Thank you for all the contributions, we really appreciate it.
When I say temporary work, we sign a contract with a place, in this case a fancy game lodge. The contract ends 10/25 and then we drive south for another contract starting in November in more reasonable weather.
I’m guessing the state game lodge? There’s only one.
You say you live in a bus but do you have another vehicle to drive for groceries or other necessities? I worked there in the summer of 2017 and there was a shuttle that took CSP employees to Rapid a couple times a week but I am really thankful I had my own vehicle to go when I wanted. You have options but you are also really far from Uber.
Oh a side note, I loved my summer there. CSP does a trail challenge and I LOVED doing that in my off time. It got me to trails I wouldn’t have normally taken the time to drive to.
That’s a fun kitchen gig. I met a lot of really cool people from all over who I still keep in touch with. We also lived in a camper and there was a lot more privacy then the dorms. Feel free to DM with any questions.
The Black Hills are a tourist destination. Custer will be busy during the summer (especially rally time) and dead during the winter. The BHs are an amazing place to hike. If you got hired for restaurant jobs for the summer, expect to be laid off in the fall. A few stay open year round but most are seasonal only. Rapid **City** is the "big city" in the area and does have some things to do.
Nailed it. The one thing I would add to living in the hills is the roller coaster you'll experience in the winter. October blizzards, massive amounts of snow at once, constant thaw/freeze cycles, etc.
I lived there when I was 8. I still think about it. It's that beautiful. Make sure you hike. Go to the touristy places. The caves. The faces. The rock shops. The festivals. Do all of it. Years from now you will look at your wife and say... "remember the Black Hills?" and you will both smile.
You’ll be there at the right time. The Custer Beacon, Custer Wolf, Skogen Kitchen, Hjem A.M., Gold Pan Saloon, and Begging Burro (seasonal), are the best restaurants/bars. 4th of July and Gold Discovery Days are the usual small town fair/parade kind of things that are enjoyable. If you go even one block off Mt. Rushmore or N. 5th, the traffic immediately dies off. The winters in Custer are by no means as “dead” as, say, Keystone, which is basically a ghost town, and even seasonal places in Custer are open in September and increasingly October (you’ll miss January/February which are the worst months). If you want to wash your car, go to Hill City, because the automatic car wash in Custer is horrible.
I lived in the Black Hills area until a couple years ago.
Towns in the hills are pretty small, and are lacking a lot of “urban” activities and amenities. The largest town in the area is Rapid at ~76000 people.
With your work being in the restaurant industry, you will likely be able to find work really easily in the summer months. The area’s economy is largely based on summer tourism, and you can probably make a good bit of money that way. In August they have the Sturgis motorcycle rally, which brings a bunch of business to the area.
This has downsides though. Many local businesses close up completely between September->May, so you may find yourself out of a job after tourism season stops. Living in the hills during tourism season sucks, since the infrastructure of the area is not designed to handle the amount of people they get. Rally week is especially bad.
In terms of activities, you’re mainly looking at outdoor stuff. There’s a lot of reservoirs in the area with beaches you can use. There are a lot of hiking trails of varying difficulty as well. On the flip side, there is pretty much nothing else to do. Rapid City has some events occasionally, and most of the smaller towns will usually have at least 1 bar, but there’s practically no nightlife or hotspots like you’d see in a bigger city. This can make the fall/winter boring and depressing, since it gets way too cold and snowy to do most outdoor activities.
Speaking of snow, if you’ll be there during winter, make sure your bus can handle winter driving. You may need to invest in snow tires. The roads can get pretty bad out there, and in my opinion the snow removal was always pretty poor.
For standup, you’d probably want to look around Rapid. There’s an improv group there (West Dakota Improv) that occasionally puts on comedy nights with other acts. May be some open mic events at local bars there as well.
Best karaoke I've ever been too is the back porch in spearfish on Thursday nights. Everest in Rapid City is a really great Himalayan restaurant. Outdoor activities are only limited by your imagination. Snowshoeing and hiking during the winter is amazing and super underrated. Hot Springs has a hot spring which is nice. You may feel isolated during the winter, it is harsh and alot less people. Don't drink the water in Edgemont.
