Traversing South Dakota.

I wake up to a nice view of Clear Lake and pack all of my gear back on the bike. I head north and into Albert Lea, Minnesota where I pick up the 90 west. The farms in southern Minnesota look a lot like the ones in Iowa. After covering most of the width of the state, I hit the South Dakota border. The farms still look similar, but they are littered with billboards promoting various roadside attractions. Given the monotony of the ride today, I’m tempted off the highway by the three attractions with the most conspicuous billboards.

[a farm in Minnesota producing both crops and electricity]

The first detour brings me to Mitchell, SD to see the only Corn Palace in the world. Apparently the Palace was originally built in 1892 to show off the agricultural bounty of the area. This years ode to corn is still in the works and doesn’t come to fruition until the fall.

[in-process Corn Palace]

[it requires a lot of corn to clad a palace]

The second trip off the relentless stretch of highway is to see 1880 Town. This replica wild west town turns out to be a total tourist trap. The old train they converted into the cafe is great though.

[train parked at 1880 Town]

The third and final diversion is the one with the most billboards on the highway. A plethora of signs promoting Wall Drug have dotted the highway for the last few hundred miles and I can’t help stopping by. The one reading “National Treasure: Wall Drug,” really got me. The worlds largest drug store originally opened in Wall, SD in 1931 and now sells everything and anything to passing tourists. As the story goes, they survived the Depression by drawing thirsty travelers into the store by offering free ice water. I avoid the tchotchkes, but find a great map of the surrounding National Parks. On the map I find a campsite in the Badlands National Park with the disclaimer that it is located on “undeveloped roads” and is in bison territory. This immediately becomes my final destination for the evening.

[Wall Drug Store – Wall, SD]

[inside Wall Drug Store]

The day nearly ends disastrously when the long and straight paved road I’m traveling very quickly on suddenly becomes loose dirt. After some dramatic high-speed fishtailing, I manage to slow down and keep the bike on two wheels. Shortly after the pavement dissappears, the arduous (albeit thought-filled) 550 miles I rode today pays off with incredible views of the Badlands. I wind my way down the dirt road for nearly an hour before finding a clearing with a handful of tents dotting the landscape. The view from the campsite is beautiful. The panoramic landscape looks like a painting and I need to keep reminding myself that it’s real.

[shortly after the pavement ended]

[nearly an hour down the road]

[the view from my campsite]

As I’m pitching my tent, I notice a collection of very large bison tracks in the dirt. I wander around briefly to find that the entire grass clearing is covered in them. I quickly get the sense that the grassy clearing isn’t being groomed by a lawnmower. The site is too beautiful and too remote to pass up. I’ll be very curious to see if they show up while I’m here.

[bison tracks next to my tent]

[sunset over the bison pasture]