RZR riding in Central Utah

Utah is a beautiful state. There are so many incredible places to visit that we go back year after year. This time we added a Polaris RZR to our life so we could experience the back country.

We stayed at Steve and Becky's place where we had full hook-ups and access to 

over 1200 miles of the Piute Trail to explore.

Notice the branch that is across our RV parking spot. Thankfully we weren't parked there the day it fell.. The guys had planned to have a man lift delivered to remove this branch at 9am. It fell at 9am. We all were a little spooked by that coincidence

Tim was put to work. Again. 

My beautiful daughter came to visit us in Marysvale, Utah and exposed her to this amazing experience of off-roading. We traveled by abandoned mines, creeks, a waterfall, dodged a dust devil, saw wildlife, alpine lakes and a forest fire that was left to burn for the season until snowfall puts it out.

We rode from 5500 feet to just under 12,000 feet elevation

Kaela and I drive an hour south to Bryce National Park. The beauty speaks for itself.

By the time we left the autumn leaves were changing. I cannot wait to come back!

We'll be back to stay at Smiths RV Resort and Slave Encampment anytime they'll have us!

Badlands National Park

Anyone driving Interstate 90 through South Dakota will see sign after sign advertising Wall Drug. When Mom and Dad drove us kids to Minnesota we just had to stop. 

Don't bother unless you can't live without a $125 mounted jack-a-lope or a coffee mug. Or anything else you really don't need.

Badlands National Park. You gotta love the name.

We were surprised that we saw life in this beautiful and desolate landscape

Big Horn sheep posed for us at one of the pull outs.

One of my highlights were meeting these people who were moving from San Diego to Minnesota. With their chickens. My parents had done the opposite. With their children.

The tours for this facility were closed for the day. We had visited the Titan Missile Museum in Arizona a few years ago and saw these remnants from the Cold War.

Tim, Renee, Debbie, Bruce, Traci, Tammy, Doug

Our farewell dinner

Bye Bye Tammy! Until next time! 

We left South Dakota and traveled through southern Wyoming to our next destination: Utah. This was another memory of those bi-annual driving trips to Minnesota. It was a treat to stop at Little America on Hwy 80 for ice cream. We stopped and I went in for an ice-cream and asked the lady where all the action was. She said "this is it". Funny how things seemed so much bigger when you are so much smaller.

The Black Hills of South Dakota

In the southwest corner of South Dakota are the Black Hills. It was named such because as the pioneers traveled west across the flat prairie lands the mountainous region stuck up like black hills in the distance. They are full of color and wildlife of all types.
Driving on Iron Mountain Rd to Mount Rushmore Memorial was twisting and turning with circular bridges to bring you to a lower elevation.

As you come out of a tunnel you see the famous sculpture in the distance. 

The entrance is impressive with all the States flags lining the walkway.

There is a walk up closer to the Monument and goes to a visitors area that shows the prototype of the Monument. You can see what the original design was compared to what was completed.

We were so thirsty we needed to stop for a drink. SoTammy and Tim did wine tasting, I had a beer flight.

I didn't realize this type of tent was a real thing you can buy. I thought they had thought this contraption up on their own. Crazy entry with a ladder. No way Jose.

So many people asked us if we would be visiting the worlds largest carving: Crazy Horse Memorial. Only 17 miles from Mt Rushmore, Chief Henry Standing Bear wanted the white man to know that the Lakota Indians had hero's too and commissioned a sculptor that had worked on the presidents nearby.This was the intended design, huge in comparison to the Mt Rushmore

You can see the drawing superimposed onto the rock

The carving began in 1948 and is far from completion. The family has succeeded in capturing an audience while doing minimal work. The endeavor is privately owned and a non-profit raising money from admission and gift shop sales. Is it really what the Lakota intended?

Another great drive in Custer State Park in the Needles Hwy.

Here is a good view of the eye of the Needle

We were camped just outside of Custer State Park for a week. This is Sylvan Lake were we took an amazing hike. It was rated moderate for most of the hike, with a few challenging areas.

We followed a river and had to cross it several times balancing on fallen trees and strategically placed stones. I'm not one for balance and my walking sticks sure came in handy for most of the hike.

At the end of our hike, beginning if you are going counter-clockwise, these handrails allow you pull yourself up the rocks while the stream flows beside and beneath you.

Four miles later we had completed the Sylvan Lake hike. Highly recommended

During our several drives through Custer State Park we saw abundant wildlife.

Creepy

Many many gophers. 

This was our side of the road picnic spot

The view from the fire lookout was a great way to see the areas we had visited. Through the stationary binoculars we could even see Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse

Tammy and I kayaked Center Lake

I love that this buffalo posed in front of the Education Center.