I registered and started training. However, in the weeks to follow, I learned that both of my friends had to withdraw due to some health issues. What was to be an extended weekend with friends just got turned upside down. I still wanted to do the race, so I talked to my wife Cheri, and we decided to bring the kids and make it a family vacation to remember.

The original plan included a pull-behind pop-up camper, but once we learned about the ProCamp by Van Horn we thought we could be more spontaneous. We never travelled like this before, but as soon as we picked up the ProCamp, we drove straight across 94 to Medora, ND, and arrived at 2:00am. The van allowed us to pull into a site, take a shower and go to sleep. In the morning, we just unplugged the shore power and left without even waking the kids.

Waking up in the middle of the Badlands is a sight to be seen. We travelled through the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, saw some prairie dogs, bison and wild horses; then went to packet pickup for Maah Daah Hey. The next day was race day. We arrived at 5:30am for a 6:00am start, but muddy conditions from rain the night before caused a one-hour delay. I gave the race my best effort, and my wife and kids were very supportive – cheering for me at each road crossing. But at mile 27, the heat got to me and I pulled the plug. Defeated but not discouraged, I looked forward to more time with the family and the ProCamp.

We headed to Billings, Montana through Theodore Roosevelt Park – Painted Canyon and then North Unit. We arrived at the “Worlds First KOA” in Billings; the nicest campground I’ve ever experienced. With the ProCamp, there is very little setup and takedown, and all of our things are with us at all times.
After some morning mini golf at the campground and a much needed stop at Cracker Barrel, we headed to the gravesite of Luther Sage “Yellowstone” Kelly. On our way, we realized we were in line with the runway of Billings Logan International Airport, so we parked the van and layed on the roof, watching the planes fly overhead.

The next day we went to Yellowstone National Park through the West entrance, stuck our feet in Yellowstone Lake, toured the geysers in Grant Village and watched Old Faithful. The wildlife was amazing! Elk, bison, pronghorn and a huge Grizzly bear! We travelled along Highway 14, through Bighorn National Forest and headed to Mount Rushmore. The Sturgis motorcycle rally was going on, so there were bikers everywhere as we drove. We arrived at the Mount Rushmore KOA Resort at Palmer Gulch Resort and enjoyed a nice swim.

Morning came and we started home through Badlands National Park. The ProCamp allowed us to quickly and comfortably sleep/wake up and get going in the morning. It offered plenty of room for the kids to move around in the back, which helped keep the peace. The counter and cabinet storage was great. It allowed us to keep items handy so we didn’t feel like we were living out of our bags.