It's A Wrap!

Sunday, September 27

At 7:45 AM, the Torpedo is headed for Illinois, soon to resume her identity as the mild-mannered HildeVan. So too will the members of the Crazy Owl Tribe - Thunder Talker, Black Kettle, Bean Gatherer, Li'l Pot, and Seeks Pie - soon reclaim our identities as wives, mothers, significant others, employers, and employees.  We have breakfast eaten and the van loaded in record time. It's much quieter on the drive east than it was going west; there's some chitchat about the trip, but a lot of the conversation centers around the lives we're headed back to.

Mount Rushmore the way Grandma saw it in 1932,
with Jefferson on Washington's right.

I sleep a lot, the extra hours spent typing my blog after the others were asleep finally catching up. The extra effort of journaling is worth it though. I find if I don't get my thoughts and feelings written down right away, my immediate reactions fade quickly. I blog for future generations; I think of how fantastic it would be if my Grandma Belshause had written a journal when she took her trip west back in 1932 and we could read it today, comparing her experiences to ours. Hopefully, my grandchildren and great-grandchildren will read my words someday and feel they know me a little better.

We pass from sunflowers, sorghum, and hay to corn and soybeans; from endless open sky and distant horizons to fields that bang into the sky within shouting distance; from Ponderosa Pines and quaking Aspens to stately Oaks and Maples; from a dusty palette of russet, sand, and olive to the rich verdure of late summer. By the time we stop for a picnic lunch in the windmills' shadows at the Adair, Iowa rest stop, the countryside looks like home.

We're all tired of sitting, tired of the late-season flies that swarm into the van at every stop, where we flail at them like demented marionettes, and just physically tired in general. It's been a full and busy week - we're going to need a vacation to recover from our vacation! When we cross the Mississippi River, it's bittersweet. Though we're happy to be almost home, our adventure is nearly at an end.

Gin's husband Tim is waiting at her house, and laughs at the disheveled bunch that tumbles out of the van. He helps us unload; the pile we amass on the driveway is so large we agree that it's a good thing we never saw it all accumulated in one spot like this or we would never have dreamed it possible to fit it all into the Torpedo. The pile is quickly dispersed into individual cars, and with hugs all around, the Crazy Owl tribe scatters to the four winds.
                                                                                                            •*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•

Yep, all of this in one mini-van!

If you recall my first blog about this vacation, I described the different parts of a trip. We have now reached the final part - the recap. Part of the fun of a trip is reliving it, reminiscing about the good times, looking at pictures, and telling friends and family all about it. It is also the time where the planners among us ask questions and take notes, so that next time it can be even better. Will there be a next time? You'd better believe it! For those of you who think it might be fun to take a trip like this yourselves, I'll try to answer some questions you might have.

Q: Would I enjoy a girls' trip? A: Absolutely!! That's a no-brainer! Couples' and/or family vacations are great, but a girls' trip is special. There are no men to please, and no kids calling, "Mom! Mom! Mom!" at every turn. If someone wants to stop at a cemetery, you stop, no questions asked. If a quilt or antique shop beckons, the van immediately pulls over. No whining, no bitching, no arguing, no drama! At least, that's how it worked in our group. I figure by the time you're as old as we are, you already know who you can stand for a week or two. The workload is shared, decisions are made quickly and unanimously, and laughter eases any situation.

Q: Are age differences an issue? A: Just the contrary - that only makes it more fun! Having two or more generations together provides new perspectives for all age groups. Trust me, you can learn as much from the youngsters as they can learn from you. And in this busy world we live in, any time you can spend with your children is a gift to be treasured.

Q: How can I afford to travel? A: How can you afford not to?! Travel opens your eyes and gives you broader perspectives; it compels you to try new things and develop skills you may not even know you had; it strengthens old relationships and forges new ones. From a strictly financial standpoint though, inexpensive travel is quite possible. In our case, we stayed in cabins so we spent approximately $120 per person on lodging. Gas and incidentals like firewood, ice, entry fees, and tips for our guides cost about $150 per person. We cooked at the cabin and ate picnic lunches most of the time, so food expenses were $50 per person. Yes, these prices are for the entire week! We ate a couple lunches at restaurants, and paid for our own souvenirs and optional tours, but all in all, we had a blast for very little money!

