Want to to begin by telling you what I've learned:

1 - If you choose the eastbound interstate instead of the desired westbound, you'll travel for quite a few miles until an exit appears

2 - ROAD NOT MAINTAINED BY STATE - means gravel road (the reason for the above interstate lesson)

3 - Patience is really good at U-turns.

4 - Although the sign at the Badlands says people have been coming there for 12,000 years, the man next to me corrected that information for his three children. Adam was born 3,000 years ago.

Traveled from MN to my first stop in SD, Aberdeen. Flat and beige except for small juts of pointed or loaf-shaped masses randomly scattered about. I'll let our geologist explain this puzzle. Then suddenly, fields and fields of sunflowers appeared. Flowers make you smile. It was amazing to see the variety of landscapes in the state - from stark to pine-infused hills



Went to the museum and picked up some interesting information about the town. The idea for the Yellowstone Highway which stretched from the east coast to Pugent Sound, originated there. Also, the USO fed thousands of WWII soldiers pheasant sandwiches as well as home-made pies. Speaking of pheasants, had to stop for a couple crossing the road - turkeys sashay; pheasants skitter



Began my Lewis & Clark trip down the Missouri River and had breakfast at Mobridge with Rosie. Her daughter lost her job so Rosie put her through nursing school. She's now working in a clinic on the reservation and Rosie left Cincinnati to join her a few months ago.

Stopped at on overlook to see the Sitting Bull and Sacajawea memorials. She was a captured Shoshone who was sold to a French trapper (who married her). L & C wanted to hire her husband as a guide but he refused to go without her. Turns out she was the more valuable guide, plus she had a baby (John Baptiste) on the way. Talk about working mothers! Now that I've seen the distance and the terrain these people traveled, I wonder how I would have fared. No instant oatmeal packets or tiny cans of V-8 juice. Am betting I'd have been tossed in a ravine

Next stop was Pierre (pronounced peer). It won the state capitol contest and the building (which also houses the state supreme court) was wide open for exploring. An interesting note was a sign in front of the governor's office on the first floor - Come on in. The grounds were lovely with lots of gardens and sculptures. Visited the Oahe Dam which was dedicated 50 years ago by JFK to tame the Missouri. Didn't work so well last year. Went to a presentation at the Moose Lodge about its construction and met some of the original workers, then stayed to hear a local country western band. The celebration was the following day and George McGovern was supposed to attend but had come down with a cold. Had the pleasure of being his escort at a 10th Dems fundraiser - a wise and kind gentleman.



While following the back roads to Kadoka, I heard what I thought was music coming from a small town called White River. Thought it might be a high school band practicing so decided to take a look. Turned out to be a rodeo and I plopped down beside a woman with a score card in her hand. Figured I'd watch for a while but ended up spending the entire afternoon with Donna while she explained rodeo to me. Her favorite was the barrel racing, which she competed in as a young woman. Turns out she was the former secretary for the rodeo sponsor (the Rotary). Which explains why this elderly man told her to tell the gd committee they spent too much gd money on the sound system and get the gd thing fixed by tomorrow. She smiled and told me he was the former president.

Spent the following day driving through the Badlands. It was like driving through a city of sand castles - palaces and ancient temples with columns, fretwork and deeply carved ravines. Decided to see it from both perspectives so when I reached the end, I turned around and drove back thru it



This is beginning to look like a novel, so will cover Rapid City plus, later