Those of you who have watched the wailing and whining on Facebook or Twitter as well as those who have seen recent posts on the Cannon Chronicles will know that there was some doubt about this trip even happening. Well after a 50ish hour delay, we hit the road about noon and were bound and determined to make it to Sioux Falls, SD – about 371 miles north. The Great American Road Trip (GART) has begun!
Kansas City was overcast and cool so we started with the top up on the convertible. A little disappointing but at least we were on the road. It turns out that this is a pretty boring drive, straight up I-29. Lots of farm land and gently rolling “hills”. For hours. And hours. We passed out of Missouri and into Iowa. I decided that I don’t like Iowa because it didn’t welcome me. I like to collect photos of the “Welcome to [state name]” signs and we got to Iowa with no such announcement. Pooh.
But we drive on. Fast stop for a gas and a bit and Wendy’s and back on the road. We wanted to make a side trip to Omaha but that will have to wait for another time – there was miles to cover. Eventually we hit South Dakota – they had a lovely sign:
Just a little farther and we got to Sioux Falls and the hotel we booked online from my phone while racing through Iowa. It’s the only place where we don’t have a fancy bed and breakfast but since we weren’t sure we would make it, we didn’t care. The room is clean and adequate and right on the Big Sioux River with a greenway running right outside our hotel. We wandered downtown for some dinner and found the MacKenzie River Pizza company which had a bar and a gluten free menu – our bare minimum after a long day in the car.
Pizza and cider (or beer and a burger for Frank) was just what the doctor ordered. Thoroughly refreshed, we went off to explore Sioux Falls, wandering through the historic neighborhoods which reminded me of the Garden District in New Orleans but not as humid or gothic. Then on to the falls themselves. They are pretty impressive and we played tourist walking all around and actually reading the historic markers and the informational placquards about the Sioux Quartzite (or Jasper) stone: the red stone that is everywhere here. It’s harder than granite and almost as hard as diamond. (That is today’s useless info tidbit.) We saw where the mill was and where they quarried for prison rock. And then it hit: the miles and steps and stress came crashing down and it was time to head back to the hotel.
Yes, we are in bed before 10 o’clock but we have started our road trip and there is so much to look forward to.
Here’s some numbers for today:
- Steps: 9,937 (according to my iPhone of which I am most dubious)
- Signs for Wall Drug: 8 so far
- States: 3 (MO, IA, SD)
- Layers of sunscreen: 1
- Avg speed: Frank won’t fess up.
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