Back On The Road Again!

Wow. Sunday, July 7th. Back on the road, again. It was a delightful week off in Rapid City. What did I do?

Guess.

I will leave that very special story for another day. 

I need time to just bask in the beauty of the week. And also to make you curious and come back to read again! I know. Naughty of me, huh? Deal with it! ;-)

On Friday, July 5th, I met Tammy at the Super 8 in Rapid City. She is a friendly, helpful lady who is usually working behind the desk getting customers registered and checked in and out. I called on Friday morning and the poor thing was by herself with the phone ringing off the hook, people trying to check out, the breakfast food yet to be delivered, and just all around busy! But, she kept a friendly attitude and we agreed I should call back later. So, I did. 

We checked into the Super 8 after 3 pm. Tammy had to come out and look at Henry David. She was so excited. It reminded me how really incredible this entire trip has been. Sometimes it is easy to just get in the groove of the cycling, looking at the work as “work”, and forgetting to look around and see the most incredible scenery and meet the most fascinating people.

Because every one of us has a story. People cycle around the country every day. But Henry David looks more like a human powered machine than a typical cycle. So, he opens doors to conversations. I am so glad HD is making this trip with me. He has made all the difference.

For those of you new to this blog, HD is my recumbent trike, short for Henry David. He is teaching me to live simply and to love the air and the earth.

Super 8‘s Tammy has a love. People. She loves her job at the motel, because she meets people all day---people with stories of their own. Yes, sometimes it is hectic, but she seems to enjoy that challenge too. It was also quite easy to see how she cares about her fellow employees. They are part of her family, it seems. She kept grabbing this worker or that one and pulling them to the window to see HD. When HD and I took off this morning, she brought out the camera and wanted a full photo session. It was hilarious and heartwarming. 

While out shooting photos with Tammy, I met a man who drives the city transit. He had all sorts of questions. When he told me that he drives the city bus, he laughed and said he used to drive the prison bus. He likes the city bus job better because now he can actually TALK to the passengers! What a hoot! And true, too!

Truth can be stranger than fiction.

So, I cycled about a mile to get to the end of Rapid City traffic and took the Interstate 90. It was rolling hills all day. Gentle at first, with a general descent, all the way to New Underwood. I pulled into that town and stopped at Steve’s, about the first place you see when driving into town from I-90. What a find! This little town of about 600, including domestic pets, is basically known for “Steve’s”. It is a cafe/restaurant, gas station, convenient store, bar, and generally fun place to see. People from 30+ miles away, from even bigger towns, come here to eat at Steve’s, especially for the ever popular Sunday buffet. The tiny bar on the property is “The Smallest Biker Bar In The World”. Henry David really wanted his photo taken under the sign, so I complied. It will give a new meaning to “Biker Bar”. 

There is an annual bike rally in Sturgis, about 40-50 miles away. The locals tell me that there are “hundreds of thousands” of bikers that come for the rally. Ergo---all these little towns cater to this annual population explosion. Many of these little cafes and bars are still surviving in these little spots because of the money pouring in during the rally. The manager at Steve’s told me that bikers line up outside to get breakfast in the cafe or beer from the tiny bar. I asked what other businesses were located in New Underwood besides the popular “Steve’s”. He said they have a few more bars. Haha! They live for the rally. 

I have seen so many groups of people on their motorcycles. All bikers are welcome to the rally, but I see mostly Harleys on the road and Harley paraphernalia for sale in all the travel centers. 

I was feeling pretty euphoric, leaving New Underwood. I mean, the road had been easy, right? Well, I had about 35 miles to go to get to Wall, SD. But hey! What happened? The wind changed direction and picked up speed and I had a diagonal headwind the rest of the way. You know it’s a headwind when you struggle to go downhill!! The plains hills continued to be gently rolling but it didn’t feel like a general descent any more! It felt like going uphill! 

So I had to check it out. Overall uphill or downhill from New Underwood? Not much difference, really. New Underwood is at 2844 ft and Wall is 2813 ft. Just a hard day. I got to camp with legs aching seriously. I was soooo glad to stop for the day. I pitched camp at Sleepy Hollow Campground in Wall and laid down for about 30 minutes. Then a shower and a walk to Wall Drug.

This business deserves its own page. But here is the basic scoop. About 45 miles from Wall, coming east from Rapid City, you start seeing the signs for Wall Drug.  They are smaller sized billboards, hearkening back to a bygone era. They are short and simple, some funny, but all encouraging you to visit the store. I must’ve passed 100 signs over the next 45 miles. Maybe more. There may have been 3-4 signs for each mile! 

