57 miles with 1,550' of climbing
Today might be called an "Active Recovery" day as both the mileage and feet of climbing were relatively low. We woke to bright blue skies and cool temperatures. Due to the light mileage, we didn't load until 8:00. You should have seen these type A cyclists milling about, raring to get on the bikes to begin. Some even verbalized, "Can't we start?" ABB's (America by Bicycle) policy is to allow the slower cyclists to begin significantly before the fast/normal group to keep us as close as possible.
For the first 37 miles we hit the rollers. It was one uphill then one downhill over and over. The scenery was typical farmland as in this photo....
We then needed to jump on the Interstate where we rode another 20 miles. This portion of the ride is always my least favorite. You have to stay utterly focused as cars and trucks whiz past at speeds of 75 mph and higher. Meanwhile, you are trying to navigate the rumble strip that runs along the shoulder where you are riding. Then, there is the debris that peppers the road. It was a long 20 miles!
Our final destination was Wall, SD. If you have ever been near this town, you have seen signs for Wall Drug. Billboards advertising the establishment can be seen for hundreds of miles. In fact, we have been seeing signs like this for the past 3 days.
Wall Drug is a tourist attraction, consisting of mall-like stores, amusements, and restaurants. It takes in more than $10 million a per year and over 2 million people visit it annually. As a frame of reference, take "South of the Border" and multiply it by 5 (at least). Gail and I had lunch, visited the shops, and were scared by T-Rex!
Tomorrow, we load the van at 5:15 as we are in store for a long, arduous day. To arrive in the capital city, we need to pedal 117 miles. Although I have made peace with the wind (not), I'm really hoping for a tailwind!
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