Thursday, 17 July 2008

Bit of a waste

Up and out yesterday morning from Keystone (mt Rushmore) and straight onto the road. Decided to call at the drug store, Wall, this seems to be a main attraction in South Dakota and adverts for it start to appear about 100 miles before you get there. The story is that a couple bought the drug store on the main road in Wall but over the 1st 5 years only managed to break even. On the verge of selling up, the wife of the owner was watching the traffic driving past on the hot dusty road and thought "why not offer free iced water", so that is what they did.

The put signs up on the highway on the approach to the store offering free iced water, and lo and behold, people started to flood in. The business boomed and grew and now covers about 3 blocks of this small town. I must admit it is a bit kitche and touristy, but it was packed. People come from miles around by all accounts.

From Wall, I crossed the interstate and entered the Bad Lands of South Dakota. It cost $10.00 to enter the state park and although it is very beutiful and stark, once you have seen one rock formation you have seen them all. Anyway, I also wanted to visit a site marked on my map as the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre. This entailed a 150 mile ride south, but would eventually put me back onto the US20. This route took me through a small township called Scenic, where I stopped for a cool drink as the temperature was up in the 100's which I found very draining. Talking to the lady in the one shop or Trading Post, I was told that the township had a population of only 10 people, how do these towns survive? Eventually reached Wounded Knee, part of the Sioux Indian reservation (read dump!) and what was there? - nothing, not even an information board, boy, was I pissed off. To cap it all, in front of me was some very, very black angry clouds. What to do? Try to outrun the storm. Shot off at warpe factor 10 and make a run for it. Could not quite make it though, and as I hit US20 the rain started. I know lets find a motel. I stopped at the first one I came to (it was 5.30pm by now anyway) and got a room for the princely sum of $35.00. As I got into the room the rain stopped and the sun came out and the temperature rose again, bugger!

Looking at my map I see that I am only about 60 miles from where I was 2 days ago, so one good day, one bad day ant total gain 60 miles.

Anyway, up bright and early today and I am going to put some miles in to try to reach an area where I can get a phone signal so that I can at least phone home, we will see. Have now crossed the line into the central time zone, so to cap it all, I have also lost an hour as well, only 6 hours behind UK time now.

Hope to get close to Sioux City today, so must close and hit the road agin and get a few more miles covered, crossing the Sandhills of Nebraska at the moment, long straight roads that seem to flow quite nice.

1 comment:

The Evans's said...

Hi Nick
Guess what? I have just been on a virtual motorcycle ride along Needles Highway and Iron Road Highway on Youtube, why didn't I think of this before? At least I can now get an idea of what you are experiencing for real, also seen an explosion on Crazy Horse Monument. Ok so the camera work is a bit dodgy but the scenery and the loops on the road are amazing I can see why you are having such a good time!
See you soon
Jackie x