This store was born in 1931 when Ted and Dorothy Hustead moved to Wall from Sioux Falls. He was a young pharmacist and he and Dorothy were looking for a small town to start their own business. The town requirements were: The town must need a pharmacist and it must have a Catholic church with mass held daily. Wall fit the bill. So, they took $3000, Ted’s inheritance from his father, and with the encouragement of the Catholic priest in Wall, they bought the local drug store that was for sale and moved in. He and Dorothy slept on the floor of the drug store, their new “home”, on blankets. There was very little business and they spent most days standing just outside their drugstore, hoping people would come in. Ted looked at the business as a service to the townsfolk, filling prescriptions and helping out medically in that capacity. He even learned some veterinary medicine so he could help out the local ranchers and farmers. But the town was pretty desolate. Harsh winters and hot, dry summers. 

But there were highways nearby, passing through the Badlands. Mount Rushmore was being carved and Dorothy hoped that they would pick up tourist traffic. But they continued  to struggle. 

Ted said he would give it 5 years and then....Dorothy said they were going to succeed so she didn’t want to think of “then”. Close to the 5 year mark, flat broke, and now with 2 small children, Ted was about to give up. 

It was summer. Hot and dry and dusty. Dorothy took a nap, then came out and said she couldn’t sleep because of the highway traffic. Ted started to apologize because of the rattling home, bordering on abject poverty, disheartened that the business had not done well. She interrupted and said, “No, honey. This is GOOD! Think---what do all these drivers need? Ice water! And we have plenty of that! So, why don’t we give out free ice water?”

So, Ted and a local teenage boy painted some Burma-style signs with a cute poem that Dorothy concocted, inviting travelers to Wall Drug for free ice water. They posted them along the highway and, by the time the two got back to the store, the drivers were lining up for ice water. Dorothy was busy chipping ice and pouring water. Soon, a business man, with his free ice water in hand, ordered some hand dipped ice cream.

The rest is history. The business boomed and eventually passed down through the family. It is still in business and is now a huge tourist attraction, taking up an entire block and selling everything you can image in a travel type center: Jewelry, clothing, hats, figurines, postcards, stationary, all the typical drug store items, a soda fountain, and restaurant. In the “Wall Drug Backyard” is a mini-water park for the kids, an animated T-rex, a giant jackalope, photo ops with old time statues, and just fun stuff for travelers with kids. 

In fact, I was in one of the many little stores within Wall Drug, and I happened to notice a young family---mom, dad, and 2 kids. The little boy kept saying, “Look at this! Look at that!” Mom was getting irritated because, apparently, she could not get her son to stop gawking and pointing and touching and she was very hungry! “Let’s GO! We haven’t even eaten yet!” But the little guy was nonplussed and continued with the exclamations and pointing. 

Ahhh! Families!  Don’t you love ‘em?  Those little kids can try your patience. But wouldn’t it be wonderful to be that excited about the things you see? Like a child? To look at a set of cute mannequins and be that entranced? To see cowboy hats and moccasins and think that you are in heaven? To be willing to give up dinner just to wander through a store? To think that sitting down with a piece of homemade pie in an old cafe is just about the best thing ever? 

Well, I DO still understand that last one!! LOL!  

Oh yeah. Wall Drug still gives out free ice water. And coffee is 5 cents a cup. Honor system. And guess what? It is pretty damn good coffee!

I think that breakfast tomorrow should be a repeat of what I had in North Bend at Twede’s Twin Peaks Cafe: “A slice of cherry pie and a damn fine cup of coffee...” 

That is now one of my favorite Peter Jackson lines (Twin Peaks series, for you film lovers).

And of course, what Jackson wisely used from Tolkien from The Lord of The Rings. One of the best quotes ever! Aragorn here: 

“Sons of Gondor! Of Rohan! My brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me! A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of Men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand! Men of the West!”

Come on, I know you cried when you read the book or saw the trilogy on film! I’m choking up even now!!

(For the purists, in the theatrical movie, Aragorn states “But today is not this day”--artistic license, I guess. I understand the DVD goes back to the original quote. Thanks Wiki!) 

But, while on the Tolkien quotes, what about this one? Samwise the Brave (Samwise is my favorite, of course!): 

“Frodo: I can't do this, Sam.

Sam: I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?

Sam: That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for.”

