Day 34 – Friday 7/1/22

Pickstown, South Dakota to Chamberlain, South Dakota – 93.2 Miles

A problem with traveling by bicycle in a large state with a small population is that places to stay and supply opportunities are not always convenient. From Pickstown, where I spent the night, the only logical places to go were either Platte, 37 miles away, or Chamberlain, 90 miles away. Going to Platte would take around 3 to 3.5 hours, while Chamberlain would take 8. I’d have an easier day by going to Platte but would still need to pass through Chamberlain the next day anyway. Also, since I’d arrive in Platte fairly early, I’d waste about 7 hours of daylight without much to show for it. Add in another night’s hotel expenses, and it was an easy decision to go for Chamberlain.

I left Pickstown a little after 7 and headed for Lake Andes on Highway 18, eight miles north. The sun wasn’t too high in the sky yet and the landscape looked peaceful.

Lake Andes had couple of convenience stores, some restaurants, a motel and several businesses. I pumped up the local economy by buying a banana nut muffin and orange juice. One restaurant intrigued me with their areas of expertise.

It was 30 miles to Platte from Lake Andes, all of it on nicely paved road with a wide shoulder. The early signs of Fourth of July weekend were passing me constantly, as trucks towing boats are common here. The Missouri River has been backed up by dams to form a large body of water ideal for boating. This leads to the unlikely sight of businesses selling boats and equipment located quite a distance from water. Now, those boats were homing in on the river and taking their owners with them.

I arrived in Platte at 10:38 and had some time to look around the town. Farming, no surprise, is the center of life here, but there was a good mix of other businesses to even things out.

I stopped for a quick lunch at a restaurant in town and met some touring motorcyclists also eating there. We’re all into two-wheel travel, so there’s some common ground between us. When a group of them pass me on the road, I usually get a wave or a head nod from someone who must appreciate what I’m doing. I don’t know if many of them would want to try bicycle touring, but they get it.

Hay is a big deal in South Dakota. I saw hundreds of bales dotting the fields today.

A little further along, I caused a stampede. A herd of cattle were next to a fence along the road, when one of them came a little closer to see what I was. I must have spooked it, because when it took off on the run the others followed. They all headed in my direction of travel, so when I caught up to them, another stampede resulted. Eventually we all lost interest and went our separate ways.

The lack of people and traffic can sometimes give the impression that I’m the only one on the planet. You might be amazed how quiet it is when there’s nothing around to make a noise. Here’s a sample,

Later, the hills began to disappear and flat terrain replaced it. This was fine with me, as hills slow me down and I needed to arrive in Chamberlain at a decent time.

After a refreshing stop at Dairy Queen on the way into town, I found the hotel. It overlooks the Missouri River and has a Mexican restaurant within walking distance. That’s a win.

Across the way is Veteran’s Park, with some classic military equipment on display. This T-33 trainer could be as old as me.

Because it’s the Fourth of July weekend, places to stay are in demand. Like the College World Series last week in Omaha, prices are up, and choices are few. I’ll be moving on to Pierre, SD tomorrow which will require another longer day on the road. But I’ve decided to stay for two nights instead of one, so I can step back from riding for one day and get ready for the 1,600-mile leg to the Pacific.