emulate their emigrant neighbour's.
Roads were fine,good looking schools and hospital were seen but the communities ?

Wounded Knee .

Some may know of its part in the Indian wars.Effectively the last conflict that ended approximately the 30 years of fighting since the end of the civil war in 1865.
Winter 1890 ,the USA massacred men,women and children on this very spot .The pics explain.

Tonight on this site just outside Badlands NP we had a mishap.Sitting outside in cool wind for a cuppa in 37 deg it suddenly blew a gale.At this moment the door slammed shut across the fly screen and would not open.The cab door was locked.Thankfully the garage was not and with the stepladder I climbed in through the open bedroom window.Phew!
Fellow campers bemused.

 

[Poutie57]

Love your posts and ike many on here will eventually do the trip ourselves, we now keep a spare key hidden just in case.

 

[Larrynwin]

@mojo it was also our experience of reservation areas , I would liken some to gypsy camps with rubbish, litter and shacks to live in, sad .

 

[Theonlysue]

Some great photos!

 

[Puddleduck]

Wounded Knee .

Some may know of its part in the Indian wars.Effectively the last conflict that ended approximately the 30 years of fighting since the end of the civil war in 1865.
Winter 1890 ,the USA massacred men,women and children on this very spot .

For anyone interested in the history

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bury_My_Heart_at_Wounded_Knee

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[Puddleduck]

South Dakota 18 Aug

Drove through the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota to reach the Badlands NP.
A sad sight to behold .Many towns on our travels are obviously down on their luck but on a reservation it gets one stage worse.
A huge area of grassland interspersed with tiny settlements mostly all using what we would call static caravans in ruinous condition often with collections of trashed cars.
Before and after the reservation on the same grassland they have prosperous looking farms but the Indians showed no obvious signs of success from a western perspective.
It reminded us of our travels through Aboriginal lands in Australia who also did not emulate their emigrant neighbour's.
Roads were fine,good looking schools and hospital were seen but the communities ?

I've spoken with my cousin about this as it was our experience as well.

Her husband is a full-blood Arapaho so she has experience with that particular tribe. Her husband is now (mostly) retired but is still called to give expert testimony from time to time (Forensic Scientist).

This is what they told us:

Roads, schools and hospitals are all supplied by the federal authorities.

Most of the native people on the reservations draw down their benefits and live as they live - if people are paid to do nothing it's not really surprising that they do nothing.

Some of the reservations have oil and other natural reserves which under the various acts of settlement belong to the native people - the native people are exploiting the resources (often by licencing the workings) and that puts more money into their pockets which continues to fund the drinking and drug taking, both of which are huge problems. The reservations are not subject to "normal" law and have their own law and peace keeping systems. When something goes horribly wrong only certain people are allowed to go and help, and then only when help is requested.

Not all native Americans live on the reservations (I don't know the numbers but would think that the majority are not resident), certainly my cousin's husband's attitude is that he needs to provide for the reservation dwellers to a certain extent (and does tithe) but he also regards them as "trash".

I suppose where there is no social housing (as we know it) and the benefits from both state provision and family provision allow indolence there isn't a lot of incentive to do anything else unless you have the brains and skills to make a much better living for yourself than just drawing down benefits.

 

[mojo]

South Dakota 19 Aug

After two weeks of sunshine today we have gales and rain.Sitting it out on site I notice The Minuteman Missile Site 10 miles out of the NP.
Drove through the weather to check it out.
What a surprise.
Run by the NP service it is a small museum of the cold war and the ICBM silos stationed underground here on the Great Plains.
Strange to think we are surrounded by these missiles even today.
Not pleased to learn that the Americans and Russians have both had about six mistaken alerts each over the years !
Disconcerting but educational way to spend a wet afternoon.
Rain held off on our return long enough to get some pics of the Badlands.

 

[Puddleduck]

Love reading about your trip.

 

[mojo]

South Dakota 20 Aug

Good weather today for our drive through the Badlands.Great scenery .
Our Rough Guide encouraged us to visit the small town of Wall about 10 miles outside the NP.
Why ?

Another piece of Americana ,the 1930s drugstore on brink of closing came up with the idea of free ice to travellers enroute to the newly opened Mount Rushmore.
Overnight their fortunes turned around and most Americans know of this quirky ,over the top tourist trap.
We availed ourselves of the "famous home made doughnuts and 5 cents coffee" .
Sam's Club carpark in Rapid tonight zzzzzzz.

 

[Mikey RV]

Loving the two old trucks.

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[JockandRita]

Smashing photos. Thanks for sharing the experience.

Another for the Avatar maybe?

Cheers,

Jock.

P.S. What happened to the rear N/S wheel trim................or did I miss that?