Now, THAT’S a lesson to live for. 

And of course, for anyone who loves someone else: We often cannot carry their burdens, though we may want to. We want to save our children, our friends, our partners, from some sad thing. From disappointments. From despair. We feel helpless. Samwise said it well when his best friend was unable to continue, but could not give away his burden:

“I can’t carry it for you. But I can carry you.”

OMG!! Don’t you just weep for this? So true, so true. 

OK, anyway, looks like my phone, my camera, and my MacBook Air are all charged. And the day’s writing is complete. I’ve been here in the laundry room, hooked up to the electricity and the ‘net. Now, I should head for the tent, as it is 10:35 pm. I think HD and I have a cycling date tomorrow. 

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Monday, July 8th. It rained heavily early in the morning so I laid in the tent till about 7 a.m., waiting for some of the water on the tent to dry. After packing up HD, I headed for Wall Drug to try out their cherry pie. I had NO idea it would be that huge. I had 4 cups of their 5 cent coffee (small cups---a girl’s gotta get up her strength here!). The pie was heavenly. But heavy. So I walked outside to see that it had rained again.  I walked up and down the old tyme wet street and then took off on the interstate. Within a few miles, construction necessitated siphoning the traffic to one lane---shared with oncoming traffic going the other way. There was no shoulder to speak of, other than raggedy gravel and asphalt and pylons. So, it was extremely rough riding for the next 10-12 miles. It was slow going and very difficult. It was a hard way to start the day’s ride. By the time the construction zone ended and we were directed back onto the separated interstate and an almost decent shoulder, I was pretty worn. But, more than 50 miles to go. 

One of those days...

It was a very rural day. That was the 2nd challenge. But, oh, the scenery. The interstate went through the northernmost edge of The Badlands and then through the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. I saw a lot of grass and even a patch high enough with a few trees to provide a girl some privacy. I found a reason to hide there a minute!

I saw photos of The Badlands and they are astounding. The photos reminded me of the posters and pictures I’ve seen of the area around Moab, Utah. Imagine layered rock colored in reds, oranges, yellows, and tans. This is a similar look in The Badlands of South Dakota. The rock erodes at one inch per year, so the land continues to change shape. Near the northeastern end of The Badlands, I could see some of the formations from the interstate. This is definitely a place to go again. 

Then HD and I passed through the grasslands. They were beautiful rolling hills and grasses to waist level. A few hundred years ago, the grasses were over your head! You could easily hide in those grasses. Imagine the wildlife! 

I met a lady who did the primitive camping in the Grasslands one night on a church field trip. She awakened in the morning to see 4 buffalo roaming in the nearby field. Priceless.

An interesting note on wildlife. I have seen plenty of birds, deer, prairie dogs and rabbits. Alive. In the fields and right alongside the road. I have also seen plenty of roadkill, identifying the fauna of the area. In South Dakota: snakes and turtles. Hundreds of turtles. Breaks my heart to see all those dead, cracked-shell turtles who had moved way too slow to make it across the road. I kept expecting to see a live turtle I could save by either taking it across the road or walking it back into the fields. But, so far, no opportunity for heroic measures. I’m reminded of the story of the starfish.

A little boy and his father were walking along the seashore, where they saw thousands of starfish on the sand. The father reached down and threw one back into the sea. The little boy asked his dad why he was bothering to save one starfish when there were thousands left on the sand to die? “What does it matter if you save one starfish, Dad?”

Dad answers, “Well, it mattered to THAT one!”

I have to remind myself of that story when I feel puny and like my life really didn’t, or doesn’t, make a difference. But maybe it did to some one. So, maybe I would only add 8 hours to a turtle’s life by removing it from the shoulder of the road, because it’s likely it would just head back for the road.

Eight hours of life is still life, though, isn’t it? And maybe he would get distracted by a tender morsel of food, or a little she-turtle sashaying in the other direction. 

One could hope, anyway. 

OK, back to story. You really do need to help me keep my train of thought.  

And that’s how it goes through the day. Thoughts meandering all over the place. Every once in a while, a coherent one occurs and I think I should write it down. But I don’t, and my memory isn’t so sharp, so I forget a lot of really cool imaginings!

The Belvidere East KOA Kampground is actually about 7 miles east of Belvidere. You turn off the Interstate on hwy 63 north and travel about 1/2 mile, no more. On the right (east side), you pass “1880 Town”, which is heavily advertised on billboards. After spending a quiet evening at the KOA--they even served dinner there(!)--I went to 1880 Town while heading back to the interstate.

