Day 36 – Sunday 7/3/22

Pierre, South Dakota – 0 bicycle miles, but a lot of steps

I woke up this morning to the sound of a thunderstorm, which didn’t end until 11:00. So, it was a perfect time to take a day off from riding. I spent a couple of hours tuning up Ishmael and changing the tires and tubes. Then it was time to tour Pierre.

It’s not a big town, and easily walkable around the center. My first stop was for dessert, since I’d skipped breakfast earlier. Zesto’s is a local ice cream / burgers / hot dogs shop operating out of a classic looking walk-up building near the Capitol. It’s a cash-only business, so I was glad to have $10 in real money on me for once. The vanilla malt I ordered was extra thick, but the heat quickly fixed that problem.

The next stop was the park on the Missouri River. Since it is the 4th of July weekend, boats were out in numbers, either along the shore to party or on the river to ski or cruise. I didn’t expect many boaters in a state like South Dakota, but they could put together a credible small navy if necessary.

The park has a trail that follows the campsites of Lewis and Clark along the Missouri. I headed upstream, towards the highway and railway bridges spanning the river.

One of the bridges is the highway to Fort Pierre, on the south bank of the river. The other is a railway bridge built in 1907, and modified in the mid-20’s. Of the two, the railway bridge was much more interesting. One of the spans would rotate 90 degrees to let boats pass, but a sign said that this feature was no longer functional. Still, for a bridge that’s 115 years old, that’s pretty good.

I heard a train whistle in the distance, so I waited to get a shot of it on the bridge. It ran part way across and then stopped, probably waiting for clearance.

Downtown is small and was a short walk away. Everything was closed for the weekend, so nothing to report there.

The Capitol building was nearby and well taken care of. It isn’t as large as the one in Jefferson City, Missouri, but it does suggest that important things are happening inside.

Across the street from the Capitol is a park with a large pond. There, they have a tribute to South Dakota military, police and fire personnel that served or were killed in duty. The memorial and statues are impressive.

On the way back to the hotel I saw a sign advertising job opportunities with local law enforcement. This could be your chance to meet really interesting people.

It’s back on the road again tomorrow. With about 200 miles between here and Bismarck, I’m breaking it down into thirds and heading for Gettysburg, South Dakota. The forecast is good and after a day off and some maintenance issues taken care of, I’m ready to go.