Day 16 of the Ride

After a night in "Hogan's Alley" (4 of us in the same room at Motel 6); we got underway in cool but comfortable temperatures. We can see the storm clouds way ahead of us but don't think we'll catch up to the rain storms which does not make any of us unhappy. I much prefer to chase rain than to have it chasing me.

We're having lunch in Chamberlain, SD at a McDonald's with WiFi so we can update. We expect to camp somewhere in Minnesota this evening and then make the push to Belvidere to visit with Blue's friend Kathy and her family on Tuesday and Wednesday. We're making good time and the riding is pleasurable. More tonight if we get an internet connection, which we didn't have last night.


Ralph found us a great KOA campsite and we had another night under the stars. We decided that riding into town for another "fast food" dinner wasn't appealing so we went to the "General Store" and bought some bratwurst, beans, buns and a small charcoal burner and cooked our meal at the campsite. Toss in a couple of beers and it was food fit for a king. It's amazing how hungry you get after a full day of riding a motorcycle on the open highway. You also get very thirsty and I still haven't figured out how to drink from a water bottle at 70 MPH while (whilst) riding with one hand on the handlebars. The ride across eastern South Dakota into Minnesota was interesting in its sameness. The rolling hills, stretch out as far as the eye can see and there is very little to break it up. We were north of the badlands so we didn't get a chance to experience what it is like to ride through them. Yesterday I got to see up close why the Black Hills are called the "Black Hills". The pine trees that cover them are so dark that they appear black; it's the trees and not the soil that accounts for the name.