Day 1: a familiar route

Oh man, what a first day. I’ve probably headed west through mn and sd 5+ times, but it’s still a great feeling each new time. Got up at 5:15 in order to catch the future gusties at the running camp for their morning run at 7:30. Made it just in time and we each went with a different pace group for a half hour run or so. St. Peter has changed so much the last 9 Years, more growth than I thought on the fringe of town. It was great seeing Brenden and dale, even if for a little while. Definitely got the rosy eyed memory of missing the college life.

Swung by river rock for a latte and a scone on our way out of town. This is Kate’s favorite coffee shop, thus making her happy as a clam. Throw on a bonus that she got to hear the famous “Minnesota Avenue, walk 5 dogs across” from the automated cross walk and her day was made.

Made some ground south on 60, which is 4 lanes more or less the whole way. I don’t travel this part of the state often, so it’s always interesting to see the lay of the land. Pit-stopped at blue mound state park for lunch. This is still one of the coolest for me even though we did little more than eat lunch and check out the view. Lots of good prairie birds present though: field sparrows, kingbirds and dickcissels; in fact 28 species day 1 if you’re keeping score. Not bad at 70 miles and hour and a short lunch stop.

There’s a lot of markers of “heading west”: like eating our lunch under a giant cottonwood, or seeing a prickly pear cactus in bloom at blue mound, or the first wall drug sign, but I don’t think anything quite does it like seeing the Missouri River stretch before you. We actually stopped briefly at the rest area for the view, and subsequently wall drug as well, if only to reconvicne ourselves that it’s really not worth it. Way to many people plotting around at half a mile and hour perusing crappy t shirt racks and raising the average bmi our the country by substainal amounts.

Seeing the badlands is another mark west and a stop we should make some day. Not this year though, we zipped right through to the black hills. Rapid city also see,s to have grown a ton every time we pass through.

We landed at crow peak brewing a little after 6 and savored a beer and likely one of the longest travel days complete. We had planned on camping, but rain looked certain and didn’t seem enticing. We ended up conversing with a guy at the bar, and he quickly mentioned that he had an Airbnb and a room not being used tonight. After briefly talking it over, we decided just to go for it.

So we cooked our brats and potatoes in a random family home in spearfish and are sleeping in the basement. Both the hosts are super personable and interesting to talk to. They are empty nesters that opted for giving air bnb a shot rather than downsizing their house. They had two other couples spending the nice as well. Two of them are also teachers from the cities. What a way to end the day. Never a dull moment in life.

*(afterward note: Brad and Lynn 3034 Meadow Ln, 605-645-1957)