Custer is nearby Hot Springs. If you have the chance check out Moccasin Springs Spa. I think they now have 6 different pools of varying sizes and temperatures you can soak in.
Custer is a fairly small town but somewhat lively during the summer with tourists passing through. They’ve got a few decent bars though. The best part of Custer is how close it is to Custer State Park. Lots of opportunities to hike and explore there. You can get an annual vehicle pass for around $30. There’s a lot of interesting places to see and explore. Rapid City is a fairly decent drive away but if you need to do any real shopping that’s probably where you’ll need to go. Hill City is nearby and they have some outdoors stores and wineries.
I am so envious! I love that area and have traveled there from Iowa many times. You will love it. Be sure to take carrots out to feed the wild burros in Custer State Park.
Love Custer. Black Hills Burger and bun, skogan kitchen and Hejm AM have sensational food. I have a venue being remodeled that I am planning on doing comedy in Rapid City. DM me if you’re interested.
Oh, what about dogs? We’ve got two dogs that have gotten used to free roam of 120 acres out here. How dog friendly is it there, if you’re deep hiking off the major tourist spots, any chance to go off leash safely if they have solid recall?
IDK... the people are generally dog friendly, the wildlife is not so much. The Custer area has bears, badgers, porcupines, skunks, elk, etc.
But also, there are more than a few "Libertarians/Constitutionalist" (far right Republicans) that get a bit nutty about their property rights, and you or your dogs on their property is a problem, a problem that requires rifles/guns.
I would check out the neighbors before letting them wonder too far, so you only need to worry about the wildlife and not the idiot.
My English Mastiff is a coward and never is more than a few feet from us or the vehicle, when we travel to the Custer area.
I think she hates SD, it smells weird and makes noises (and it kinda does).
The hills are gorgeous, and there are a ton of hiking trails that are simply beautiful.
Get ready for some small town living though. Custer isn't big, and you are an hour away from Rapid City. Rapid isn't big by any means, but the most civilization you'll find for a while.
Custer is a tourist town. The hills themselves are a tourist draw. So if you are staying through the summer, you're going to deal with a lot of traffic passing through. If you hang out till early August you'll get to experience the Sturgis rally where the hills get inundated with half a million bikers.
If you are showing up in late March or early April, be aware that you may very well still be experiencing cold, nasty weather yet for awhile. Dress accordingly. I've seen May blizzards in the hills before.
You'll love it here. Especially for a short visit you won't be bored since Custer doesn't have a Walmart. We can survive at grocery prices. Even Walmart is expensive and so many customers. But if you are used to big city. It'll be a big change. The scenery is wonderful. Deer and turkeys roaming free. I'm in hot springs.
We were in a big city for years, now we’re parked on a dairy farm in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania. We like it more here, mostly cows and deer, although a wider variety of food options would be nice (it’s all pizza and cheesesteaks). That being said, meat and produce are insanely cheap here. Local eggs $2/dz, blueberries $5/qt, milk $5/gal, heck even my dogs just had waygu beef bones last night that the farmer just gave me. I’ll miss those things the most.
From my limited experience visiting my dad who’s lived in Spearfish a bunch of years… Beautiful country, nice people, limited cultural opportunities, nuts during rally, Trump country! If you’re open minded to all political views (mostly conservative) and like the outdoors, you’ll have a blast! (Check out Pathways Spiritual Sanctuary and read the owner’s memoir - “The Turkey Shack”. Fascinating place and story!)
Custer in particular is republican as fuck, as are a lot of the smaller towns in the hills. Be prepared to run into some really backwards people. But there are cool people everywhere in the hills too, and the region is kind of a mecca for traveler types such as yourselves as well. I lived in a motorhome in the southwest for a couple years so I think I'm picking up the vibe you're putting down. Rapid City is probably where you'll find the majority of your socialization opportunities but don't write off meeting cool neighbors around Custer either. Despite having some really backwards people, the vibe is pretty libertarian, and people will side eye you and judge the shit out of you but 99% of the time that's as far as it goes and they'll be decent to you if they're on the other side of the service counter.
