We left Wyoming on a big white puffy cloud day. I had taken my last trip around the lake the evening before and already I was longing for the day we would return to this little corner of the world in the Bighorns.

Thus began our long trek to the east coast where we will rendezvous with friends and family over the next few months. Our first stop though was in Box Elder SD, just outside Rapid City. A long day for us at about 325 miles, we made it in time to pick up our mail from the service we use, Americas Mailbox, and then we settled in for the night at a nearby brand new Cabela’s. After Bob did an extensive journey through the store we set our chairs up outside the bus and a beautiful sunset developed in front of our eyes.

Next morning it was off to Pickstown, SD where we would finally have a reunion with Bob’s “Brother from another Mother”, Neil. It had been a long five years since we had seen him at Bob’s retirement party and we missed him….a LOT!

250+ miles later we were pulling up to the Corp of Engineers Dam project where he works and started to set up at the campground nearby to wait for him to get off work.

Look at those grins, this is another one of the big reasons why we travel,
to have this time with the ones we miss and love.

Our campsite was peaceful and quiet, right on the Missouri River overlooking the dam where Neil worked. Located within the rolling plain of the Missouri Plateau, the Fort Randall dam project was completed in 1956 and sits not far from the site of the original Fort Randall that was used as an outpost in the mid 1800’s. All the buildings had been moved or destroyed long ago, but we walked through the remainder of the forts graveyard, and gazed out over the Missouri River wondering what it must have been like to live there at that point in history.

Also known as home to one of America's largest wintering concentrations of bald and golden eagles, Neil took us on a side trip in search of some. We found a pair of goldens nesting in the trees right by our campsite, and watched them soar at an area across the river. Such a beautiful site to see.

Was a great weekend. We ate and drank just enough and laughed around the campfire at night. It was a beautiful way to start this trek east and we just hope it’s not five years before we see Neil again.

Notes for next time: https://gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/randall-creek-recreation-area/
https://gfp.sd.gov/userdocs/campground-map-randall.pdf we stayed in space#19, but any and all along the river would be nice.