What a beautiful day of riding!

 I left Aberdeen, SD at 8:30 this morning with temperatures in the 50’s.  Within 1 hour it was 71 and was a clear day with little wind.  That is new for me on this trip.  Rt. 12 is a two lane road posted at 65 mph and very little traffic.  The countryside is so amazing.  I stopped to take a picture and there is no way to show it in a way that you would understand.  I always thought that this area was dry and not very productive.  There were lakes and streams over every hill and the hills were lush and green.  It was a rolling kind of countryside with sweeping turns on the roads.

It is hard to take a picture that does justice.  All along the road you could see old farmhouses with no windows.  There were also the remnants of an old road with the occasional bridge over a stream that looked like it was the original road back in the 1800’s.  Some of these old houses had been cut off from access by the parallel railroad tracks that was constantly next to the highway.

After one hour I was crossing over the head waters of the Missouri River at Mobridge and entering the Sioux Indian reservation.  Memorials were present for Sitting Bull and Sacajawea.  The land was beautiful but the reservation had the same lodging seen in the east…trailers.  I wish I understood more about the reservation system.  You could easily picture Sitting Bull on a paint horse on a hilltop with his Indian warriors.  Guess I watched too many movies.

Still no traffic and it was just a relaxing day.  I could have easily gone 400 miles today but I have started making reservations because the hotels have been filling up and I will reach Great Falls in 2 more days of 250 miles.  So it will be an easy pace on into the rally.  There was an interesting sight on the trip today at a rest stop.

I am not sure I understand this sign in the men’s room.  Well it is a little different out here.  I am spending the night in Bowman, ND at a Super 8.  Across the street is a little restaurant that had the best hamburger that I have ever had.  Great time to stop.  Tomorrow won’t be as easy as today.  It will be another 275 mile day but the temperature will possibly hit 100 as I ride down to Billings, MT.  Going to bed!