Days 27 - 28: The Final Days of Reba's 2026 Adventure



[INTRO MUSIC FADES]

Well, here we are, folks — the final days of Reba’s 2026 Adventure have arrived!

And as you’re about to hear, there’s a bit of a sad pattern starting to form with how we end our summer trips. 

But more on that in a bit. Right now, let me catch you up on our last couple of days; and fair warning, this one’s going to be short and sweet, because things wrapped up faster than we planned.


Living It Up in Spearfish

We spent our final two days in South Dakota, based out of Spearfish at the Elk Ridge Resort, and honestly, this place had it all. A gorgeous swimming pool with an outdoor bar, beautifully kept grounds, friendly staff, and even a dog park for the pups to burn off some energy.

We kicked things off by doing exactly what you’d hope: lounging by the pool and snacking on appetizers from the Hangry Food Truck, which they had right there on property. Little did we know, that nacho platter might’ve been the beginning of the end of this trip. After taking in some sun, Todd fired up the grill and made us some seriously good pork chops for dinner that day while I tackled the thrilling task of laundry one last time. All and all it was a pretty chill day.



Gold Mines, Ghost Towns, and a Turn for the Worse

The next morning, Todd wasn’t feeling great and he had a hunch it might’ve had something to do with that nacho platter from the day before. But he pushed through, and we headed out to the Black Hills National Forest, sometimes called the “Island in the Plains.” We squeezed in two short hikes before making our way to the town of Lead.


What does Lead have to offer, you ask? Well, it’s a historic gold mining town (home to the second-longest mine in the state) and Todd had his heart set on checking out the museum there. The mine tour was genuinely informative, and our tour guide had no shortage of mining puns. Think dad jokes, but on steroids.


By the time the tour wrapped up, though, so was Todd. We decided to stay in Reba and do a driving tour of the rest of the area instead, which took us through the very cool historic town of Deadwood. Sadly, no shootouts to report.

By the time we made it back to the resort, a storm had rolled in, and we battened down the hatches for the night. Todd kept feeling worse, and it became pretty clear we needed to point Reba straight home.

Homeward Bound

So that’s exactly what we did the next morning. Normally we only drive Reba four to five hours a day, but I pushed myself for an 8 1/2 hour haul and got us home safe and sound. By the time we pulled in, Todd was already feeling much better — good timing too, since he needs to rest up and get back on the campaign trail for State Representative of our greater Burnsville area.

I’ll admit, I had some serious déjà vu. Some of you might remember we had to cut last year’s trip short too, when Reba’s air conditioning went out on us. Here’s hoping this doesn’t become a tradition for our future adventures.

By the Numbers for this trip:

      •     Miles traveled: 5,460
      •     National Parks visited: 5

That’s a wrap on Reba’s 2026 Adventure! Thanks for riding along with us all summer. 

Until Next Year, Folks! 

Planning for 2027 will begin later this year as you all know I'm a sucker for exploring and detailing out our next adventure.






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Adventures with Reba 2026 (June 10)

Image
  Welcome back, faithful followers of Adventures with Reba! This is our 2.0 adventure , and let me tell you, if you followed along with the inaugural voyage of Reba 2025 , you'll agree that this year's journey was almost guaranteed to come with a few surprises. After all, smooth sailing simply isn't our style. Last fall, Todd carefully winterized Reba and tucked her away in our driveway for her long winter's nap. There she sat, patiently waiting for spring to arrive. I can only imagine how bitterly cold she felt through those long Minnesota winter months. Surely she was dreaming of open highways, scenic overlooks, and campground hookups. As the snow melted and the temperatures finally climbed, Reba was ready for her grand awakening. Or so we thought. In reality, Reba had other plans. She didn't fire up at all. Not even a little. No matter how much encouragement, coaxing, pleading, or mechanical wizardry Todd threw her way, her engine refused to come to life. She had...
Read more

Days 1 & 2 - Reba Adventure 2026

Image
Reba, the Road, and a Lobster in North Dakota 🦞 Day 1: Vikings, Vines & a Very Windy Welcome Every great adventure has to start somewhere. Ours started with a checklist longer than the Great Plains and Reba. Before we could even think about hitting the open road, there was a lot of adulting to do. Todd ran a full systems and tires check on Reba like the responsible RV-pilot he is, while I handed off my beloved (and somehow still surviving) houseplants to our neighbor Ann. We called our friends at the Burnsville Police Department to request some extra love for our little place on Carriage Lane while we'd be away, and then we finally pointed Reba's nose northwest and drove 450 miles to North Dakota. Let me tell you something about North Dakota that no travel brochure adequately prepares you for: it is W-I-N-D-Y. And not just a gentle, "oh how refreshing" kind of breezy. We're talking full-send, hold-onto-your-hat, are-we-being-abducted windy. Driving Reba thr...
Read more

Days 3 & 4: Glaciers, Gravel, and the Great Boot Betrayal

Image
If someone had told me that days three and four of our trip would include a near-generator crisis, a surprise size check at a national park entrance, four moose encounters, and a pair of hiking boots that quite literally fell apart at the seams; I would have said, “Sounds about right for a Reba adventure.” And I would not have been wrong. Sunday Morning: Crisis, Coffee, and the Lord Himself Day three kicked off with a plot twist before we’d even had breakfast. After boondocking at the goat farm, our generator battery was about as lively as a Monday morning meeting. For those who don’t know, that generator is the lifeblood of Reba’s two slide-outs. No generator, no slides. No slides, no living room or bedroom. No bedroom… well, let’s just say Todd was highly motivated to fix the situation. And fix it he did. In true MacGyver fashion, Todd borrowed power from the engine battery to get things running again. Crisis averted. Slides deployed. Marriage preserved. With Reba back in business, w...
Read more