What a cool tourist attraction. Many movies have been filmed in the Dakotas, especially if they have anything to do with the Sioux Indians. Dance With Wolves was filmed in this area. So, 1880 Town was built to replicate an old 1800’s western town. There is an admission to actually browse the town, but the gent at the desk showed me a map. It is really cool. There is basically the equivalent of a city block of old buildings and businesses. The buildings are all original in the “town” and were moved there from multiple places in the state. Props from the movies are housed here and you can even rent some of the old costumes. Kevin Costner’s outfits, including those sewn by the Sioux crafstwomen, are on display. I would like to go back some day and take several hours to go through the town and really experience it.

But, I didn’t have the time today, so I went to the little gas station at the front of the property to buy some water. There I met Marlin and Linda, coworkers.

Marlin is “semi-retired”. He said he tried retirement for a total of about 2 weeks and decided it was not for him! He rides a motorcycle and one year came to South Dakota for the Sturgis rally. He didn’t want to leave. So, he works at the store during the season (mid April to mid September), and then he goes home to Georgia (was it Georgia, Marlin??). He said he never wants to retire, but he doesn’t want his wife to hear him say it. I wonder if it’s ok if I write it???

What does he love? “Everything” he answered. I totally got that. And I am in 100% agreement. Marlin was friendly and enthusiastic and curious and I imagine he meets a lot of people at that little store.

Linda was a younger woman who was raised in this area. She left and now has a family, but when her parents started ailing, she and hubby and her 13 year old son moved back to the area, moving onto the ranch/farm property. They decided to go “whole hog” on the farming thing and now, after 2 years, they have cows, pigs, chickens, dogs, and cats. She enjoys her lifestyle because she also works the warm season and then she is home with her family when the winter hits. She home schools her son so she doesn’t have to go outside if she doesn’t want to. I asked her about the animals, I mean, they need to be fed no matter how bad the weather. She smiled and said that her husband feeds the critters when it’s too cold. 

Good set up, I would think!

What does Linda love? “My kids!” she answers, without hesitation.

So, on July 9th, I left the Belvidere East KOA and headed across the plains. The weather was actually perfect. Warm, sunny, no significant wind in my face. Yet, somehow, it still took all darn day, about 9 1/2 hrs, to go about 66 miles. Of course, there were little towns about every 20 miles, so I did take some nice breaks. I arrived late, but not so tired, at the Kennebec KOA about 7:30 pm. Of course, I went through a time change, so my body said it was 6:30. So I didn’t go to sleep for several hours. 

_________________________

Today it is Wednesday, July 10th. I decided on a short day because, #1) I needed it, and #2) I wanted to camp next to the great Missouri River.

Before heading out, I chatted with Teri, the new owner of the Kennebec KOA. She and her husband were living in Denver and were interested in a “semi-retirement”. So, they purchased the KOA and this is their second season. During the winter, they go to warmer country and visit family. The KOA was in poor shape, she said, so they put a lot of work into it at first to get it up and running well. She loves people and so this job is providing plenty of opportunity to meet new folks every day. She loves to hear their stories. 

It was a quick 3 1/2 hr ride to Chamberlain. I stopped for a bit in Oacoma, on the west side of the river, to get my first coffee of the day and to buy some grapes. Then, HD and I crossed the river to Chamberlain and I had a 2nd coffee---this time it was iced coffee from MacDonalds. I meandered through the quaint downtown street and pitched camp at The American Creek Campground, right on the river. As I write this, I see the lovely sunset across the water. Heaven.

Here at the campground, right after my tent went upright, I met my neighbor, Bill. What an interesting man. He is retired but admits to spending his life traveling. He has spent 3 months on the Missouri river on a canoe!! He says it is quite challenging because this river can get some helacious waves. Four foot waves are not uncommon, as he says the wind can whip them up in no time flat. He said he has seen 16 ft waves by the reservoirs. 

The Missouri river is the longest river in the US and the 4th longest river in the world. Bill is a wealth of information. He shared some of his traveling stories and it was incredible. Most of his life, his travels have been via cycling. He even led cycling tours with the Adventure Cycling Association. He has been all over the world and he really loves to observe all cultures. He says he appreciates them all. He lives very simply and he writes extensively. He has corporate sponsors to help with equipment and I think that some of his stories are sold to magazines, etc. He agrees that people are kind, by and large. 

