South Dakota

I continued across South Dakota on highway 14 (this is one of the Sturgis approach routes and also recommended by a South Dakota friend). After a rainy day, riding in 70 degrees and sunshine was welcome. Temperatures got much hotter by the end of the day (low 90’s).

Ispent a good amount of time in Pierre. SD.

I had a enjoyable chat with a man whose father had helped build the Alaska Highway. He told me how the teams relied on on the natives giving them directions on where to build the road.

He has had a tough life at times relying on poaching and fishing.  He now takes care of his two grandkids as his daughter “went bad”. He told the grandkids that the logs floating dow6 the river were alligators to keep them away from the water when they were young.

I ended the day in Wall, SD. Watching the weather in the Canadian Rockies, I’m taking an extra day to explore the Badlands and Sturgis area. the prairie landscape, even though there were some crosswinds to contend with. Drove by the Laura Ingels Wilder homestead (Good Night Jon Boy), an interesting near ghost town at Cottonwood (population 9), and some wagonwheel tracks on the Deadwood trail.