June 1, 2025 Sunday

Second Day on the road

Good night’s sleep with cool night air.  Hotel breakfast okay and adequate.  Officially on the road at 8:30 heading west on the I-90. 483.4 miles, (966 total miles), 7:30 hours, total 14 hours, 42 minutes driving, averaging 31.3 mpg on gas.

Sunny day start with temps in the 60’s.  Traffic so much better once we cleared Chicago metro area.  We have not had to pay any highway tolls since Illinois. Road conditions good but it is orange cone season but work is shut down for Sunday rest.  Will restart tomorrow.  Mostly mega farms with livestock and grains.  Many Native American operated casinos of small size.  After Madison, WI moving westward toward famous vacationing area, the Wisconsin Dells.  This area has large natural eroded golden sandstone sculptures and water features.  We’re still on Central Time, getting earlier with each zone.  We pass through the interesting Mississippi River area, a confluence of the Wisconsin LaCrosse and Black Rivers into the wide Miss with islands.  We have crossed into Minnesota.  The glacial sheet moved around the area and left sandstone hills that formed a valley for the rivers.  We stopped at the visitor center and got info on the Great River Road tour.  We are planning to include it in our return trip.  Onto flat farmland with hundreds of wind turbines.  We enter over the border of South Dakota without much fanfare.  The rest stop at the border (and at all state rest stops) has a large replica of a Native American teepee.  There are many reservations and tribal identities in the state.  They have grown in political power and have a lot of clout in state and federal governance.  We are staying at the AmericInn in Hartford just west of Sioux Falls, next to I-90.  It is a newish hotel, not a chain we are familiar with.  It is modern and modest.  We have been on I-90 essentially since we left home.   Stopped at McD’s for a late lunch.  The smoke from the Manitoba fires intensifies as we travel west.  It looks like a heavy fog has settled.  Pat has been sneezing and blowing her nose.  Temp has risen to high 80’s. There is rain on the horizon so fingers crossed it will make things better.  We arrived about 4PM that gives us time to chill.  Chuck went to the pool and the jacuzzi, needed after driving all day.  We order a medium in-house thin crust pepperoni pizza for our dinner.  Ready for bed.  Nighty night.