In Murdo at the Star Restaurant they tell you that the time zone has changed. The arrow says "You are here."

The driver gives me a wide berth by pulling half off the road.

US 83 to Pierre. It seems like all South Dakota roads look alike.

A field of sunflowers at my lunch spot on the way to Pierre.

Started from: Murdo, SD [Elev: 701m (2300 ft)]
Ended at: Pierre, SD [Elev: 506m (1660 ft)]
Distance traveled today: 88.9 km (55.2 mi)
Average speed: 23 km/h (14.3 mph)
Elapsed Time: 5.30.00 (hh.mm)
Max speed: 67.3 km/h (41.8 mph)
Staying at: Best Western King's Inn, Pierre, SD 57501 [tel. 605-224-5951 Rm. 136]

Distance traveled so far: 634.4 km (394.2 mi)

Last Modified on 8/16/98 at 15:21:38

Day's Narrative: The motel in Murdo last night had plastic covers over the mattresses. I kept waking up all night in a pool of sweat. I guess this part of South Dakota has a bed wetting problem. The plastic sheets keep the mattresses dry, but the sheets sure get wet.

I ate at the only restaurant in Murdo, The Star Restaurant, when it opened at 7 am. This is sunrise time here since we are now in the central time zone (Photo 1.)

It was 20 miles to US highway 83 and the village of Vivian, the only good way from Murdo to Pierre. On the Interstate frontage road I met this farm vehicle which took up the whole road. The driver pulled half off the road to give me plenty of room (Photo 2).

At the intersection I drank a Coke and bought a sandwich for lunch, planning to have them during the 30 mile stretch to Pierre. I learned last night that there were no stores or gas stations of any kind from Vivian to Pierre.

Connie caught up with me at 10:30 just after Vivian. I had two bananas and got back on the road.

Along the way there were several fields of sunflowers (Photo 4). There was a tailwind from the southeast so I made good time to Pierre, arriving at the motel at 12:30.

Pierre (pronounced locally "Peer"), the capital of South Dakota, is a small town with a population of 13,000. It has one shopping mall at the north end of town, and most of the stores in the downtown area close at 1 p.m. on Saturday, including the only bicycle store we found.

Tomorrow the weather forecast is for warm, clear weather and winds from the southwest, a slight tail wind. We will stay at the Super 8 Motel (tel. 605-853-2721) in the small town of Miller -- about 70 miles east of Pierre on US 14.

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© Ray & Connie Poore, 1998