BREAKFAST NOOK TABLE AND CHAIRS

After three nights, and two full days of fun in the sun at Lake McConaughy, we packed up the RV and headed North to South Dakota. Our campground for the remainder of the trip would be Rafter J Bar Ranch Campground. I found this little gem after a vigorous scouring of the options via the Internet, and let me tell you that it was a fantastic campground. There's more than enough to do in this region to merit another trip, and I can assure you that we'll stay there again.

"Rafter J" as we came to call it has a variety of campgrounds all in one complex. There's a healthy mix of everything from tents to RVs throughout. We stayed in Base Camp which is close to the main office and is designed for the larger vehicles. Each site has ample space, shade, full hook-ups (including cable television), and even wireless Internet (which I managed to stay off of entirely except for when getting directions).

The main office has a gift shop and smallish general store, which served us well, but they also rent cars! This really made the rest of the trip for us. Having to drive the RV all over the Black Hills would have been torture. Next to the main office is an outdoor heated pool, and a really nicely done playground. If we were in the campground, you can only imagine where Paige spent her time (and we issued her a walkie-talkie to check-in regularly).

Hindsight being what it is, we could have easily spent our entire trip at Rafter J. And the location is smack in the middle of everything you want to do (more on that later). Temperatures were daytime highs in the mid-80s, scattered showers in the late afternoon, and a cool evening by the fire for the night. The surrounding Black Hills forest gave you a pine-fresh smell with every breath. And as if the amenities themselves weren't enough, there's even a 110-mile bike trail the passes on one side of the campground.

So why didn't we stay there the entire trip? One word. Sturgis. We left on the Sunday the Sturgis Bike Rally started. While at the campground, it was clear that other campers were there for the big event. And no, it wasn't the massive brawling with rowdy crowds that you'd think. For Rafter J, it was far enough from Sturgis, SD that our crowd was more the retired, easy going, in bed by 9 PM crowd. Lots of great stories, and fun for Paige, too.

I also don't think that we originally thought that there'd be so much to do in the area. Surely there wouldn't be enough to do to keep us busy for a full week? Bzzt!

Altitude Club 737 is located on top of 47-storey Place Ville-Marie office building. It occupies several froors including restaurant, sky bar, nightclub and open air terraces.

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