 

[mojo]

Hi Jock
It was stolen .Some bugger must have wanted the Merc logo.

 

[JockandRita]

Hi Jock
It was stolen .Some bugger must have wanted the Merc logo.

...............

Jock.

 

[mojo]

South Dakota 21 Aug

The plan was on entering Custer SP we would use one of their campsites .At info office only pre booked allowed so it turned in to a long day.
Enjoyed our drive through the park costing 20 dollars,felt as if we were in a safari park as it's a single loop road.
Spotted our Buffalo so jobs a good one .
On to Crazy Horse costing 24 dollars.The world's largest stone carving ,work in progress.It will be many years before it's completion .
On to Mount Rushmore,the famous stone carving of four presidents.Free.
Impressive so we stayed until dark to view it lot up for the flag lowering ceremony.
They are often displaying their patriotism and this is especially so here.A long speech explaining the meaning of liberty followed by a movie of the four presidents.All military personnel past and present are invited on to the platform ,there were a lot of them,to lower the flag and everyone sang the national anthem.I guess we have the Trooping of the Colour .

 

[mojo]

South Dakota 22 Aug

Making our way to Deadwood my attention was caught by a billboard advertising the Cavelry museum at Fort Meade near Sturgis.
Tempted,I diverted . Interesting small museum on the Forts history .
Arrived Deadwood in the afternoon in time to view a few staged gunfights.The town is totally tourist driven with a gambling licence so lots of casino's ,small scale it's no Last Vegas.
Lucky to get one night in the town campsite as the next five nights all booked for the towns car and music festival.
Met a nice couple on site ,Steve & Linda who wanted to join us in town for the evening.
Embarrassing but they insisted on paying for the meal "after grilling us over the UK and royal family all night"
Enjoyed a few beers in the saloon where Wild Bill Hickock was shot.

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[veevee]

South Dakota 22 Aug

Making our way to Deadwood my attention was caught by a billboard advertising the Cavelry museum at Fort Meade near Sturgis.
Tempted,I diverted . Interesting small museum on the Forts history .
Arrived Deadwood in the afternoon in time to view a few staged gunfights.The town is totally tourist driven with a gambling licence so lots of casino's ,small scale it's no Last Vegas.
Lucky to get one night in the town campsite as the next five nights all booked for the towns car and music festival.
Met a nice couple on site ,Steve & Linda who wanted to join us in town for the evening.
Embarrassing but they insisted on paying for the meal "after grilling us over the UK and royal family all night"
Enjoyed a few beers in the saloon where Wild Bill Hickock was shot.View attachment 250596

Journey of a lifetime, really enjoying travelling along for the ride

 

[Puddleduck]

Journey of a lifetime, really enjoying travelling along for the ride

ditto

 

[mojo]

South Dakota 23 Aug

Firstly to Belle Fourche .This small town happens to be the geographical centre of the USA.
Not too far so it had to be done.Importantly it's on the route to Devils Tower.Many will know this volcanic upsurge for its role in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Did not pay to get close, best appreciated from a short distance.
Walmart in Gillette, Wyoming have the pleasure of our company tonight.

 

[River gypsys]

Thanks for all the updates, sounds like your having a ball

 

[mojo]

Montana 24 Aug

Realised a long held wish since a boy to visit Custer's Last Stand at the Battle of Little Big Horn.
The reality ,of course,is different to comic books and Hollywood.
A poingient sight to see the headstones on the Last Stand Hill where each man of the 7th Cavalry fell on 25 June 1876

There are various opinions on why and how the battle took place .
I believe Custer eventually realised he was facing 2 to 3 thousand warriors and a retreat would have still meant annialation.
By splitting his 600 men in to 3 battalions with Major Reno to attack the camp from one side whilst he attempted to intercept the fleeing families.He did this in a previous battle called Washitta which stopped further bloodshed as the warriors would not risk harm to the women and children.
This time it failed because the overwellming forces blocked his path and he then knew their fate.He orders his last remaining men to shoot their horses,their only chance of escape, and use them for breastworks.Reno held out with 350 men five miles away until the third day when the tribes left due to reinforcements arriving.
A interesting little story.Reno had taken in a horse from a killed warrior but let it free after the battle due to its probable immenent death from its wounds.Unbelievably this horse walked 300 miles back to its home camp . Recognizing the animal they renamed it War Horse and venerated it until it's passing.

