May 29, 2025 (Thu.) – a new license!

It’s official! We’ve traded the Golden State for the Mount Rushmore State—driver’s licenses in hand!

The day was supposed to be picture-perfect: 70°F, sunny, and mild winds. The plan? Open up the RV, clean the floors, tackle some chores, and hopefully soak up a little sunshine.

But then Kirk had an idea—why not try the DMV as walk-ins? Our neighbors warned us that Rapid City’s DMV can be a nightmare without an appointment, so we were hesitant. Waiting in long lines? Definitely not our thing. We had booked appointments for June 12th, but we’re eager to hit the road. So, with our South Dakota Residency Affidavits freshly notarized at Americas Mailbox, we took a chance and drove to the DMV.

We arrived at 1:05 PM and—miraculously—were both finished by 1:35 PM. Just 30 minutes! Unheard of! Even Kirk’s DMV clerk admitted we lucked out, saying it’s usually packed. The stars truly aligned for us today. A $28 fee and a quick vision test later, we had our licenses in hand—no waiting for them to arrive in the mail! Almost done with the transition.  Just need to finish the vehicle registrations and we can move on…

Naturally, such a momentous occasion called for a celebration, and Lynn had one thing in mind: crispy tacos. Yelp led us to El Sombrero Mexican Restaurant, where Kirk’s burrito and the beans and rice were excellent. Lynn, however, was less impressed—her beloved crispy taco standard (Don Ramons, Que Vida, and Esthers back in California) remained undefeated. 

Kirk discovered a touchless car wash (The Flying Pig) that could accommodate a dually—finally, the truck was getting the wash it desperately needed. But, of course, nothing is ever that simple.  Mid-wash, the bay mysteriously stopped working, leaving us sitting there for five long minutes while the soap dried into a stubborn film on the truck. Both the front and rear bay doors were shut tight, so we were officially trapped in a malfunctioning wash zone.  Thankfully, the wash bay had a phone number posted, and after a quick call, the manager rescued us. He opened the doors and even upgraded us to a premium wash in a different bay…all remotely!  A chaotic wash experience, but at least the truck ended up cleaner than before!

Dinner was a guaranteed win, though—Kirk fired up the grill and cooked massive, delicious T-bone steaks, perfectly paired with mashed potatoes and corn. A proper home-cooked feast to end the day.

The evening also closed out with a beautiful sunset.

Weather – High 70*, Low 43*. Mild winds.

Traffic – None.

Notable – Driver’s license, stuck in a car wash, T-bone steaks

Screen time – The Gorge (Kirk watched while I blogged) – good movie.