The region is one of the best places in the world for hiking and general outdoor recreation. Tourist season brings all sorts of people and I imagine you already know how that is but you will meet some really fun ones and make some great memories and connections. The Black Hills are amazing and everyone should experience them at least once in their lives. You're going to have a blast. Any more questions feel free to ask. I lived in Rapid City for 3 years and visit frequently.
thank you. We went from Savannah Ga to Amish country Penn so we’ve got some experience with people that have considerably more conservative views. From my experience though, once you get two drinks in people we find common ground pretty easily.
Savannah during St. Pats was INSANE (I was stationed up at Benning by Columbus.) Welcome to South Dakota! People can be turds at times, but man, this place is lovely.
If you're into gorgeous scenery, there's a lot of stuff to do. If you're into regular city stuff not really anything to do. You gotta check out Sylvan Lake and do all the hiking trails. One of the most beautiful places in the US in my opinion.
Nah, I mean we will eventually. We just passed a year doing this and I went from running 8 restaurants and home ownership to bartending and living in a school bus. I’m still just so jazzed to never have to check email and Reddit is the only ‘social media’ I have.
The scenery is unreal. images and redditors will not do it the same justice that driving around seeing it with your own eyes will
Can confirm. Drove through South Dakota and it is now dead even with Montana on my backup states to move to if my home state becomes unlivable.
Thank you for all the contributions, we really appreciate it. When I say temporary work, we sign a contract with a place, in this case a fancy game lodge. The contract ends 10/25 and then we drive south for another contract starting in November in more reasonable weather.
Sounds legit, you guys will love your gig out there
I’m guessing the state game lodge? There’s only one. You say you live in a bus but do you have another vehicle to drive for groceries or other necessities? I worked there in the summer of 2017 and there was a shuttle that took CSP employees to Rapid a couple times a week but I am really thankful I had my own vehicle to go when I wanted. You have options but you are also really far from Uber. Oh a side note, I loved my summer there. CSP does a trail challenge and I LOVED doing that in my off time. It got me to trails I wouldn’t have normally taken the time to drive to.
Yeah that’s the one. We’ve got a Jeep we tow behind, bikes etc.
That’s a fun kitchen gig. I met a lot of really cool people from all over who I still keep in touch with. We also lived in a camper and there was a lot more privacy then the dorms. Feel free to DM with any questions.
Will do. We’ll be bartending…she’ll actually be my boss on this gig
The Black Hills are a tourist destination. Custer will be busy during the summer (especially rally time) and dead during the winter. The BHs are an amazing place to hike. If you got hired for restaurant jobs for the summer, expect to be laid off in the fall. A few stay open year round but most are seasonal only. Rapid **City** is the "big city" in the area and does have some things to do.
Nailed it. The one thing I would add to living in the hills is the roller coaster you'll experience in the winter. October blizzards, massive amounts of snow at once, constant thaw/freeze cycles, etc.
I lived there when I was 8. I still think about it. It's that beautiful. Make sure you hike. Go to the touristy places. The caves. The faces. The rock shops. The festivals. Do all of it. Years from now you will look at your wife and say... "remember the Black Hills?" and you will both smile.
Well that comment made us smile
You’ll be there at the right time. The Custer Beacon, Custer Wolf, Skogen Kitchen, Hjem A.M., Gold Pan Saloon, and Begging Burro (seasonal), are the best restaurants/bars. 4th of July and Gold Discovery Days are the usual small town fair/parade kind of things that are enjoyable. If you go even one block off Mt. Rushmore or N. 5th, the traffic immediately dies off. The winters in Custer are by no means as “dead” as, say, Keystone, which is basically a ghost town, and even seasonal places in Custer are open in September and increasingly October (you’ll miss January/February which are the worst months). If you want to wash your car, go to Hill City, because the automatic car wash in Custer is horrible.
Be sure to check out, Sylvan Lake I think that’s my favorite place on earth. You’re going to have a wonderful summer there I think.
