Summer Travels in the Adventure Van- Heading West

Day one of our Adventure Van road trip was a LONG travel day. 900 miles kind of long, but was still a fun day! 

We started the day with a 4:45 AM wake up so that we could hit the road before the sun came up, and we were off with everyone loaded just before 6. 

Along for the ride with me is Naomi, Maya and two of their friends- Megan and Aubrey. So we are a car full of teenage girls which made for an entertaining ride for sure.

Sophie is flying out to meet us in a few days after college orientation along with my oldest nephew, who also just graduated high school and will be attending college orientation the same weekend. 

Dave and Garrett will be flying out to meet us along the way once baseball is over for the season. I’m missing them already!

And Luna is staying home for our trip. We all hated to leave her, but because of National Park restrictions that prohibit dogs on most trails, it was impossible to bring her. I entertained the thought of boarding her near each park on hiking days, but decided that it would be selfish for me to do that because Luna would have to adjust to too many new places. We already miss her terribly. 

We camped near Sioux Falls at Big Sioux State Recreation Area, a pretty campground with a nice bike trail and several hiking trails. I’m writing this to the sounds of birds filling the skies all around me. And I just watched a cotton tail rabbit munch on the clover near our site. Clean and quiet, I would definitely stay here again. I will do a more in depth write up when I can upload my camera’s pictures.  

 Our first night sleeping in the Adventure Van was a success! We all slept well with the doors open to the cool temperatures covered by the screens I made. It is such a treat to just pull up to our site and be able to have our sleeping spaces ready, while at the same time traveling in a vehicle that is comfortable and easy to drive.

I’m looking forward to exploring South Dakota! 

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2 replies on “Summer Travels in the Adventure Van- Heading West”
  1. says: Darla

    Hey!!! I lived in Sioux Falls, SD the first 13 years of my life. My mom grew up in the small farming town of Presho, SD (near the middle of the state about 30 miles past Chamberlin). I’ve been to Rapid City numerous times. Enjoy your trip out west!!!

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