After the upgrades and warranty work were completed, we were free to start our journey. With a late start, we decided that going as far as Pipestone, Minnesota was enough for the day. And the weather has turned very hot which means that we will need an rv park with electricity so we can run the air conditioner for the animals. I did some quick research on available camping in that area, and then I called Pipestone RV to make sure a site was available.
We headed to Pipestone National Monument first. This is an area of great historical and ethnological significance. It is sacred to the Native Americans to this day. If you are lucky, you can watch a demonstration on how the sacred ritual pipes are carved from the pipestone that is found in the quarries there. The soft red stone is found in a vein between layers of the harder red Sioux quartzite. There is a beautiful trail around the quarries and when you walk it, you can feel something spiritual about this place. Then you can learn more about the people and culture and geology in the visitor center.
We left the Monument and drove across the street to the rv park and had a wonderful restful night. For an rv park, it wasn’t bad with a lot of green and reasonable spacing. The location across from the monument was very convenient and the price was actually reasonable at around $30 for water and electric. After a good breakfast in the morning, we headed down the road again, this time stopping at Wall, South Dakota.
Day 3
Miles: 183*
Driving time: 3:30
Roads: Highway and freeway
Overnight: Pipestone RV Campground
Weather: Sunny and windy (65°/90°)
Total miles: 508*
* Since our motorhome is our only vehicle, mileage includes side trips.