Q: How much advance planning should I do? A: A lot! For 5 women (all with very strong personalities) to spend a peaceful week together, planning was essential. It was also a necessity to help save money. Early on, Deb planned a rough itinerary and everyone had the opportunity to review it and request changes if desired. Since we all approved the final schedule, no one could bitch about it. My job was the menu. I wanted meals that were easy, tasty, and fast, and I didn't want to waste precious vacation time in grocery stores trying to decide what we were in the mood for. Our cooking options would be a campfire or crock pot - a crock pot because none of us planned to spend a great deal of time sitting around camp waiting for food to cook. Anything that could be prepared ahead of time was, and those ingredients we had previously canned and were on our pantry shelves (i.e. jelly, sauerkraut, beans, tomatoes, pizza sauce) were utilized. As an example, we needed potatoes and bacon for Hot German Potato Salad. Both were cooked in advance and sealed in either a Ziploc or vacuum bag. When it was time to prepare the salad, it took only a matter of minutes to stir up the dressing and toss in the prepared taters and bacon. To sum it up, planning ahead will save you tons of time, aggravation, and money in the long run.

Q: How do you handle shared expenses, like gas? A: Before you leave, everyone puts equal amounts of money into a 'kitty'. Funds are withdrawn as needed, and more added if necessary. Any balance is refunded after the trip. Easy peasy!

I hope you've enjoyed following along with the Crazy Owls on our wild west adventure. You can check out Deb's blog for her perspective - we never read each other's blogs until we write our own so each one reflects our own distinct personalities. You'll be hearing from me again when I save up enough money to get back on the road. Until then, happy trails to you!

Links you might find interesting:

Deb's Blog: http://fromdebsdesk.blogspot.com/

Recipes From The Trip:

Coconut Pecan Cookies: 
http://bakingbetter.com/2012/06/07/coconut-pecan-cookies/
Cranberry Walnut Cookies (substitute walnuts for pecans):
http://www.food.com/recipe/chewy-cranberry-oatmeal-cookies-56744
Monster Cookies:
http://www.cooks.com/recipe/wq46090w/monster-cookies.html
Chocolate Chip Cookies:
https://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18476/original-nestle-toll-house-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Crock Pot French Toast (add 1 pint fresh blueberries):
https://thecakeeccentric.wordpress.com/2010/12/05/brunch-crock-pot-french-toast/
Crock Pot Breakfast Scramble:
https://damandalynn.wordpress.com/2012/12/30/crock-pot-breakfast-scramble/
Crock Pot Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal: http://www.theyummylife.com/Slow_Cooker_Apple_Cinnamon_Oatmeal
Crock Pot Jambalaya:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/forgotten-jambalaya
Hot German Potato Salad:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/14411/german-potato-salad
Hawaiian Barbecue Beans (delicious with Hawaiian Brats):
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/hawaiian-barbecue-beans
Campfire Pizza (we used pita pockets so these were more like calzones):
http://www.dirtygourmet.com/campfire-flatbread-pizza/
Campfire Brie (we skipped the booze):
http://www.chowhound.com/recipes/boozy-campfire-cheese-10935
Dragon's Breath Salad:
http://www.grouprecipes.com/2976/broccoli-cauliflower-salad.html
Ham & Potato Soup:
   2 cans Cream of Potato Soup
   1 can Cheddar Cheese Soup +
   1 can Cream of Broccoli Soup OR
   2 cans Cheese and Broccoli Soup
   1 16 oz. canned ham, cubed
   1 can potatoes, cubed
   1 can Evaporated Milk
   2 - 4 cans water
Mix together and heat over the fire, or in a crock pot.
This is my own recipe, invented specifically to use all non-perishable foods. If you have some shredded cheddar cheese though, toss it in. I recently discovered that you can buy Velveeta cheese in pouches (the same stuff that is in Velveeta Shells and Cheese). I think it would work great in this recipe.

Wrongway Feldman

Saturday, September 26

Today we begin our journey home. The first order of business is to get everything packed and loaded. Now, keep in mind that we began the trip with a jam-packed van in addition to a stuffed car-top carrier.We have five ladies and their luggage, bedding, lawn chairs, coolers of food, tubs of food, a chuck box for food prep and service, and a crock pot. We have eaten a lot of the food, but have added a fan, 2 foam sleeping pads, 3 buffalo skulls, 1 buffalo head, an elk antler, and all the souvenirs 5 ladies can accumulate over a week. Plus rocks. Lots of rocks. The folks in the neighboring cabin as well as the campground hosts are wondering if we can get it all home.


But where there's a will, there's a way! We stopped at a hardware store and an automotive store in Custer yesterday and found what we wanted - a cargo net. With Gin on top of the van and the rest of us assisting around the edges, we pile bags on top and lash them down. Harry the buffalo is sitting next to me, with 5 cowboy hats perched jauntily on his head. The skulls are wrapped in the foam pads and tucked into crevices. As we're finishing up, the campground hosts drive by in their golf cart and cheer, "You did it!" Yes we did! Without a single bit of arguing either! At 9:00 sharp, we're on the road.