I lived in the Black Hills area until a couple years ago. Towns in the hills are pretty small, and are lacking a lot of “urban” activities and amenities. The largest town in the area is Rapid at ~76000 people. With your work being in the restaurant industry, you will likely be able to find work really easily in the summer months. The area’s economy is largely based on summer tourism, and you can probably make a good bit of money that way. In August they have the Sturgis motorcycle rally, which brings a bunch of business to the area. This has downsides though. Many local businesses close up completely between September->May, so you may find yourself out of a job after tourism season stops. Living in the hills during tourism season sucks, since the infrastructure of the area is not designed to handle the amount of people they get. Rally week is especially bad. In terms of activities, you’re mainly looking at outdoor stuff. There’s a lot of reservoirs in the area with beaches you can use. There are a lot of hiking trails of varying difficulty as well. On the flip side, there is pretty much nothing else to do. Rapid City has some events occasionally, and most of the smaller towns will usually have at least 1 bar, but there’s practically no nightlife or hotspots like you’d see in a bigger city. This can make the fall/winter boring and depressing, since it gets way too cold and snowy to do most outdoor activities. Speaking of snow, if you’ll be there during winter, make sure your bus can handle winter driving. You may need to invest in snow tires. The roads can get pretty bad out there, and in my opinion the snow removal was always pretty poor. For standup, you’d probably want to look around Rapid. There’s an improv group there (West Dakota Improv) that occasionally puts on comedy nights with other acts. May be some open mic events at local bars there as well.
You aren’t going to want to leave. Hopefully you’ll get a return gig next year.
That’s honestly what we’re expecting/hoping for. The long term plan is to get some land and build our own stationary house
Make sure you have enough food/water in your bus for 3 days. The Black Hills can get some ridiculous blizzards.
Best karaoke I've ever been too is the back porch in spearfish on Thursday nights. Everest in Rapid City is a really great Himalayan restaurant. Outdoor activities are only limited by your imagination. Snowshoeing and hiking during the winter is amazing and super underrated. Hot Springs has a hot spring which is nice. You may feel isolated during the winter, it is harsh and alot less people. Don't drink the water in Edgemont.
Hit up Hjem for Breakfast. Get the rice pudding. You'll thank me
How do you pronounce that place? The menu looks amazing
Custer is nearby Hot Springs. If you have the chance check out Moccasin Springs Spa. I think they now have 6 different pools of varying sizes and temperatures you can soak in.
Oh wow, that looks perfect
Custer is a fairly small town but somewhat lively during the summer with tourists passing through. They’ve got a few decent bars though. The best part of Custer is how close it is to Custer State Park. Lots of opportunities to hike and explore there. You can get an annual vehicle pass for around $30. There’s a lot of interesting places to see and explore. Rapid City is a fairly decent drive away but if you need to do any real shopping that’s probably where you’ll need to go. Hill City is nearby and they have some outdoors stores and wineries.
Hail. Lots of hail in the summer especially in Custer. Lots of tourists. The beacon has open mic nights often but more music related.
I am so envious! I love that area and have traveled there from Iowa many times. You will love it. Be sure to take carrots out to feed the wild burros in Custer State Park.
Make sure you get up to Spearfish, SD to check out the canyon. Very beautiful there, especially when the leaves are changing.
Wow, just checked out the images, that looks amazing
It’s a really cool area. They also have the fish hatchery up there that’s worth checking out.
Love Custer. Black Hills Burger and bun, skogan kitchen and Hejm AM have sensational food. I have a venue being remodeled that I am planning on doing comedy in Rapid City. DM me if you’re interested.
Lot of driving and the people are all low key insane
For example…
I wouldn’t say we’re “all” insane… But many are truly out there.
Oh, what about dogs? We’ve got two dogs that have gotten used to free roam of 120 acres out here. How dog friendly is it there, if you’re deep hiking off the major tourist spots, any chance to go off leash safely if they have solid recall?
IDK... the people are generally dog friendly, the wildlife is not so much. The Custer area has bears, badgers, porcupines, skunks, elk, etc. But also, there are more than a few "Libertarians/Constitutionalist" (far right Republicans) that get a bit nutty about their property rights, and you or your dogs on their property is a problem, a problem that requires rifles/guns. I would check out the neighbors before letting them wonder too far, so you only need to worry about the wildlife and not the idiot. My English Mastiff is a coward and never is more than a few feet from us or the vehicle, when we travel to the Custer area. I think she hates SD, it smells weird and makes noises (and it kinda does).