Bill is an outgoing, friendly guy and told of how people have helped him willingly along his travels. 

He said that one day on the river, the wind whipped up and it was so dangerous, he needed to find a spot to camp and call it a day. The weather forecast predicted thunderstorms and heavier winds for the next 2 days. But, he was in an area surrounded by bluffs, with no place to “park”. He saw a pump area and veered to find a place there. Usually, there are flat places near the pump stations, but not this time. He drug his canoe up on steep rocks and could get no further due to the “riprap”. This is a technique to reduce erosion at the riverside---large rocks are placed side to side along the bank. He couldn’t get his boat or gear over the large rocks so decided to go look for help. After hiking up a steep bank and wandering through tall grass, with his eyes opened for the rattlesnakes, he spotted a lone, white house. He had to wait until someone came home, then went to the door and knocked. A young woman answered and was shocked to see this scruffy traveler on her doorstep, with no vehicle in sight. He explained his situation and she called her ex-father-in-law, who ran the pump station. He came to the house, with another man, in a 4 wheel drive pick up. They drove to the pump station, crawled down the rocks, and then bodily carried his canoe and then all his gear up the hill. They took him downriver to a good flat area to camp. Bill was quite touched by their gift of labour. 

I asked him how he gets over the dams and reservoirs. He pointed to a little wheeled cart under his canoe and answered, “I portage it”. So, when he gets to a dam or reservoir, he pulls his canoe ashore, then loads it onto the cart. Then he has to pull or push that baby over hills, rocks, etc. He has to be very patient and get rid of any concept of time. He generally has to walk up a hill, look over the area, figure out the best way to get his boat over the obstacles, and then do it. Sometimes, he cannot portage the canoe and has to unload it, carry everything piece by piece, and then carry his canoe on his back. It’s fiberglass and weighs about 35 lbs. It looked like it would weigh much more than that. Wow! Modern lightweight materials.

Steve is a cyclist that camped on the other side of my spot. Bill, Steve, and I talked about the travels on our various modes of transportation. We also talked about dogs and how to discourage them from chasing you or biting. A loud, sharp word usually stops the chase. A squirt bottle works too, said Steve. We talked about walking with an air of confidence. Then Bill told this story:

One time he had to pitch camp on a piece of private land. Early the following morning, a man in a pickup actually drove up onto the front of his tent. Luckily, Bill’s tent has a front and back door flap. So, he scooted out the back door and stood up while the driver yelled out, “What the hell do you think you are doing here?”.

Well, Bill had to do some quick thinking. First, he ascertained the man was drunk. Bill said this immediately gave himself the upper hand because, being sober himself, he was in full control of his faculties.

So, he said in a friendly voice, “Hello!” He briefly explained who he was and why he was camped there and then jokingly said, “So where did you get your driver’s license???!!”

The man started laughing and that broke the tension and they shared a nice conversation. The man even offered him a “drink”; Bill said he would love to, but he needed to be alert to paddle down the river. 

This afternoon, Bill and I walked about 1/2 mile to the Lakota Sioux Museum, which is on the grounds of St. Joseph’s Indian School. We talked extensively to the man at the desk, who was one of the teachers during the school year. Thus, we received a good history of St. Josephs. Then, we went into the museum. This was an excellent museum built in a circle, like a “sacred circle”. The displays depicted the Sioux culture and I found it so fascinating. It also went through the history of the last few hundred years, which always makes me sad and angry at our duplicity and all the broken treaties and land and resource theft. Even as recent as the 1950’s, we continued to do some horrendous things. Every time we have found a useful resource on Sioux land, we move them somewhere else. 

I really enjoyed reading about child rearing in the old Lakota way.  I found it so beautiful how they raised their children. Children were deeply prized in the tribal culture. There was no capital punishment---no spanking, whipping, hitting, or even yelling. That is not the Lakota way. The children learned to model behaviour by example and received copious praise when they did something that was correct. If a child was “naughty”, the parent or grandparent would gently say, “That is not our way”.  Enough said. Can you imagine? There was no domestic violence. 

This makes me weep for what we have forgotten. 

Well, it is getting dark and I am running out of writing light as well as battery. The prediction is that there will be heavy winds for the next two days, south east winds. Which means: In my face. So, I will plan on two shorter mileage days and make it to Mitchell by Friday. If the prediction is wrong or I can manage it, then I will make it to Mitchell by tomorrow night, late. I will stay a day there to do laundry and pay some bills. 

You know, the FUN stuff of life!

Good night!