There's always time for another photo stop. This place is so captivating we can't help pulling over to get one last look at the craggy mountains and vast valleys. We descend out of the park, and onto the rolling short grass prairie.

This land is harsh and unforgiving, but has a wild and rugged beauty. The hills seem to go on forever, hills behind hills behind more hills. It is so desolate, with few trees or landmarks. Just the hills, colored in rust, beige, and sage. The sameness of the landscape makes the few things we see stand out in stark contrast. Stacks of wildly colored beehives that look like Legos. A Sun Dance site, with prayer flags flying wildly in the wind from the Tree of Life. Yucca plants. A tepee. A sign that announces proudly, "Future Home of Pejuta Sapa Drive Thru Coffee Shop." This one makes us laugh. Just who is going to drive through? It seems someone's being wildly optimistic - we haven't seen a car for miles!

The land flattens out, and suddenly drops away into the pastel-striped gorges and pinnacles of the Badlands. Just as suddenly, the pavement ends and turns to gravel. There are road construction signs, but no equipment parked by the road to indicate there is something actually going on. Google insists we are going the right way, so we forge ahead. This is definitely the road less traveled.

Signs indicate we are entering Badlands National Park. Then leaving the park. Then entering the park again. Then leaving the park again. We finally spot a piece of road equipment, but there are plants sprouting on it. Not a good sign. Pushed by a gusty breeze, hundreds of weeds fly across the road like miniature ghostly tumbleweeds. We pull over to take a photo, well actually we just stop in the middle of the road since no one else seems to be using it. As we're standing there, an ancient Lincoln pulls up. We haven't seen a car for miles, and the minute we stop, one pulls up. It's an Indian in a cowboy hat, asking if we need help. No, we insist, we're fine. As he pulls away, he calls, "Sexy bunch!" We laugh nervously and quickly get back to the safety of our car. Shortly, the pavement begins again and a sign tells us we're leaving the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Just where the hell are we?!

On the horizon, a sign of civilization appears. It's a ghost town with a gas station. Seriously, a brand new gas station in a deserted town. The town's name is Scenic (which it's really not), and the man at the station tells us it was founded in the 40's when farmers settled here, convinced they could eke out a living by farming. I don't know what they were thinking, because you can clearly see there is only

about 2" of topsoil over solid rock. The population dwindled through the decades, and the town became a ghost town. In 2011, a Filipino church bought the entire town (46 acres and a dozen or so buildings) for unknown reasons. The attendant also answered our questions about all the tires we have seen hanging from fence posts. They  mean 'keep out'; people assume all land out here is public so private landowners write "No Trespassing" on the tires and hang them on their fenceposts. After getting directions to the visitor's center, we are back on the road.

We find the Ben Reifel Visitor Center in the tiny town of Interior, population 94. The map board shows us where we went wrong - we have skirted around the perimeter of the Badlands, but if we follow the loop road from here, we will pass through the scenic heart of the Badlands and end up in Wall. We eat lunch at a nice lodge restaurant nearby. Dawn and I try Indian Tacos; we both enjoy the fry bread so much we buy mixes to make some at home. Now that we're back on track, we begin to see the interior of the Badlands - the canyons and gullies, the spectacular striated mesas and buttes - stretching off into the distance. The temperature has reached 88 degrees, and the sun is beating down from a dazzling blue sky. I wonder why every time I'm in the Badlands it's hotter than the hubs of Hell?

After just a single photo stop, we are suddenly at the park exit. Another wrong turn! So now we have to backtrack on Interstate 90 to Wall, and miss most of the scenic part of the Badlands. Drat! I wanted to do a little hiking and let Dawn experience the surreal terrain up close and personal . This is turning into a day of wrong turns. Note to self: do not rely solely on Google for directions - always have a map as well to double check!

We don't spend a lot of time at Wall Drug because we are mostly shopped out. It feels like we have already seen every South Dakota souvenir ever made. We want to put some miles behind us before dark, so get on the road for some serious driving.

We finally stop at a KOA in Mitchell, South Dakota. It's dark already, but we build a fire and prepare our last supper together - Cheesy Ham & Potato Soup, toasty grilled bread, and melted Brie. I mix up breakfast in the crock pot, and we relax around the fire and recap our incredible adventures. Everyone is missing their kids, and grand-kids, and significant others. It's time to get back to reality.

The moon is brilliant tonight, and shines brightly in our  windows as we drift off to sleep. Goodnight, South Dakota moon!