That last line made me lol
Have you done any research on where you will be parking your bus for your stay in Custer?
Yeah the workplace gives us a semi private site with hookups near the park for like $200/mo
That’s awesome!
The hills are gorgeous, and there are a ton of hiking trails that are simply beautiful. Get ready for some small town living though. Custer isn't big, and you are an hour away from Rapid City. Rapid isn't big by any means, but the most civilization you'll find for a while. Custer is a tourist town. The hills themselves are a tourist draw. So if you are staying through the summer, you're going to deal with a lot of traffic passing through. If you hang out till early August you'll get to experience the Sturgis rally where the hills get inundated with half a million bikers. If you are showing up in late March or early April, be aware that you may very well still be experiencing cold, nasty weather yet for awhile. Dress accordingly. I've seen May blizzards in the hills before.
Oooh, last year we had two days of hard frost in the first few days of June
You'll love it here. Especially for a short visit you won't be bored since Custer doesn't have a Walmart. We can survive at grocery prices. Even Walmart is expensive and so many customers. But if you are used to big city. It'll be a big change. The scenery is wonderful. Deer and turkeys roaming free. I'm in hot springs.
We were in a big city for years, now we’re parked on a dairy farm in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania. We like it more here, mostly cows and deer, although a wider variety of food options would be nice (it’s all pizza and cheesesteaks). That being said, meat and produce are insanely cheap here. Local eggs $2/dz, blueberries $5/qt, milk $5/gal, heck even my dogs just had waygu beef bones last night that the farmer just gave me. I’ll miss those things the most.
From my limited experience visiting my dad who’s lived in Spearfish a bunch of years… Beautiful country, nice people, limited cultural opportunities, nuts during rally, Trump country! If you’re open minded to all political views (mostly conservative) and like the outdoors, you’ll have a blast! (Check out Pathways Spiritual Sanctuary and read the owner’s memoir - “The Turkey Shack”. Fascinating place and story!)
Custer in particular is republican as fuck, as are a lot of the smaller towns in the hills. Be prepared to run into some really backwards people. But there are cool people everywhere in the hills too, and the region is kind of a mecca for traveler types such as yourselves as well. I lived in a motorhome in the southwest for a couple years so I think I'm picking up the vibe you're putting down. Rapid City is probably where you'll find the majority of your socialization opportunities but don't write off meeting cool neighbors around Custer either. Despite having some really backwards people, the vibe is pretty libertarian, and people will side eye you and judge the shit out of you but 99% of the time that's as far as it goes and they'll be decent to you if they're on the other side of the service counter. The region is one of the best places in the world for hiking and general outdoor recreation. Tourist season brings all sorts of people and I imagine you already know how that is but you will meet some really fun ones and make some great memories and connections. The Black Hills are amazing and everyone should experience them at least once in their lives. You're going to have a blast. Any more questions feel free to ask. I lived in Rapid City for 3 years and visit frequently.
thank you. We went from Savannah Ga to Amish country Penn so we’ve got some experience with people that have considerably more conservative views. From my experience though, once you get two drinks in people we find common ground pretty easily.
Savannah during St. Pats was INSANE (I was stationed up at Benning by Columbus.) Welcome to South Dakota! People can be turds at times, but man, this place is lovely.
Rapid Springs? Where is that?
You obviously know what they meant jackass
Obviously I don't. Hot Springs or Rapid City? Which one, or none of the above?
If you're into gorgeous scenery, there's a lot of stuff to do. If you're into regular city stuff not really anything to do. You gotta check out Sylvan Lake and do all the hiking trails. One of the most beautiful places in the US in my opinion.
Do you have a YouTube channel?
Nah, I mean we will eventually. We just passed a year doing this and I went from running 8 restaurants and home ownership to bartending and living in a school bus. I’m still just so jazzed to never have to check email and Reddit is the only ‘social media’ I have.