#29 May 22, 2021 Rapid City, South Dakota with Darrell's Brother, Steve and Wife, Janine

May 24, 2021

Monday, May 17th: Driving across South Dakota is a lot of miles with very few towns and people. Highway 90 from Suoix Falls to Rapid City is in excellent condition and the speed limit is 80 mph!! The time flies when you are driving that fast. When leaving Suoix Falls, there is a river that seems to be the beginning of rolling hills that rise for miles from there and then the land levels off into wide open spaces that are flat looking with few trees and green pastures where cows and crops are raised now. This highway follows the old railroad that was first laid in the push westward in the US. From the old railroad history and westward movement of people are the stories of massive buffalo herds that no longer exist here. Buffalo are now protected and are seen in small herds here and there, and even ranched for meat and other products now.

Mid way through the flatlands of South Dakota, the Missouri river cuts through with another sharp and scenic valley. There is a museum with the Lewis and Clark Expedition history that is free, really well done and at a Rest Area overlooking the river valley. Further on towards Rapid City, about an hour to get there, you begin to see the Badlands. There is an exit to take to the Federal Park entrance and pay to drive through. The scenery is surreal and very odd, like a dried up sea with sandy-like eroding ridges and mountains. It is here where we see Mountain Sheep, Prairie Dogs, and some buffalo at the western gate.

We spent the week at Steve and Janine's house. They moved out here about 18 or 20 years ago from Kansas City. Their four kids were still at home then, and now they have all completed school, married and moved away. Meanwhile their house is very roomy and welcoming for us with family hospitality. They have a couple of cute dogs who are training us to cater to them while their adults are at work during the day.

Saturday, May 22nd. Plan to leave Rapid City Sunday the 23rd after Darrell preaches at church and we eat lunch out with Steve and Janine. On Saturday, Janine cooked us breakfast with grits. She's a North Carolina woman. Sausage and eggs also to start our day. We drove a couple of hours to Devils Tower in Wyoming. Had lunch. Walked around the base of 1.3 miles. Then drove back to Rapid City in time for Janine's dinner if homemade beef vegetable soup and homemade breadCafe.