Mitchell starting mileage: 3139
Belvidere ending mileage: 3303
Miles Driven Today: 164
Gas Price: $3.98--Presho, SD
Avg. MPG: 6.2
Overnight: Belvidere, SD
Belvidere KOA
Up this morning still trying to decide where we will head next. I'm so burnt out on digging for ancestor information, all I want to do is find something else to think about. Don't get me wrong, I am so jazzed at what I found. I have more to find for sure. But, my brain needs a change of pace.
We were a bit slow getting going as we had to dump the tanks this morning and clean up. After you have been in one location for so long, it's amazing what you have to pack up. I had already done some packing yesterday, but still had a lot to do this morning. We were finally on the road at 10 AM.
As we drove, we decided that we'd just skip Pierre, SD, for this trip. We are anxious to get to the Badlands and Black Hills, and we still have a couple of stops prior to that area. I had made reservations in advance for those tourist areas because it is nearing July 4th Holiday. So, now we do have to meander a bit.
The terrain began as it had been for day, farm after farm after farm. But, we did notice that we were climbing, even though the roads seemed flat. Within an couple of hours, we realized the terrain had changed to more elevated hills--as you can see in these pictures. Also notice that there is not much traffic out here, and it's been that way most of the trip, with the exception of major city areas.
When we crested this highway hill, we were surprised to see how high we had come, and that the Missouri River was in front of us.
We decided to stop for lunch at Casey's to have lunch while overlooking the Missouri River. Of course, I couldn't help to think of Lewis & Clark's Expedition and all the history in this area.
So to add to your history lesson, here's the Casey's Drug Store and Cafe's history. It was founded as a pharmacy business first in Lead, SD, in 1896. Calamity Jane was a frequent customer to the store. In 1906 the owner, Joseph Casey, had the opportunity to purchase his own drugstore in Vivian, SD. But in 1922 as things were declining in Vivian, Joseph heard of a drug store for sale in Chamberlain. Each of Joseph’s eight children worked in the store. Each of the four sons’ took their turn in the store while the other brothers studied pharmacology. When Joseph died in 1952, his sons took over the store and also opened the cafe. In 1976, a New York journalist and food critic traveling the US in search of good 'burgers visited the cafe and dubbed Casey's burger as the "Perfect Cheeseburger." And, so goes its claim to fame.
Back on the road, the terrain varied between flat and slightly hilly areas.
As we were about to pull off for our night in Belvidere, we saw this man walking his "dog."
Our campground is out in the middle of nowhere. But, there is a tourist trap across the street called "1880 Town." So, guess we'll venture over there tomorrow. We got all settled in and just rested for the evening.
I cooked again, shock of all shocks. We had mac&cheese, polish sausage, and spinach. After dinner, we quickly drove to the clubhouse at 8:45 PM to get some ice cream before they closed. When we got back to the RV, realized we were now in Mountain Time, so it was only 8:45 PM. Duh!
I must say the birds are really friendly here. The Robins come right up to the campers and just kind of look at you as if to say, "So, you're here in my area, do you plan to move any time soon?" And, there are really pesky flies. They think they own the place as well. They just aren't afraid of you swatting them at all.
Here's some pictures of the camp area. It is in the boondocks, but very relaxing. The water is a small lake.
The view out of Dave's office window!
We are a bit frazzled, though, because neither of us can send emails. We can receive them, but not send. In addition, the phone service is next-to-nil. So, we have to really "wave" the phone until we can find a hot-spot. Where is that Verizon network crowd of folks that follows people around in the commericals? Guess that's only in the movies!!
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