South Dakota and Colorado later this month

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ragtopfury

ragtopfury

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Fuel prices be damned - I'm dragging the 5th wheel from the East coast out to South Dakota and Colorado for a whirlwind 17 day family vacation. On our way Westward, we are doing a 2 night stop in Indianapolis to tour the speedway and museum. Then make our way to Rapid City, SD. On the list of things to do for 4 days in SD, is touring The Badlands, Mt Rushmore, Needles Hwy, Crazy Horse memorial and whatever else we can fit in to those 4 days. From there, we are heading down to Colorado Springs for 3 days where Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods and Hot Springs are on the list. On the way back, the only planned 2 day stop is in Peoria, IL for the worlds largest everything tourist traps. There will be a few overnighters in between the longer stops just to get us there in Iowa, Kansas and Pennsylvania.

That being said, what kind of weather can we expect in SD and CO this time of year? We are in shorts and t-shirts every day here in MD, finally. I don't want to over pack, yet don't want to not pack accordingly, either.

Here's the rig - Same truck, except I did the rust repair and painted it Chrysler Crossfire Blaze Red.
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Good for you! Enjoy! Been to all those places in S.D., and Colo Springs, and been through Peeeoria as well ! You'll have a blast I'm sure!
 
Something to keep in mind.....

The four letters in Iowa stand for "I Outta Went Around"!!!!

Watch your speed going thru Iowa....the state treasury budget is always low and the Iowa Hi-way Patrol does everything in it's power to keep it funded.
 
Rick@Laysons said:
Something to keep in mind.....

The four letters in Iowa stand for "I Outta Went Around"!!!!

Watch your speed going thru Iowa....the state treasury budget is always low and the Iowa Hi-way Patrol does everything in it's power to keep it funded.
Click to expand...

No worries there, Rick. No lead foot with the condo on wheels in tow! LOL
 
80-90's in Colorado. Grew up there. Going there myself next week..

Enjoy!
 
Have a safe trip. I feel for you on fuel prices though. I drove my diesel truck to the beach a few weeks ago because the Dakota layed down on me. Drove 70 mph most of the way, and was empty except me and a 7 lb. Shitzoo. Used a little less than 3/4 of a tank in the 314 miles from my house to Wal Mart by the campground....and it cost $116 to fill it back up! I had to laugh though, because there was one of those SloJoe "I did that" stickers on the diesel pump.
 
Not sure what it'll do thru the mountains in western Md, but I typically can go 320-370 miles on a tank with the condo behind me when we do Myrtle.
 
As said above 80s-90s here in eastern CO. Always be aware for chance of sever thunderstorms with high winds, large hail with lesser chance of tornados. Advise to get a weather radio that can operate off of vehicle power and keep it tuned to local stations as you travel.
Yote
 
When you go up Pikes Peak it could snow and it will be very cold on top. Bring appropriate clothes.
There are great crystals to be found on Pikes peak when you get into the fields above timberline. When the grass begins to disappear, get out and walk 100 yards and usually you will find some pretty nice smokies or clear quartz crystals.
If your really into the tourist part, go up the cog railway. Too slow for me and I can't get out and find stuff.
The trail, Barr trail right next to the Cog is a decent trail if you are into hiking all the way to the top. You can do it in a day.
The weather swings in Colorado can be drastic, It's 100 today in the eastern plains and the western slope but where I'm at in the mountains it was 70 today. Night times are in the 40s/50s still in most places.
Garden of the gods can be fun. When you find the balanced rock, there is a small dirt road called Rampart range road not even 1/8 mile from the balanced rock, go up that about another 1/8 mile and stop and get out on the giant flat rocks. They are an awesome hike that I have taken my family to many times.
Otherwise Garden OTG has a ton of trails that are well traveled and several parking spots.
As a Coloradoan, Pikes Peak is a little bitty dinky thing.
If you really want the experience, come up to Salida and rent a few jeeps, follow me in my jeep an I'll take yal up Mount Antero. That is the real way to tour a mountain. And you can find Aquamarine crystals on Antero.

