Today was billed as a nice 400 mile day. But let me tell you, after two 600 mile days, there is no easy day. Well, not for me and Rhonda anyway. I was sore when we left. I got worse after only 50 miles. And I only got better at dinner tonight. In between was some achy, breaky butt. I guess it was just cumulative but it just never got any better today. Enough complaining. Because even though it was a little painful it was a beautiful day of riding!
This was the first day the raingear stayed in the bag the entire day. So that was a positive. No rain is a good thing. However, rain still played a major role in the day. As we headed out of Kansas City there was a flashing DOT sign beside the road warning that I-29 North was closed at mile 110 due to flooding. So we stopped and found a backroad that would take us around the flooding. This was a great “problem” to have. Rhonda and I were getting bored riding the interstates. It is good to make time, but you don’t really see the country like we want to. So we headed up 59 though Missouri and Iowa for the biggest part of the day. It was amazing countryside. Filled with corn. And once you past that there was another field of corn. Followed by... corn. But it was hilly, rocky at time, and we even managed to find a curve or two to go around! It was really beautiful.
The highlight was a crop duster somewhere in either Missouri or Iowa. Honestly it is strange to be on a trip and not really know what state you are in. At times, I had to think just to remember. Anyway, the crop duster... We were headed down a (straight) road between some (corn) fields and ahead we saw an airplane that looked like it was trying to crash. But as we got closer, we could see it was a crop duster. It ended up dusting a field just off to our left and went right in front of the three bikes. You could see the pilot as he pulled up right at the road! It was really a neat thing to see while riding a motorcycle through the heartland.
We stopped and ate at a little mom and pops restaurant somewhere in Missouri or Iowa (see above). It was pretty good but I felt a little out of place among the church crowd. We were looking a little rough by the time we got to where ever it was we were. But after a few more miles of corn as far as you could see on both sides of the road, we made it back to the interstate for the final leg into Sioux Falls.
As we passed through Sioux City (not Falls) it was obvious why the interstate was closed. It was our first look at the Missouri River (in Iowa) and it was out of it’s banks over roads, ballfields and even some structures. There were sandbags everywhere and even some heavy equipment and a temporary levee that was protecting a large subdivision. Sioux City proper looked like it had been spared this time, but I am pretty sure it wasn’t the first or last flood Sioux City will have to deal with.
I completely missed the “Welcome to South Dakota” sign. Don’t know how. We drove 1500 miles to get to that state and then missed the fact we made it in. But we did. And we rolled up some pretty boring countryside to Sioux Falls. the only highlight was the first “Speed Limit - 75” sign I have ever seen. But I understand why. Driving 60 though that countryside would drive a person crazy. It was flat and flatter. But maybe it was because it was stuck at the end of the day. Who knows?
So here we sit. Tired. Too tired to go with the rest of the crew to see the actual Sioux Falls. But we made it to an awesome Italian restaurant where we had some of the best Italian food I have had since I left Sweden. It was 77 and we sat outside wishing we had a long sleeve shirt. We chased a great meal with an espresso and a latte and headed back to the room. Another awesome day filled with sites I will most likely never see again. Another day where Rhonda said “Isn’t it amazing that you live in a country your whole life and have no idea what the majority of it even looks like?”
I want to give a special “shout out” to my wife today. She was doing a lot better than me and kept me encouraged. I was really hurting today, but just talking to her and riding through all the sites with her made it worth it. If there was ever any doubt we were made for each other, that is gone after the last three days.
Tomorrow, we will make our way (slowly) to Spearfish, our destination. We hope to make a few stops at the Corn Palace and at the Black Hills Harley Davidson before fighting traffic through Sturgis. It should be a exciting day! never have a I left on a trip and after 4 days finally made it to where I was going!
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