Neil Spaid at the Blunt Cash Store.
Neil Spaid at the Blunt Cash Store.
This threatening cloud followed me most of the morning, finally catching up at Highmore.
All that's left of the motel is the sign.
Bruce (left) and Henry Stulken from Miller, SD. Photo taken at Highmore, SD.
Hand County promotes noxious weed control.
Entering Miller, SD is one of the motels from the chain of Dew Drop Inns. The other side of the sign says it has Old New Management.
This is one of those Big Monster Great Plains Tractors. Photographed in Miller, SD.
Joe Wolf, owner of Smiley's Restaurant in Miller, SD.
Last Modified on 8/17/98 at 16:34:12
Day's Narrative: The restaurant in the motel in Pierre opened at 6 am so I got on the road a half hour earlier than usual. They also had a full, sit-down, complimentary breakfast. During breakfast I heard the waitress and a customer discussing President Clinton's impending grand jury testimony tomorrow. Like most people, I suppose, they were more concerned about perjury than sex. I found out yesterday that there were only maybe three places where I could get water and food between Pierre and Miller. It turned out that there were only two. At the first place in Blunt, 20 miles out of Pierre I met Neil Spaid (Photo 1). We had a long conversation during which he told me that four years ago he happened to see two young cross country bicyclers huddling from the rain under an awning in Blunt. He invited them to his home to wait out the storm, and then invited them to spend the night. His kids took them to a party nearby that night, and kept them up until 3 am drinking beer. Nevertheless, they still got on the road the next day, but severely hungover. At Blunt I learned that perhaps Harrold, 12 miles down the road had a store open, but other than that the next store would be a Highmore, 27 miles away. So I bought a sandwich and a bag of corn chips to eat on the road and filled both water bottles. It was a good thing since both of the stores in Harrold were closed. At the second stop in Highmore I met Bruce Stulken and his son Henry at the service station (Photo 4). We had a good conversation about motorcycles and bicycles until the storm cloud which had been following me all morning finally caught up and it started to rain. About that time Connie pulled up. I always appreciate the bananas she carries. It's the only time I get to eat fruit on the road. There's one nice thing about the Great Plains, you can see the storms coming from miles away. However, it doesn't do a whole lot of good, since there's no place to hide from them on the plains. I started out in a light rain after eating a sandwich at Highmore, but it stopped a couple of miles down the road, and I was able to take off the rain jacket. The last 23 miles from Highmore to Miller were uneventful, however I did note that Hand County promotes noxious weed control and as I entered Miller (pop. 1678), about 2 p.m., there was one of the motels from that famous chain of Dew Drop Inns. Tonight we went downtown to eat at Smiley's Restaurant and discovered that they were having a free "Chicken and Corn Feed." Several men of the town meet each day to play cards, checkers and dominos in the bar. Each time a bet is won the winner has to put $0.50 in the kitty. Each year they use the money in the kitty to buy chicken and corn on the cob for a free dinner. Salads and deserts are potluck. Photo 8 is Joe Wolf. Joe and Juli Wolf own Smiley's Restaurant. Tomorrow we will go to Huron (about 50 miles) where we will layover a day and ride around the area on the tandem. Someone told me that after Miller all the small towns will have stores that are open. The land is becoming more farming, as opposed to ranching, and that supports more people, I guess. We will be staying at the Holiday Inn in Huron (tel. 605-352-6655). © Ray & Connie Poore, 1998
Return