June 27, 2025 (fri.) - License Plates, Moth Wars & Shoe Upgrade
At last—we got the call! Our South Dakota plates are in, and we’re officially residents (took about 6 weeks to finish this process!). No more nervous glances at those lingering California tags. The pickup required a trip to Rapid City, about an hour’s drive, and naturally, Ron’s Cafe became our brunch destination immediately afterward. Priorities, right?
Fun Fact: The first digits on your South Dakota plates actually reveal your county of residence! Naturally, Lynn—our resident number nerd—had to dig up the full list. We’re officially tagged with Pennington County plates! Shoutout to the Aspaas family for dropping that nugget of license plate wisdom!
Lynn also found this interesting: South Dakota has 66 counties, while California—despite having a population roughly 50 times larger—has only 58. As a former county employee in CA, she couldn’t help but nerd out over the contrast. More counties, fewer people… gotta love the quirks of state governance! (CA population ~42 million. SD population ~869K).
Fueled up, we headed to Black Hills Running Co. to hunt down proper hiking shoes. After our Sylvan Lake trek, it was clear—tread matters. The staff was knowledgeable, helpful, and eager to get us sorted. $300+ later (gulp!), we both walked out with footwear that actually grips the ground. Our heavy-duty hiking boots were overkill for light trails, and now we’ve got something lighter yet reliable.
Next, a stop at Target—because the moth invasion has escalated. Kirk’s moth count had jumped to 6 in 2 days (up to nearly 30 as of this writing – 7/13/25), and we’re still unsure where they’re coming from. Our best guess? Gaps in the garage screen letting the winged critters sneak in. Fingers crossed there isn’t a hidden moth Airbnb inside the RV…
While in the area, we made a mail run in Box Elder and attempted a visit to the Air & Space Museum at Ellsworth Air Force Base. Of course, we timed it during a retirement ceremony—half the museum was closed! With temps hovering around 95°F with high humidity, and most of the jets outside, we bailed and added it to our maybe next time list. Funny thing is, we were camped near there for over a month and never went, and now we’re an hour away trying to make it happen. Go figure. Classis Kirk & Lynn.
Back in Custer, we hit the self-serve car & dog wash. Otis got the deluxe treatment in the dog wash bay—$5 for 10 minutes, which definitely wasn’t enough for his double coat. Thankfully, the manager let us keep going free of charge. The water pressure was barely more than a trickle, so it would’ve taken ages otherwise!
On the drive back, we managed to snap a new photo of the Crazy Horse Memorial. Compared to our snow-covered visit in September 2020, you can definitely see progress—especially on the hand and finger carving. Still, for something that began ~75 years ago, it has quite a journey ahead before completion.
Another day, another adventure—with plenty of errands, a surprise insect uprising, and even a bit of historical progress thrown in.
Weather – High 87*, Low 56*. Wind 0-11 mph with gusts up to 21 mph.
Traffic – None.
Notable – New license plates!!
Food – Ron’s Cafe – same food, same great taste! (no pics other than the cute coffee mugs)
Screen time – 9 Bodies in a Mexican Morgue (very good)
