Oacoma, South Dakota

Our trip took on its usual rhythm yesterday. We left Iowa and traveled by more cornfields in South Dakota. We had lunch at a rest stop and shopped at Cabela's and WalMart for a couple of items we forgot. (!)

The terrain flattened the farther we got into South Dakota. We were a few miles from Oacoma when the truck gps flashed a warning of a steep downgrade ahead. At first I thought there was a glitch in the program, but of course, we were just east of the Missouri River. The steep downgrade took us to a long bridge over the Missouri and Lake Francais-Case. It was very impressive. In a matter of miles we went from flat to very hilly.

Last night I wondered what the local commerce is around here. We are on the edge of town  and it is difficult to tell. The rv park is across the street from a Chevrolet Dealer with a western wear shop in half of the showroom. I discovered on the internet that tourism is one of the major industries here. The Chamberlain-Oacoma area is ranked 42nd out of 200 in the US for its hunting and fishing. The study breaks down into smaller categories and the area ranks 2nd for "Where you can live like a king."--high median income/low cost of living. It would be a nice place to live, but I'll bet it gets a little cool in the winter!

We were pleasantly surprised with the rv park. On this trip we switched methods of choosing where to stay. We always relied on Woodall's ratings. This time we are using Good Sam's Trailer Life ratings. They seem to be more inclusive and more accurate. We aren't interested in staying in rv resorts along this route. All we want are clean, level sites, well-working utilities. Recreation, which is pretty important for high ratings, is definitely not a priority. We just want to eat, sleep, and get back on the road. So far, we are two for two.


This park offers very large sites. The terrain is hilly and interesting (not a parking lot). I was amazed at the immaculate rest rooms/shower/laundry facilities (always nice to have as a backup and very telling about the management). Tiny pool, but it was too chilly to swim. There was a place where I could let Sirius and Baxter run. They loved that! Last night was clear with a full moon making walking very enjoyable. If we ever come back this way, we will request space 23. 


This morning we woke up to 58 degrees in the coach. I don't know what the outside temperature was. What a change. Dick turned on the furnace and the heat pumps to take the chill off.

We are headed to Spearfish, South Dakota today. We planned only 250 miles so we can stop along the way. (The scenery will change from corn and bean fields to the Black Hills.) Spearfish is on the western border of South Dakota. We enter the mountain time zone just 75 miles from here. The forecast in Spearfish is 83/53 and clear. Today I will keep my camera handy and see if I can get some good shots as we drive along.