Tour de Char

Awhile back Andy & I decided to plan a trip for the original 3 members of our family - the 2 of us and Charlie. We were going to go visit all of our favorite places in Vermillion and Yankton. We knew it would be one of the last trips Charlie would take with us and we wanted to see him enjoy his favorite places one last time. 

Unfortunately, our timing did not work out the way we had planned. 

However, we still wanted to take the trip with Charlie - just in a different way. 

This time, we would say goodbye to Charlie, spread his ashes, and reminisce about all the fun times we had with him at our favorite places in South Dakota.

We started in Vermillion at our favorite Friday night gravel road.  It is just out of town with very few houses around, but plenty of pheasants to flush. 

We loved to grab a quick dinner, usually from Taco Johns or Dairy Queen and head to the gravel road. 

Charlie would run like he had never run before. Ducking in and out of the ditches, flushing pheasants, chasing rabbits, and of course barking at the cattle.
He loved this road in the summer, fall, winter, and spring. 

Our next stop was Spirit Mound which is north of Vermillion.

When Charlie and Andy went to Spirit Mound, they would stay off the trail. 

  They liked to walk through the tall grass and look for pheasants. 

Charlie and I would stay on the trail - hiking to the very top, enjoying the view, and then running back down the hill together.
At the top of Spirit Mound sits a bench.  Charlie and I used to rest at the bench after our climb.
Andy etched Char's name into that same bench.

This is a quiet place with a small stream running through the land where Sunny is resting as well. 

Our final stop in Vermillion was our favorite dock at Clay County Park.

This is where we took Charlie so he would get used to the water. 

This is also where we played fetch, rehabilitated his leg after his first surgery, and where we lost him over and over again to those pesky deer in the woods.

We spent so many Sunday afternoons and evenings right at this spot.  

Charlie loved to play fetch here and cool off from the summer heat.  

Andy & I laughed thinking of all the times we sat at the tree line just waiting for Charlie to come back to us after one of his adventures in the trees.

After Vermillion, we drove to Yankton. 

In the summer, we used to drive to Yankton to enjoy the beach and river during the week when it wasn't filled with campers and swimmers. 

 Charlie loved to swim in the river, play fetch, and explore the trails. 

After moving to Sioux City, we made a quick trip to Yankton last summer. 

Charlie remembered the beach immediately and spent all day swimming and laying in the sand.  

 Charlie's final stop was home...exactly where he loved to be the most.  

Charlie will continue to watch over us, guard the house, and keep an eye on Gus.

 Although this trip was different than what we had planned, it was such a great way to officially say good-bye to Charlie.
We loved thinking back and laughing about all the adventures we had with our dog.
  Without him, I don't think we would have discovered our favorite South Dakota places.