Feel free to message me if ya need any suggestions for your time in Colorado.
 
ragtopfury said:
Fuel prices be damned - I'm dragging the 5th wheel from the East coast out to South Dakota and Colorado for a whirlwind 17 day family vacation. On our way Westward, we are doing a 2 night stop in Indianapolis to tour the speedway and museum. Then make our way to Rapid City, SD. On the list of things to do for 4 days in SD, is touring The Badlands, Mt Rushmore, Needles Hwy, Crazy Horse memorial and whatever else we can fit in to those 4 days. From there, we are heading down to Colorado Springs for 3 days where Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods and Hot Springs are on the list. On the way back, the only planned 2 day stop is in Peoria, IL for the worlds largest everything tourist traps. There will be a few overnighters in between the longer stops just to get us there in Iowa, Kansas and Pennsylvania.

That being said, what kind of weather can we expect in SD and CO this time of year? We are in shorts and t-shirts every day here in MD, finally. I don't want to over pack, yet don't want to not pack accordingly, either.

Here's the rig - Same truck, except I did the rust repair and painted it Chrysler Crossfire Blaze Red...
Click to expand...

The Mitchel Corn Palace, Wall Drug, Chamberlain, Maybe rent a guide and go fishing, Spearfish Canyon, Most small towns have inexpensive camping. SD State parks, the same.
 
I live in SE South Dakota and it has been a very cool spring so far. You better pack for anything for 100 degrees down to 40 degrees and snow flurries in South Dakota. We are the land of infinite variety. Oh, and watch out for those pop up wind and hail storms driving across the prairie, and hailstorms overnight in the Blackhills. It can be very beautiful in our state and then it can change very fast. Hope you have a awesome trip. Nice rig.
 
Stocked, locked and ready to roll. Going to bed at 9pm, getting up at 3am. Retract the landing gear, roll up the electric cord and stow it, pack the family in both trucks - 4 in my truck and 3 in my son's, and we're gone by 3:30......
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We're in Indy for the first stop. 13 hrs, thanks to i70 being shut down an hour from home and the 30 min detour, a couple of road construction delays and a rolled over trash truck. Nothing to hateful, tho. I had planned on 11.5 hours today.
Oh yeah 4 hours from home, in Morgantown, WVA, I hear a loud pop and then a whole lot of turbo noise and a loud ticking. So a 15 min stop to figure that out - the bottom exhaust manifold bolt on #6 popped off. VERY noticeable exhaust leak pulling hills now, and it's amazing how much turbo whine feeds back thru it. Ain't fixing that on the road

In case anyone is wondering, 10mpg thru the mountains, 13 on flat ground in Indianna.
 
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When do you figure on making it to South Dakota? It suppose to be very windy and into the 100s this weekend here and 90s next week.
 
JDMopar said:
Have a safe trip. I feel for you on fuel prices though. I drove my diesel truck to the beach a few weeks ago because the Dakota layed down on me. Drove 70 mph most of the way, and was empty except me and a 7 lb. Shitzoo. Used a little less than 3/4 of a tank in the 314 miles from my house to Wal Mart by the campground....and it cost $116 to fill it back up! I had to laugh though, because there was one of those SloJoe "I did that" stickers on the diesel pump.
Click to expand...
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Youngstown Ohio area this morning, at least I'm not the one paying for it, but still.
 
Best family vacation ever (well maybe except PEI on the beach). But really, we did it in 1992 (kids were still home) and we did it in a Chevy G20 conversion van we had at the time. Had a blast and absolutely loved South Dakota, so much to see there. If our van hadn't gotten stolen in Colorado, it would have been super fantastic. But even that got us a free plane ride back east on a corporate Lear Jet. Every cloud has a silver lining. At that time, you could visit the set for Dances With Wolves and even rent one of the Teepee's. I wanted to stay there overnight in the Van, but my wife wouldn't hear of it. Too remote for her, and yeah, there is a reason they call it BIG SKY COUNTRY. Get out of the cities and enjoy the night sky, Incredible!
 
The town and some of the set from the movie Dances with Wolves is still there, plus there's a classic car museum in Murdo iirc, claim to have 250 cars including a General Lee. The museum has been featured on American Pickers as well, I believe Mike bought a belly tanker car that Mickey Rooney was supposed to have driven in a movie.
 
Galesburg, IL rest area on i74 west. Jake took 2 of my 4 valves ms are leaking. Bad.... from 75psi down to 30 in 45 mn. Changed to my spare an hour ago at a fuel stop. Loves can't, or won't, do a 17in wheel. So here at flat number 2, my boys took them both to a Walmart tire center. Now we wait til he returns.
Good news is I noticed when stopped and not at 68mph. And the weather is beautiful. My daughter and I are playing ladder ball while we wait.
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