Warming up

Another startlingly lovely day, with clear blue skies and the promise of some heat.  I didn't hurry to get out, but was on my way by 7:30am.  I was thinking about my intention of "meandering through America".  You may meander through rural Britain, maybe even New England or rural Kentucky.  You sure as hell don't meander through South Dakota, or some of the other western states.  There's a reason that the speed limits out here are so high - 80mph on Interstates in South Dakota.  Even two lane roads are often 70.  Meandering would mean you take forever to get anywhere.  Still I am happy to have brought the Bonneville.  It may not be as fast as the Explorer, but it's fast enough.  It will cruise all day between 60 and 80.  So can I, so it suits me fine.  When I did some advanced rider training a couple of years ago the instructor was impressed that I'd taken the Bonneville as far as Scotland.  I wonder what he'd make of this trip.

This is one of the huge devices they use to water the fields.  It's self-propelled by the water I think.

I really don't know what this was.  An abandoned town I guess.  The name of the road was Bombing Range Road, so who knows.

Yest another lonely gas station.  Nothing for miles apart from the owner's house.

First sight of the Badlands.  It feels like "Welcome to the moon."

Reassuring.

I only took the loop road, so wasn't down in among the gullies and canyons.  Like all the National Parks you could spend days here as there are plenty of hiking trails.

Some bison just outside the park.  No detail at all.  The next picture shows what you can do when you have a decent camera with you, as I had in 2009.

Out of the park and onto the flat, flat, long, long South Dakota roads.  Although they can be quite tedious, they have a grandeur all their own.  This must be the "endless highway" that Woody Guthrie sings about.  There's a great Harry Chapin song - Mail Order Annie - which tells the story of a North Dakota farmer sending for a catalogue bride and her arriving to meet for the first time.  He captures the atmosphere of the place well.  Find it on Spotify.

At least the two lane back roads are not as tedious as the interstate.  The roads still follow the contours and undulations of the countryside, so that gives them interest.  They are also not slow.  70mph speed limit and no one else around makes for speedy travel.

I guess even small communities have pride.  In case you can't read it says Cottonwood pop. 9

Stopped in Pierre, state capital.  I though it had been warming up.  When I arrived it was 98 ℉.  I'd also lost an hour as I'm going back across the time zones.  Again the zone runs through the edge of the state, so South Dakota sits in two time zones.

By the time I had showered, had coffee and cooled down, the temperature had risen to 101℉, but it is low humidity, so I ventured a little walk.  Pierre too seems to like statues, this time of state governors.  This is all there seemed to be of a downtown.

And this is the mighty Missouri River.

Tomorrow I'm continuing north.  Come too if you like.