Day 15-From Teddy Roosevelt to Tequila: Jess’s Birthday on the Road

Oct. 3rd, 2025 (Week 3)

Ok, we’re moving to a weekly blog format — sorry for the silence! Writing every day was starting to feel a bit like a high school English assignment, and it was seriously cutting into my research at the local breweries. I promise I’ll catch up on all our adventures soon.

We left beautiful Medora, ND, early this morning, right by the South Entrance of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It’s Jessica’s birthday, and it couldn’t have been a more glorious morning — miles of classic western rangeland with small farms and wide-open ranches stretching to the horizon.

Our destination today: Spearfish, South Dakota, about 202 miles south in the Black Hills. The drive was smooth and easy, and by early afternoon,t we pulled into Elkhorn RV Park, just off I-90 — super convenient for hopping back on the highway tomorrow.

To celebrate Jess’s birthday, we found a nearby outdoor restaurant overlooking a golf course for a late lunch/early dinner. I mentioned to Kim, the bartender, that we had a birthday girl in the house and that we’d come all the way from Maine. Without missing a beat, she said, “Margarita on the house coming up!”

Two old-timer golfers at the next table overheard and asked where we were headed next.
“Tomorrow, the Badlands,” I said.
“You’re gonna love the Badlands,” one of them replied. “My name’s Steve Miller — I’m from Bismarck. The basketball coach, not the rock singer — he’s really old.”

They were great company, full of road-trip wisdom and tips for upcoming stops like Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Custer State Park.

By evening, we were back at the campground, sitting outside as the sun dipped behind the Black Hills — a perfect end to Jess’s birthday and another beautiful day on the road. Tomorrow, we head 170 miles east to the mysterious, lunar-like landscape of Badlands National Park.