The RV Was Waiting in Wyoming — So I Took the Long Way Home

July was a reminder that not every adventure involves hundreds of miles of driving.

Sometimes adventure looks like baseball games with friends, kayaking close to home, helping people chase big goals, and enjoying the ordinary days in between.

But there was one thing still waiting for me.

My RV was still sitting in Wyoming.

After our June trip ended with an unexpected breakdown, the RV had been left behind in Douglas while I figured out what came next.

The practical plan was simple:

Drive back to Wyoming – Pick up the RV – Bring it home.

But if I was already making that drive…

I figured I might as well make an adventure out of it.

This trip was different from my previous RV travels. I had traveled in the RV by myself before, but usually for shorter stretches or with a specific purpose. This time, there was no tournament schedule, no family destination, and no one else’s plans to work around.

Just me, Bandit, the RV, the Jeep, and a whole lot of places I wanted to explore.

Back Where We Left It

On August 15th, I made the drive back to Douglas, Wyoming.

There was something a little strange about seeing the RV again — sitting where we had left it after the June breakdown.

I remembered everything that came with that ending: the long wait on the side of the highway, the tow into Douglas, the nights spent cooking dinner in the RV while we figured out what came next, and finally having to drive away without it.

But now, instead of being the end of the adventure, it was the beginning of another one.

I got everything ready, spent some time settling back in, and eventually moved over to the KOA in Douglas.

One of the things I love about traveling in the RV is that I don’t have to completely step away from normal life. I can still work when I needed to.

Then it was time to explore.

Finding the Mountains

One of my first adventures was Sunset Ridge Trail.

The scenery was exactly what I had hoped for — wide-open views, wildlife, and the feeling of being somewhere completely different from home.

There were deer. There were buffalo.

There were endless views across the prairie.

And Bandit was right there with me.

Traveling with a dog adds a whole different element to exploring. Every stop becomes a new place for Bandit to investigate — new smells, new trails, and new places to sit dramatically while looking over the landscape.

He is very good at that last part.

Bandit even made a new friend at the campground dog park.

Apparently, making friends everywhere we go is part of his travel strategy.

Friend Creek Falls — And a Change of Plans

From there, I decided to make the drive out to the Laramie Peak Trail and Friend Creek Falls.

It wasn’t exactly a quick side trip. Getting there meant about an hour and a half of driving, but that was part of what I love about this trip.

I can look at a map, find something interesting, and decide:

“Let’s go see where this road leads.”

The plan was to hike to Friend Creek Falls and continue onward toward Laramie Peak.

The trail climbed through the mountains, eventually bringing me to Friend Creek Falls — a small cascading waterfall tucked into the Laramie Range at around 8,200 feet.

But the summit was still ahead.

And honestly? I wanted to keep going.

I wanted that summit.

Then the weather changed.

What had started as a beautiful sunny hike suddenly turned into rain, thunder, and lightning.

I was hiking alone. There was no cell signal.

And I still had several more miles of steeper, more rugged terrain ahead.

That was the moment where I had to make the call.

So I turned around.

Was I disappointed?

Absolutely.

I had wanted to reach the summit.

But adventures are not just about reaching the destination. They are also about knowing when to make the right decision to get yourself safely home.

Sometimes the biggest part of an adventure is trusting your own judgment when things don’t go according to plan.

Through the Black Hills

From there, I continued toward South Dakota and some of the places people picture when they think of the Black Hills.

Mount Rushmore. Crazy Horse Memorial. The Mickelson Trail.

The weather wasn’t always perfect, but even the rain became part of the experience.

I caught Crazy Horse Memorial from across the field — I didn’t make it in for a closer look this time, but even seeing it from a distance was impressive.

One of my favorite surprises was seeing the Puerto Rican flag and sign at Mount Rushmore.

Being Puerto Rican, that was a connection I never expected to find while traveling through South Dakota.

And then there were the smaller moments that make a trip memorable.

Chipmunks. Wildlife. Quiet walks.

Bandit sitting proudly on a bench along the Mickelson Trail.

Of course, no South Dakota trip would feel complete without a stop at Wall Drug.

Western storefronts, an old-time medicine show, and a restroom sign that made me laugh harder than it probably should have.

(“Need Your Bladder Flattered?”)

The Badlands

Eventually, I made my way to the Badlands.

And this is where the trip really became something special.

I found a boondocking spot near the Pinnacles Entrance Station — in the area RVers know as Nomad View — and it might have been one of my favorite places I have ever parked the RV.

No fancy campground.

No hookups.

Just my little home on wheels sitting beside a landscape that looked like another planet.

Bandit seemed pretty happy with the arrangement.

Mornings started with those views.

Evenings ended with sunsets, stars, and quiet.

One night, I captured the reflection of the RV in the darkness with the moon hanging in the distance.

It was one of those simple moments that reminds you why you chase this kind of life.

The Badlands themselves were unlike anywhere I had ever been.

Bighorn sheep. Prairie dogs. Buffalo.

Wide-open landscapes that made it impossible to capture the scale in a photograph.

One bighorn sheep even stopped right in front of my vehicle, staring at me like I was the unusual thing in the landscape.

The Jeep Was Built for This

One of the highlights of the trip was taking the Jeep out to explore the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands near Cedar Butte.

When I saw the sign:

High Clearance Vehicles Only Beyond This Point

I knew I had found exactly the kind of road the Trailhawk was made for.

The trail was rough, uneven, and full of deep ruts — exactly the kind of terrain that makes exploring in a Jeep fun.

I made it pretty far before deciding that some of those ruts were deeper than I wanted to tackle alone.

So I parked and continued on foot.

And naturally, I discovered I was only about 100 yards from the end of the trail.

Of course.

But I was still happy with my choice.

The adventure wasn’t about proving I could force my way through. It was about exploring, enjoying the scenery, and making good decisions.

While I was up there, I started hearing music.

I hadn’t seen anyone else around, and then I realized someone was sitting on the rocks playing an instrument.

I think it was a banjo.

Which, depending on what movies you’ve watched, might sound like the beginning of a very different kind of story.

Thankfully, it was just another person enjoying a beautiful view.

More Reasons to Stay

The Badlands kept giving me reasons to explore.

I hiked Notch Trail, complete with ladders, steep sections, and signs reminding hikers that this was not an easy trail.

I explored Window Trail and Door Trail, weaving between the incredible formations that make the Badlands feel like another planet.

More bighorn sheep. More prairie dogs. More wildlife.

More moments where I stopped and thought, “I can’t believe I get to see this.”

The Long Way Home