We kicked off May at Badlands National Park, camping at the Cedar Pass campground. This was the first national park where our giant RV would actually fit, and we settled into a no-hookup spot for two weeks. The weather was great, and our solar setup kept us comfortable, letting us live normally off the grid. This park might be our favorite yet. It’s surrounded by natural beauty and feels peaceful, even with the campground bustling with visitors coming and going. Two weeks here felt like a month, time seemed to stand still, and we loved every minute.

While in South Dakota, we explored plenty. Badlands National Park, right where we stayed, topped the list. The terrain is beyond words, with dramatic landscapes and wildlife that left us in awe. Bison roamed everywhere, alongside bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, pronghorn, and mule deer. We took drives almost daily to soak in the sights and never tired of it. If you haven’t visited, add Badlands to your list; it’s a truly special place.

We also took a day trip to the Black Hills to see Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. Both are worth the visit. Rushmore is impressive, but Crazy Horse stole the show for me. The story of a family working across generations to carve this monument is inspiring and makes it stand out.

After Badlands, we spent a week at a local campground in Wall, South Dakota. Wall is a quirky small town, touristy because of its proximity to the Badlands. It’s home to Wall Drug, a store that’s an experience all its own, unlike any place I’ve been. We ended up staying an extra day because of 70-mile-per-hour winds, too wild to drive in. Even parked, the RV shook all day from the gusts.

Next, we made a long drive to an overnight stop at the Indian casino Winn Vegas in Iowa. For 15 dollars a night, we got one of their six RV sites with electric, a solid deal. We hit the casino for some games and enjoyed a buffet dinner, making for a pleasant stay.

The following day, we traveled to Smithville, Missouri, where we stayed at a county park just north of the city. It was one of the nicest parks we have been to, with a quiet site offering electric and water. We got out a bit, and the highlight was eating at Joe’s Kansas City BBQ, the famous one in the gas station. I also visited my company’s backup data center to do some maintenance on my equipment. The only downside was a lawn crew accidentally hitting an open baggage door, damaging it. Despite the damage, we would go back to this park; we really liked it, and accidents happen. I’m not going to hold that against the park.

After a week, we moved on to a Harvest Host in Illinois, the Riemann Hemp and Honey farm. The owners were friendly, and they had all kinds of Honey and CBD oil products, and sold fresh eggs, all from their operation. Additionally, they had a new batch of chicks. It was a calm spot, and we enjoyed meeting another traveling couple heading west.

Our final stop in May was Elkhart, Indiana, for two big reasons. First, we picked up a custom couch we ordered at the Tampa RV show. Our old couch never worked for us, and this new one is a huge improvement. Second, we visited Lippert and DRV to investigate stress cracks near our RV slides from our western travels. Lippert checked the frame and found no issues, and DRV concluded that the cracks were due to rough roads rather than structural problems. Still, they need fixing, so we scheduled a return visit to DRV in late August to repair the cracks and the baggage door.