The All Inclusive Motorcoach (AIM) was started by National Indoors Recreational Vehicles Centers (NIRVC) as a way to drive interest in buying and servicing motorcoaches. They have locations in Las Vegas, Dallas, Atlanta, and Phoenix. Class organization. We got introduced to them whilst at the Tampa RV Show last January. What we liked about this rally was that all types of motorcoaches attend, as compared to the Newmar Rallies that we have attended in the past.
The Rally was booked at the Rush No More RV Park and Campground
in Sturgis, WY – the same Sturgis that hosts the annual biker rally only a few weeks away. This rally was titled: Reopening of America.
Day One
Check in between 1:00 and 4:00 complete with getting your temperature taken (COVID). We were able to park next to the Godfrey’s and very close to other friends, Stan and Lynne Brown. We had planned on spending the next month traveling with the Browns throughout the Northwest. We also had other friends (Anita and Mike Noah) there that we met when we looked at buying a lot at Golden Palms in Florida.
This picture is of Brett Davis (CEO of NIRVC), myself, Mike Noah, and Katrina:
Happy Hour (this is not a Newmar Rally) at 5:30 and a catered dinner at 6:30. Then an USO-type Show followed. We were encouraged to wear our red, white and blue.
Rocking the socks:
The dinner and the entertainment were very good!
Day Two
Started with breakfast at 8:30 (not too early) and a Newmar presentation afterwards. In the afternoon, we bused over to Mystic Hills Hide-A-Way for an ATV Tour and lunch.
We had a ball riding the ATVs! Although it was a bit dusty – good thing we had our masks!
We stopped along the way and hike up to visit the Custer Peak Fire Lookout Tower:
In between lunch and the ATV Tour, we played a little horseshoes – Men against the Women.
We almost lost! We never would have heard the end of that one.
Back in time to let Bear out and hurry down to the catered dinner with live entertainment. Another really good meal and it was game night.
Day Three
Breakfast again at 8:30 with an Entegra presentation afterwards. We skipped that one because we own Newmars. The afternoon had a bus tour to Mt. Rushmore which the Brown’s and Busse’s skipped because we had both seen the sculpture before and neither one of us had ever been to the Badlands National Park. So, off we headed, but before we got there we had to stop at Wall Drug (I mean after seeing the road signs every mile for the past 50 miles, you had to stop).
Stan and I talked with a couple of the local women:
We looked around and saw all of the touristy stuff for sale. Stan and I ended up making a huge purchase:
an ice cream cone!
The Badlands:
Check out this close up:
Doesn’t it look like sprayed on concrete? At least it did to me.
It was very hot and dry. On the drive back I wanted to stop for a cold beer. Prairie Dog Town was about halfway back to Rush No More. Once we got there, this is what we found:
No town! No beer! Apparently where a large amount of prairie dogs congregate it’s called a “town”. Now you know…
We did get to see a large bison up close right out of the truck:
We also were lucky enough to see a longhorn ram:
And a bunch of pronghorns:
Look as Ed learning to be a Texas gentleman:
Thanks, Stan!
Since we were going to be late getting back to the resort we found a place to eat at in Rapid City called Minerva’s. I had the potato pizza that sounded interesting and something new. It tasted like a baked potato pizza which was pretty good until I bit into a piece of cardboard. That was a little chewy! They replace my meal with a chicken stir fry. I can only say that I will not be eating there again! We made it back to Rush No More in time for the resort sponsored entertainment of a guy singing country music.
He was outstanding!
Day Four
Breakfast at 8:30 again. Freightliner presentation afterwards which we didn’t attend – not being cocky here, but I’ve been driving one for over two years now and we had just attended the Freightliner Camp in June so we didn’t feel the need to attend. Katrina had signed up for the “arts & crafts” session to make coasters:
Didn’t she do a great job!
The afternoon included a bus tour of Spearfish Canyon to see the falls and the lodge:
And the surrounding area – including this sign:
Great movie!
Afterwards, we were dropped off in Deadwood to tour the city on our own. We got witness the gunfight (ok, it was staged and there weren’t real bullets) that reenacted when Wild Bill Hickok was killed.
Very exciting – I was on the edge of the concrete curb wondering what the ending would be. We stopped by Saloon #10, which is where Wild Bill sipped his last rye. Stan and I found a nice little ice cream shop to pass the time as the women shopped.
Back at the resort there was dinner and a murder mystery. Interesting. At the end you had to identify the killer. Only two people got it right! One of them was our own Lynne. She won a bottle of wine and an I-Watch. Not bad! Way to go Lynne!
Day Five
Continental breakfast and farewells! The Brown‘s, the Godfrey’s and the Busse’s all added another day so that we could see some more sights. After saying our goodbyes to everyone leaving, the Brown’s and the Busse’s drove over to see Devil’s Tower. You are correct, the same tower that was made famous in the movie “Close Encounters Of the Third Kind” from the 80’s.
Well, we didn’t see any aliens, but Devil’s Tower is truly an anomaly to the surrounding area. Breathtaking!
On the drive back we stopped at the Vore Buffalo Jump. That is a “sink hole” where the Native Americans would drive the buffalo over the edge where they would then kill them for their winter food and clothing. Very interesting.
We decided to head back into Deadwood for dinner. That was a mistake as it was difficult to get into a restaurant as they were either full or were running out of food. Apparently, there was a lot more people in town than they had anticipated. We finally found Santana’s and ate dinner in the bar area. We also had our new friends from Minnesota along (Shug & Blair Bury, and Bob & Sue Payette):
The food and the company were great!
The following day we parted ways with the Godfrey’s and the Brown’s and us started out on our path northwest. (The Godfrey’s would catch up to us in a few days to spend some more time together).
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