Traveling at Mach 0.012

Friday June 6

Start: Sioux City, NE
Destination: Yankton, SD
Day total miles: 82
Journey total miles: 1768

Towns passed through:
Jefferson, SD
Elk Point, SD
Vermillion, SD (home of University of SD)
Gayville, SD
Yankton, SD

Sleeping at Lewis and Clark Recreational Area

Rest days seem to bring about changes. Joe has decided to venture out on his own to set a different pace and course. We wished each other safe travels this morning over breakfast.

My day on the road became a day of solitude and venturing out with a new set of directions (now using Adventure Cycling maps for the Lewis and Clark Trail). Quickly covering three states in less than 15 miles, i rode out of Nebraska, into Iowa and then, with no fanfare, across the Big Sioux River into South Dakota. The map said SD, so it must have been true.

County Road 7 entering into South Dakota

Stopped at a Casey’s General Store (as best I can tell, the 7-11 of the Upper Midwest) for a rest and then ventured on to Vermillion. College town and great coffee shop — Brule. Awesome latte my first in over 1000 miles and a strawberry muffin. I walked in to order and immediately a waitress points at me and tells me her name is on my chest. It took me a second to realize that I was wearing a new jersey from Albrecht’s Bike Shop in Sioux City. One of my jerseys fell victim to a laundry mishap that pulled the zip part off of the zipper. I don’t have those 6 pack abs yet, even though i am doing Russian twists in the saddle to improve my core, so i really need the zipper to zip up the front of the jersey. Ok, now you have an image in your mind that made you shudder. Back to the story… so after a second, i realized she meant the name of the bike store and commented that I was sporting this new jersey from the bike store down the road. Sat outside and took in small town SD.

Back in the saddle and heading to Yankton. Some twists and turns lots of flat land and no wind to speak of. What a great riding day. We seem to be hitting the weather part well; rains and threatening weather at night, dry and mostly sunny during the day.

I may think of more later, but will leave you with the following:

This looks ominous.

and