We planned to get up early (7am) but didn't end up waking up until 8am, just in time to be taking down our tent when the parks and rec crew arrived to collect the trash. It was awkward for them, but probably more because we weren't wearing any clothes than anything else.
The morning was rather chilly so I put on my ankle high wool socks for the first time all trip and my long sleeve jersey all day to help deal with the cold wind.
And wind there was plenty! We hit headwinds all day for the first time as previously we have had mostly cross wind. Headwind is definitely worse than hills because during our day today we could see up to 50 miles because its so flat but with the wind it seemed as though the objects you feel are so close will never be any closer. To top it off you couldn't stop pedaling ever or the wind would bring you to a dead stop. On downhills we even had to keep pedaling which was quite a weird experience.
And then I met Jeremiah. He was struggling with the wind so much that he couldn't move an inch as he was practically paralyzed in the middle of the road. I took a picture of him from within 3 inches which was a dead giveaway that he needed help and since the wind was blowing so hard he was unable to call out to his parents who were probably too busy enjoying their empty nest.
So after taking my handlebar bag cover and scooping up Jeremiah so he wouldn't bite me, I placed him on the ground near the grass off the road. He said thank you and goodbye but I could tell he was being insincere, ungrateful baby bird he was. I checked to see if he would stay put and he had, but I suspect he probably flew into the next available semi truck because while many birds are enjoying the trees across the country, Jeremiah was stuck in nothing but the tall grass of South Dakota...happy thoughts.
I must say that in spite of the wind, South Dakota is quickly growing to be perhaps my favorite state. You can see forever out here on the prairie and I've never seen a sky so massive with such incredibly beautiful clouds. The majority of the land is tall green grass but it sets in stark contrast to the vibrant yellow, pink, violet, and white flowers and dark blue lakes and flooded fields. It felt like I had been watching life on a wood paneled television all my life and then God upgraded me to an HD Vizio today.
We stopped at a gas station along the way and I took the opportunity to finish reading A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. It was an incredible book and the best $20 I've spent on this trip so far, but I guess I'll have to go back and re-read it since its my only book. That or my posts will just get longer (shout out to Dr. Michelson who encourages me to write in as many words as possible).
Anyway, then we climbed a nice large hill that opened us up to a surprise view of the swollen Missouri River. It felt as if I could throw a baseball into it (because I could, but didn't have one) but it was still 10 miles away. Now we're in the town of Chamberlain just east of the river. I'm updating from McDonald's right now since they have wifi that allowed me to call my beautiful girlfriend and write this overly wordy blog post. We'll be heading out soon to find a park to illegally camp in again tonight along the river. We called City Hall to get permission but they told us about a park that seems to not exist so we're going to pick the one we want and claim ignorance.
Thanks for reading and don't forget to check out www.urbanlighthouse.org or simply donate $1000 on the link below. You can also get short and frequent updates on my twitter page at www.twitter.com/clementefan87.
Hope you're enjoying our journey. You'll get to the coast soon enough but remember to enjoy the ride along the way.
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Matt, you are so fickle! Lol, I think every state you have passed through has been your favorite ;-) I'm so glad you are having such a great experience. Hopefully you are taking lots of pictures.
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