Days 25 - 26: Reba's 2026 Adventure
Fireworks, Fossils, and a Very Contested Soccer Match
The 4:45 AM Great Escape
Todd woke me up at 4:45am on July 5th. Let that sink in. This is, without question, the earliest we have ever pulled out of a campsite, and I would love to tell you it’s because Todd was bursting with excitement to cross back into Utah, a state we adventured through so gloriously last year.
The truth is far less romantic: the man simply did not sleep.
Turns out our RV resort neighbors decided the best way to celebrate America’s 250th birthday was to stage a fireworks display that could have given the National Mall a run for its money.
Meanwhile, Aspen and Willow — our two resident anxiety machines — heard every single boom through their superhero-grade puppy ears and spent the night shaking like maracas. We threw everything we had at the problem: doggie downers, AC on full blast, a movie cranked to concert volume, and enough puppy-whispering to qualify us both for honorary dog therapist licenses. Nothing worked.
I, however, had my trusty earplugs, which means I slept like a rock while Todd pulled the overnight shift as chief comforter. By the time he accepted that sleep was off the table for him, he’d apparently decided the next best move was to just… leave. He had Reba fully packed and ready to roll except for the back bedroom, which I was unceremoniously evicted from at 4:45am. I gathered my pillow, my comforter, and both dogs, and relocated to the recliner to finish my night’s sleep in style. I woke up somewhere in the middle of Idaho, desperately in need of coffee.
Bear Lake: The “Caribbean of the Rockies” (Minus the Cabana Boys)
We landed in Laketown, Utah, on the shores of Bear Lake: a place proudly nicknamed the “Caribbean of the Rockies.” I regret to report that despite the marketing, there were zero cabana boys and exactly zero Mai Tais delivered beachside. A grave oversight, honestly.
What I did get was a moment of heroism: I personally rescued a 16-inch lake trout that had trapped itself in an inlet. Ethan, wherever you are, I hope you’re proud. As for the lake itself, it stretches 20 miles, straddles the Idaho-Utah border, and is famous for water so intensely turquoise it looks photoshopped. It’s a full-blown summer hotspot, and we can see why.
Sheep Traffic Jams and Baby Lambs
The following day was declared officially “Todd’s Day” with fossils, mining history, and general geology nerdery ahead.
We hit the road by 7am and almost immediately encountered our first obstacle: cowboys herding hundreds of sheep directly across our path. Aspen and Willow lost their entire minds barking at them, thoroughly unimpressed by the working dogs calmly doing their actual jobs while ours screamed from a moving vehicle. The baby sheep, for the record, were the undisputed stars of the show.
Fossil Butte: 52 Million Years in the Making
Next stop, Fossil Butte National Monument in Wyoming, where the visitor center exceeded all expectations. The exhibits were genuinely impressive, and we struck up a conversation with a retired couple who volunteer at historic sites like this one by spending their retirement years traveling the country and giving back. Absolute legends.
JCPenney, Kemmerer, and a Surprisingly Tragic Family History
We rolled through Kemmerer, Wyoming — home of the 1902 JCPenney store, affectionately known as the “Mother Store.” Fun fact: I once worked at a JCPenney in Ames, Iowa, as assistant manager of the shoe department. Not to brag, but they tried to recruit me into their management training program while I was finishing my undergrad at Iowa State. When I mentioned I might pursue a doctoral degree someday, my manager confidently informed me that would never happen. Ha! Look at me now.
Honestly though, retirement plan B might just be re-joining JCPenney, assuming any locations are still standing by then. This town, for what it’s worth, loves JCPenney and they still host JCPenney Days every single year.
We also toured the Sears-catalog home that JC Penney himself bought and lived in with his first wife for four years. His guiding philosophy was the Golden Rule, which he held to admirably — but the family’s story took a genuinely heartbreaking turn. Of his sons, two died of alcoholism and one by suicide, all connected to the pressures surrounding the company’s success. His two daughters survived him, along with grandchildren who carry the family legacy forward.
Prairie Dogs, Pronghorn, and the Mormon Trail
Crossing Wyoming along the historic Mormon Trail, the landscape was absolutely littered with prairie dogs and pronghorn darting across the road. My personal contribution to Reba’s safe passage was hollering “Get along little doggie!” and “Go on now — git!” at wildlife that could not hear me and did not care.
Ghost Towns, Gold, and a Suffrage Pioneer
We spent the bulk of our mining tour at South Pass City, a genuinely remarkable historic site restored to museum-quality condition. Walking through it felt like true time travel into the hard, often disappointing life of early prospectors chasing riches in an unforgiving landscape.
Two major highlights: learning about Esther Hobart Morris, the nation’s first female Justice of the Peace, who went on to become a driving force in the women’s suffrage movement, right there in South Pass City.
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And, no, he didn't find any. I will return to work next week.
From there we swung by Atlantic City (no casinos here, a rarity on this trip) and finally spotted the elusive, mysterious “Sassy” 😂 — all while sweating through a brutal 101-degree day.
World Cup Drama at Jim Moss Arena
We wrapped things up at a Harvest Host stay in Riverton, Wyoming, called Jim Moss Arena, where we settled in to watch the FIFA World Cup match between the USA and Belgium. The game came with its own subplot: a disputed red card against a top USA player had drawn public controversy, with President Trump pushing for the call to be reviewed. The suspension was ultimately overturned, clearing the player to compete.
Sadly, reinstated player or not, it didn’t matter. USA fell 1–4. A rough night for American soccer, but a great one for us, sheep jams, fossils, ghost towns, and all.
Tomorrow we travel to South Dakota!
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