Polly and Mimi's Antiques Roadshow: Hot Springs, South Dakota

Great start to the day with clouds to keep us cool and beautiful scenery as we headed out of Lusk towards our next state, South Dakota, and the Black Hills. We rode through pine forests, something we hadn't seen for a a few days, and there were a variety of interesting rock out-croppings and arroyos. Clouds swirled in the valley below and we descended into them and rode for probably 10 miles in the fog that reminded us both of Maine - the only thing missing was the water. The sun, low in the sky, accentuated the shadows while the cloud cover created a dappled effect as the sun shone on the hills and small farms around us. It was really stunning.

We had easy and fast riding for the first 50 or so miles, but after that our friend the wind showed up and slowed us down. It's not only that it slows us down, even with a pulling rotation, but that it makes it difficult to hear and to communicate, and like at home, wind is stressful. We also had a varied shoulder in terms of size and placement of the rumble strip throughout the day - always interesting and keeps you on your toes. Nevertheless, it was a treat to see green fields and trees and we were happy to be riding with our friends Rosy and Jordan. They are both great riders, easy and lovely people to be with and we took turns fighting the wind in a pace line.

As we got into South Dakota, the sky opened up and we had amazing vistas in all directions.

Tonight we are back at a Best Western and having dinner at a bowling alley ... what kind of food do you suppose we're going to get?

Day 21
Miles - 93
Total Miles - 1555
Elevation Gain - 3015
Next Stop - Rapid City, South Dakota

Link to Mimi's Garmin info

Leaving Lusk - early morning - our views