July 24, 2025 (Thu.) - The Falls again, Family Dinner
Lynn was up bright and early again at 5:55 AM—seems like her pre-retirement wake-up routine is making a comeback! Unfortunately, the campground was too noisy with traffic to enjoy coffee outside. Not only are we next to a freeway, we’re in the flight path of the Air National Guard and hear the very loud roar of the jets all day long! So she spent the morning indoors blogging and finalizing reservations for our next stop. Minnesota is calling, and we’re excited to head that way soon.
Around noon, we revisited The Falls. After last night’s unexpected rain, the Aspaas family recommended we check them out again—they were right! While we didn’t get much of the downpour ourselves, parts of Sioux Falls were flooded. The Falls were absolutely roaring, and we were glad we made the trip back. We explored more of the park, wandered through the ruins, and Otis got a solid walk in. The heat and humidity were intense, but ice cream from the Overlook Café was a welcome treat. Thankfully, the café is pet-friendly and air-conditioned, so Otis got a break from the heat too.
Later, we went on a hunt for good liquor and a nail salon. Sadly, we struck out on both fronts—no standout booze and no walk-in appointments available. With the heat pressing down, we retreated to the RV for lunch and some quiet time in the cool, dark interior.
Lynn tried to get back to blogging in the afternoon, but Starlink had a global outage—no internet! So, the blog update will have to wait.
By 6 PM, we headed to the Aspaas home for dinner with their family. The evening was a delight—steak grilled to perfection, lively conversation, and perhaps a few too many smoked old-fashioneds for Kirk (courtesy of Kyle’s expert mixology). For the non-whiskey crowd, there was excellent wine and tasty appetizers. We capped off the meal with SDSU’s famous Hobo Crunch ice cream—absolutely delicious! We loved hearing about the kids’ activities and spending time with everyone. Their hospitality was incredible, and we left with two pages of Sioux Falls places to go plus Bourbon Trail recommendations we can’t wait to explore in our future travels. We won’t be able to hit all the Sioux Falls places but we’ll be back I’m sure!
At 11 PM, full and happy, we said our goodbyes—though Kirk needed a little coaxing to leave before Kyle’s whiskey stash disappeared entirely. We made it back to the RV safe and sound, hearts full and grateful for a wonderful day.
Weather – High 84*, Low 67*. Winds 4-10 mph. Humidity 94%.
Traffic – None.
Food – Dinner at the Aspaas house. Delicious!
Notable – The Falls, Dinner.
July 25, 2025 (Fri.) - catch up and recover
The day got off to a slower start than usual. Lynn was up at 8:00 AM, while Kirk didn’t emerge until after 10:30 AM, still recovering from his whiskey-filled evening with Kyle. It was definitely a rough morning for him.
While Kirk took it easy, Lynn made progress on the blog, catching up on entries while he regrouped. By 11:30 AM, it was clear Kirk needed some solid comfort food, so we headed to The Keg—despite its misleading name, it’s all about fried chicken, not alcohol. We’d driven past it before and typically we steer clear of places attached to gas stations or casinos, but Kyle and Wendy had raved about it the night before. Turns out, they were right—it was delicious. Lesson learned: don’t judge a restaurant by its neighbors.
The afternoon was all about taking it slow. Kirk continued his recovery with a nap and a movie, while Lynn worked on the blog again. Her allergies flared up, so another Benadryl coma took over for a few hours.
Dinner was another Aspaas recommendation: The Corn Dog Company (food truck), home of the famous Honeydog. They were closing at 6 PM, and we made a dash at 5:45, hoping to beat the clock—and we did. Kirk declared it the best corn dog he’s ever had, and Lynn agreed. The honey drizzle added a perfect touch. Kirk also tried the deep-fried Snickers, which even he found a bit too sweet—rare for someone with his sweet tooth. He was able to eat only half!
The evening wrapped with more TV and Benadryl-induced naps. Not much accomplished today, but the food was definitely the highlight. Not healthy, but absolutely worth it. No pics other than food pics!
Weather – High 85*, Low 65*. Wind 6-12 mph with gusts up to 20 mph. Humidity 87%.
Traffic – None.
Food – The Keg and The Corn Dog Company – both delicious.
Screen time – Happy Gilmore 2 (so-so), American Primeval
Notable – The Keg and The Corn Dog Company
July 26, 2025 (Sat.) - Family Park
Another day of not doing much, thanks to the relentless heat and humidity. The humidity especially makes it unbearable—you just want to stay inside and soak up the AC.
Much like yesterday, we spent most of the day lounging, watching TV, and Lynn tackled some blogging, chores and finally booked a hair appointment after some back and forth with a few hair stylists due to scheduling mix-ups. Poor Otis had been cooped up for too long, so we ventured out to Family Park in Sioux Falls to give him a break. It turned out to be a great spot with a large fenced dog park and a separate off-leash area near the lake.
We started in the dog park, but Otis was more interested in sniffing butts than actually playing with the other dogs. Plus, there was limited shade at all, and with the heat beating down, it wasn’t exactly enjoyable. So we opted for the lake trail, which was more scenic, and gave Otis a much better walk.
Breakfast was at Fryn’ Pan, a diner-style spot that reminded us of Denny’s. Lynn ordered the chicken fried steak, which was just okay, and Kirk had pancakes, bacon, and eggs—but declared the pancakes the worst he’s ever had (likely leftovers from the day before). But the coffee was good! This place wasn’t on the Aspaas recommendation list, and now we know why. Still, with a name like “Fryn’ Pan,” we had to give it a shot.
Later, we finally tracked down a grocery store (Hy-Vee) and restocked our supplies. After spending $325, we realized we’re not exactly budget-savvy shoppers—but at least now we have a solid excuse to eat at home more often. Groceries are no joke these days!
Not the most exciting day, but we stayed cool, Otis got some fresh air, and we learned a few lessons about pancakes and impulse grocery shopping.
Weather – High 88*, Low 68*. Winds 6-12 mph with gusts of 20 mph. Humidity 94%.
Traffic – None.
Food – Nothing to report.
Notable – Family Park.
