You know what’s great about spending time in an RV at a popular lake in eastern South Dakota?

Everything…when you’re with family.😉

We took off from the Black Hills headed East on I-90, but decided to make a stop right across from the turn off to the Badlands. When we camped there in 2020, we wanted to visit the Minuteman Missile National Historic site, but it was closed due to the pandemic.

If you ever have a chance to stop here, do…and be sure to watch the video. The two nuclear annihilation “close calls” brought me to tears.

Then, after a long drive through truly beautiful green rolling hills and farmland, we made it to Lake Poinsett for the Salonen Brothers Reunion.

Tom, Paul, Don, Bob, and David Salonen have a long association with this lake. When the boys were young, their parents owned a cabin on the north shore. The older brothers had a small boat with an outboard motor and the freedom to fish and ski every summer. It must have been a little slice of heaven.

For a number of years, eldest brother, Tom, owned a charming older cabin on the south shore, where their late father, Milton, was his neighbor. Although both of those properties have changed hands, Tom and wife Lynn retained a large lot where they could park their lovely “home on wheels” every summer. This year, they added two more hook-ups for guests…such as us, and brother #3, Don.

Brother Bob and wife Connie drove up from Brookings, and David, the baby of the family, flew in from California for six days of togetherness. Tom’s eldest daughter, Jamie, also joined us when she could.

In typical late-spring-in-South-Dakota fashion, the weather kept us guessing: cold and windy one day, absolutely gorgeous the next, followed by overcast and muggy (which allowed the boys a chance to fish). These unpredictable and rapidly changing conditions also produced a stunning sunset one evening and then capped things off with four inches of rain and a near-miss tornado on the night we left. (Glad to dodge that!)

Here are a few pics: my favorite sunset, all five brothers, and a group shot including three sisters-in-law and one niece.

A whole lot of food, beer, and belly laughs ensued—especially on the afternoon when David opened his suitcase and produced five sets of Joe Dirt hats/mullets/mustaches and monkey business t-shirts.

What a moment! Everyone complained of their sides aching from all the laughter.

For me, the experience reminded me how close the edge between laughter and tears—knowing we would never be able to replicate this moment. But, we certainly can laugh at ourselves and cherish the memory.

And, as Paul and I hit the road for home (it’s 2,000 miles when you make a wrong turn at the Sierras), David managed to catch a big Northern Pike.

The lake is a wonderful place to get in touch with the past and make new memories to hold close when you need them. It was hard to say good-bye, but we know we’ll be back.

Summer Reading at the Lake…and beyond

Believe it or not, I was able to squeeze in some time for writing and reading (see list below).

Deb

June 27 – The way back. You’re probably asking yourself: Will this RV trip ever end? The answer is: “Yes, I promise.” And then it’s back to writing, promo, and summer fun.