Ridges cast into the concrete shoulder forced us to ride in the traffic lane.
Ridges cast into the concrete shoulder forced us to ride in the traffic lane.
Connie and Ray at the Minnesota state line.
Denise Kennedy at the Skyview Truck Stop.
Cyndie Smidt in Aurora, SD. Helping out with the accounting at the family business.
Last Modified on 8/21/98 at 21:27:09
Day's Narrative: We left for the Minnesota state line about 9:20 after breakfast in the motel restaurant. The wind was not too strong yet so we made good time for the first hour. A few miles out of town the smooth paved shoulder ran out and we had to ride in the roadway. The highway looked like Photo 1. At the state line we took our own picture by holding the camera at arm's length (Photo 2). On the way back we stopped at the Skyview Truck Stop and met Denise Kennedy (Photo 3). Denise begins graduate school this Fall at South Dakota State University in Brookings studying exercise physiology. This summer she working here to support her studies. The way back took us through the small town of Aurora, SD where we met Cyndie Smidt (Photo 4) who was working on the accounting at her family's convenience store business. Cyndie studied elementary education in college, but presently works in her husband's law office in Brookings and raises their two small children. We got back into Brookings at it started to sprinkle rain -- about 1:30 p.m. In the middle of the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, just before the Badlands National Park, I saw a car coming toward me with several bicycles on top. I raised my arm with a clinched fist and they blew the horn furiously as they passed. It's nice to know you're appreciated. When Connie caught up with me at Belvedere on the first day after leaving the Badlands, there had been so few cars or people for the last four hours of riding that I hugged her. Sometimes it can get really lonely on the Plains. While not really a "moment," I appreciate that we never encountered any cattle or hog feedlots in South Dakota. In fact, we never even saw any. This was a fantastic ride. We have learned a lot about South Dakota and met some really interesting people. I like the Great Plains and the people who live here, which is one of the reasons South Dakota was picked for this ride. We're sorry that it's over. Tune in again next March for the ride across the Southern United States. © Ray & Connie Poore, 1998
Memorable Moments:Return