Crossed into my 4th state today on this coast-to-coast bicycle journey: South Dakota. Great Faces, Great Places. Since we travel from west to east, our obligatory state line pictures are mostly backlit. So, Dark Faces, Bright Places might be a better catch phrase.

Today started off cloudy. Light rain tried to fall, but it mostly evaporated before making it to the ground. Just a few scattered wet miles that helped keep the road cool.

Approaching a bluff, I witnessed something I hadn’t seen in several days… a pine tree. And then a few more. Trees! Evidently, pine trees are able to survive in a few sheltered places on the Wyoming prairie. Enthralled, I pulled into an overlook to snap a picture and take in the view.

But then, the trees were gone – replaced by wide open fields and signs for Wall Drug. If you’ve been within a 500 mile radius of Wall Drug, then you’ve seen these signs. Saturation marketing at it’s finest. In a few more days, we actually have an overnight stay in the town of Wall. Given that our finishing temperature today was 96 degrees, I’m really looking forward to that free ice water at Wall Drug.

Tomorrow, we cycle through the Black Hills to see those famous South Dakota faces carved into Mount Rushmore. Looking forward to it.

~Dan

106 desolate miles from Casper to Lusk. With a fairly strong headwind to boot. Today’s ride provided ample evidence for why Wyoming is the least populous state. And Lusk (population 1,543) happens to reside in the least populous county in Wyoming (Niobrara County).

A highlight of the day was passing through the town of Lost Springs, population 4. I counted two trucks parked at the town Bar – so it seems likely that at least half the town was in the bar when I rode through.

Oh, another highlight was the 3-Sisters truck stop. ‘If he’s lopen we’re open’ reads the sign – and the horse was indeed lopen, so I stopped in for a slice of rhubarb pie. Delicious! It provided a nice energy boost for the final 10 miles into Lusk.

And wouldn’t you know it, yet another highlight was awaiting in Lusk – the annual Rawhide Days Parade. Most of the town was in the parade, so our bicycling crew made up a vast majority of the parade viewers. If the rest of the folks from Lost Springs would have attended (those not at the bar), parade viewership would have noticeably increased. Cowboys, Indians, Fire Trucks, Tow Trucks, Flat Bed Trucks, and the town sheriff – your typical Wyoming summer parade. And for what it’s worth, the parade Indians seemed to be having way more fun than the parade Cowboys. I’m not sure what to make of that.

So, plenty of great highlights despite the desolation. Sometimes, the journey is what you make of it!

~Dan

A day off in Casper today. A welcome rest for the legs and butt.

It seems most of the action in Casper is right here at our hotel. The Wyoming state softball tournament is in progress, so hoards of uniform-clad teenage girls are sprawled about. And then there is another hoard of much older ladies with bright orange T-shirts proclaiming each of them proud members of a traveling motorcycle clan called ‘Women on Wheels’. I’m not sure which group is louder. Our bicycling armada usually takes over a hotel, but here at the Casper Ramkota, we are totally outnumbered.

My wanderings around Casper brought back an old memory. As I did a double-take at the two-story brick office building next door to the hotel, I positively recognized it as the former Casper division office site for Conoco. I worked as a software developer for Conoco back in the early 90s, and visited the Casper office a few times. The building looks pretty much the same – with just a few newer buildings up the hill side. Crazy to think I’ve arrived back here by bike, nearly 30 years later.

I also ran into Mike Lansing field, home of the Casper Ghosts minor league baseball team. A Wyoming native, Lansing was a popular major league baseball player for the Montreal Expos and Colorado Rockies. The cozy ballpark is nestled along the North Platte river.

A visit to a downtown book store, art museum, and western-wear shop rounded out my Casper experience. A full day here is plenty. Back to the busy hotel to rest up for another 100+ mile day.

~Dan