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[Poutie57]

Hi Mojo, avidly following your posts and really enjoying the background info..... just one question I see your staying in Walmart car parks and wild camping, how are you and your wife getting on with the worry factor of safety during the night with the perceived level of violence in America greater than Europe

 

[mojo]

Perceived is the correct term.Everyone friendly ,never felt unsafe.The Eastern side is highly populated and some Wals with no overnight signs.Elsewhere ok
Often parked up with other motorhomes.
Three hour drive today for Yellowstone NP ,hope hopefully get a campsite now schools starting.
Last night's Wal stop in Billings,Montana pictures.

 

[veevee]

Have just researched this for our upcoming winter trip and it may be of some help to you too.

If you want to see the best Redwood stands in the US there are two, one either side of the small town of Orick CA (that's just south of the Oregon California border). Had some help from a number of people living on that coast and then did independent research and those two look likely to be it. Also learnt that coastal Redwoods are not Sequoias, Sequoias are found best in southern central California. Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world and Sequoias are the biggest by bulk/volume.

Of course you may have no interest or know all this already but it's good to try to give something back, enjoying all your posts.

 

[mojo]

Thanks veevee
Some years ago we visited California and viewed the trees in NPs.If you are going there we liked Death Valley and north rim of Grand Canyon.

 

[mojo]

No one waves at you here but they do talk to you when you arrive.Opposite of Europe where everyone is your friend waving at you then silence on site !
Few days ago a couple even insisted on buying us Brits a meal.
As I said,Poutie 57, they are friendly .

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[mojo]

Another thought,don't have many so share them when I do,why don't we use Tesco,B&Q, etc car parking for overnight like they do here.
Never crossed my mind untill we got here .

 

[Puddleduck]

Another thought,don't have many so share them when I do,why don't we use Tesco,B&Q, etc car parking for overnight like they do here.
Never crossed my mind untill we got here .

Because of the Caravan Act 1960 the head offices will not officially sanction overnight parking - BUT, if you approach the individual managers after buying items / a meal in store some will allow / turn a blind eye to parking overnight but they will not allow camping as that would invite all sorts of people to take up almost permanent residence. If you ask politely and accept that the manager is well within his / her rights to refuse then by all means ask.

 

[veevee]

Thanks veevee
Some years ago we visited California and viewed the trees in NPs.If you are going there we liked Death Valley and north rim of Grand Canyon.

Thanks for that, we too liked Death Valley but have yet to get to the Grand Canyon.

For us this winter's journey is based on land and sea transport (mostly public) while occasionally visiting friends too. What's happening is different to your adventure insomuch as having made about 6 x 6 week visits to the USA in the last 4 years there are still one or two things we still want to do or visit in the US before we head off to other parts of the world for say the next 4 or 5 years.
Redwoods/Sequoia are very close to the top of our list so although having arrived in NYC and then taking 2 long distance trains to LA (sorry we love the plaintive wail of an American train whistle), we'll then head back northwards to see Redwoods then back to LA where we'll get buses into central Mexico and back through Baja again to LA.
Back up to Washington by a different route at the end of January and back to NYC.
What I'm trying to write is we will only have a car for a few days here and there so don't have the flexibility you have with your MH, or having fitted people and places together now the time in our schedule or we would visit your recommendation.

Back to your journey. As others we've considered what you are doing and thought we would too at some point, but left it on the back burner for a couple of years. Your journey of 'happening' on the non obvious places to look around and visit have re-ignited our enthusiasm, thank you! We may be back to the US sooner than we thought?

 

[mojo]

Thanks for that, we too liked Death Valley but have yet to get to the Grand Canyon.

For us this winter's journey is based on land and sea transport (mostly public) while occasionally visiting friends too. What's happening is different to your adventure insomuch as having made about 6 x 6 week visits to the USA in the last 4 years there are still one or two things we still want to do or visit in the US before we head off to other parts of the world for say the next 4 or 5 years.
Redwoods/Sequoia are very close to the top of our list so although having arrived in NYC and then taking 2 long distance trains to LA (sorry we love the plaintive wail of an American train whistle), we'll then head back northwards to see Redwoods then back to LA where we'll get buses into central Mexico and back through Baja again to LA.
Back up to Washington by a different route at the end of January and back to NYC.
What I'm trying to write is we will only have a car for a few days here and there so don't have the flexibility you have with your MH, or having fitted people and places together now the time in our schedule or we would visit your recommendation.

Back to your journey. As others we've considered what you are doing and thought we would too at some point, but left it on the back burner for a couple of years. Your journey of 'happening' on the non obvious places to look around and visit have re-ignited our enthusiasm, thank you! We may be back to the US sooner than we thought?

That plaintive wail wakes us up at nights from the goods trains !

 

[mojo]

WOW !
Just went over the Beartooth Pass,Montana at 10,947 ft to reach Yellowstone NP.
I knew it would be scenic but wow!
Had lunch on way down with hungry chipmunks.

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