NJ Day 5: Apr. 21, 2019 - The South Dakota Prairie

We awake to an overcast day. It is supposed to rain later and, a while after that, it should get blustery. It looks like we won't have a pleasant drive. We reluctantly get up, shower, pack and head for the car.

The target today is Huron, SD. We had trouble finding accommodations in De Smet, our site for tomorrow, and had to settle for a town 40 minutes away. I had hoped to enjoy highway driving, but given that we wanted coffee and that the day is not very favorable, weather-wise, we opt for the safer Interstate.

We head out and start looking for coffee spots.

Oops! Today is Easter and most places Amy finds on her iPhone have the addition: "Easter might affect these hours". The best possibilities for a morning cup appear to be in Rapid City, 45 minutes along on I-90.

Considering the shear number of places, at least one must be open. We make our plan: to find that one. We will get coffee and pastry. Since we are headed into rural South Dakota, we'll also pick up some sandwiches for lunch. Who knows what will be open in small towns today.

We drive the 20 odd miles to I-90. Then we bid farewell to the Black Hills as we head east for the City. Sure enough, the rain begins. It will continue, off and on, for the rest of the day.

Once we arrive in Rapid City, we start the search. We can't find the first shop on our list. The second one is closed. While looking for the 3rd shop, we see a Starbucks in the Lobby of the Hotel Alex Johnson. Hooray! We enjoy breakfast and procure lunch. We head back to the car and continue our drive.

As we continue east of the City, the terrain turns from Hill Country into Badland/Prairie.

Rolling Hills east of Rapid City

One of the next towns we come to will be Wall, home to the "Wall Drug". We fill the tank here and decide to stop in at the famous Drug Store.

Wall Drug

Oops, it is not to be! Wall Drug is not open on Easter! Back to the Interstate.

The drive becomes pretty uninteresting. We are going straight as an arrow for dozens of miles at a time as we listen to the last couple of episodes of the Podcast "Dirty John". There are a few semi-rigs and even fewer passenger cars. While we take a brief break at a Rest Stop, a truck with an interesting load, escorted by two pick-ups, pulls in.

Wind Vane

This is a Vane to a Wind Turbine. The thing is quite long. The team delivering this has stopped to tighten the ropes tying it down. They usually travel in threes, the others must not have had loose cords.

We get back on the road. As it approaches 2:00 (now on Central Time), we pull into a Rest Stop and eat the lunch we purchased in Rapid City. The Caprese Paninis are tasty. We get back on the road for another few miles, then leave I-90 for State Route 47. After 20 miles, we arrive at the Missouri River.

Looking Downstream, Missouri River

After crossing the River, we continue east for another 50 miles. At Wessington Springs, we come across a viewpoint. We can see for miles beyond the town.

Wessington Springs from the Highlands

A few more miles take us into Huron. On our way to our hotel, we notice two restaurants that are open. We check in and rest up a bit, then head out for dinner. We opt for the closer of the two restaurants, The Ground Round Grill and Bar. Amy has a chicken and pomegranate salad while I choose the Ribs. The fare is hearty and decent.

We head back to the Hotel to rest up for tomorrow's goals: Laura Ingalls Wilder's Hometown, De Smet, and the drive from there into Minneapolis.