Yellowstone Adventure 2017 - Getting There

   Day 3 and made it to Bozeman Montana. Not too much happened during the drive. The temperatures were around 95 most of the trip. Until I got close to Bozeman and then the rains brought the temps down to 80.  The high winds and dry very warm air make cleaning your car windows tough. One gas station had no cleaning solution because it dried out. At others you had to clean the window very fast or else it would dry before you could squeegee it off. I still will take the no humidity though.  I checked the elevation via the car's GPS and I am around 3,900 feet above sea level right now. I can feel it in my ears. Checked into the hotel and then put the office address where I check in tomorrow in the GPS. So I don't get lost tomorrow.
   Day 2 on the road and 480 miles closer to destination.  Got up early to get breakfast and try to get out of Iowa as soon as possible. I slept great last night as I was beat from the long miles the previous day.  It did not take me too long to exit Iowa and enter South Dakota. Traffic was fairly heavy into Sioux Falls, but once on I90 the traffic thinned out to my favorite level. A car ever half mile or so. I made pretty good time and wanted to get to Mitchell South Dakota by mid morning. I wanted to see if they changed the outside of the Corn Palace. Taking the exit into Mitchell I quickly observed that they were doing major major road construction. There were detours everywhere. I know that they have to do the work but I am sure several businesses were a little peeved at the detours. Because many businesses could not even be approached. It took a while to get to the corn palace and I was lucky enough to find a parking place on the street. The outside designs had not changed from last year but since I needed a break I went into the Corn Palace and looked around a bit. After getting my legs limbered back up I headed back to my car and fought the construction all the way back to I90.  Mitchell is a very nice town and if you ever visit I would recommend parking by the Corn Palace and walking around a bit.
   My next destination was Wall Drug in Wall South Dakota. I know it is a tourist trap but I wanted a Buffalo burger and pie for lunch. South Dakota has one of the best rest stops there is. It is located near Chamberlain over looking the Missouri River. I always stop there to stretch my legs and just admire the view. I was very surprised this time as there was a very large metal sculpture of Sakagewea, pardon my spelling. The Indian that helped Lewis and Clark. It is truly a beautiful sculpture.
  Leaving the rest stop, I crossed over the Missouri River and I was officially in the West. The land changes dramatically and the distances you can see that don't contain a soul are immense. The Wall Drug signs were now popping up every half mile along with other billboards advertising tourist destinations. I passed the 1880s town that I stopped at last year. I really like just walking through the restored western town. It was hard not to go and see it again. I arrived at Wall Drug around 12:45 and as usual during this time of year it was packed to the gills. Once you get on the street that Wall Drug is on you will find it split down the middle by a meridian. It is one way on one side and one way on the other. With each one way having parking in front of the stores and Wall Drug itself. I thought well what are the odds I will find a parking place in front of Wall Drug this time of year or day. I headed up the one way street going slowly to see if anyone was leaving. I had one or two cars behind me also. Well guess what shows up in front of me? A car going the wrong way. The lady at the wheel starts to give me this very dirty look and I could just guess the middle finger was coming up. That is until she realized all the parked cars are not facing her way and some people around me were taking her picture with their cell phones. So her face and attitude changed very quickly and she started carefully backing up the one way street. The good news for me was that while she was backing slowly up a spot opened up right in front of Wall Drug. I parked and entered the very very packed tourist trap. I think the phrase "Excuse me" was the most popular thing heard in Wall Drug today. I managed to squeeze my way into the cafeteria and got in line to order my food. I wanted a Buffalo burger and coconut cream pie for dessert. After several minutes my number was called and I managed to find an open table. I can tell you this folks. If you want to see Wall Drug see it in September. If your claustrophobic I would not recommend July and August.  The burger was fantastic and the pie was also very good. I looked around a little while and then headed to my car.
  My next stop was Rapid City South Dakota and to find a place to stay for the night. I found a super 8 with an ok rate. I got in early enough to go see Spider-Man. Jacob said it was good and I will give it an 8.

Day 1 on the road completed and 657 miles closer to the west.  When I head west I learned from my father to get as far as you can the first day, as it is mostly boring miles.  When Dad and I went west on two BMW motorcycles, he had us drive from Linton to Little Sioux Iowa.  The route I took today took me by that place.  It is basically a camp ground for tents and campers and not much else.  It is approximately 630 miles from Linton to Little Sioux Iowa.  I was just starting out riding a BMW for any distance and Dad basically tried to kill me the first day.  I was so beat after that ride that I just crawled into the tent and went to bed around 7:30 PM.   Now Dad had been riding long distances for quite some time and I swear he had a steel butt, but I had one made out of candy.  At least that was what Dad said after I told him I was going to bed at 7:30 PM.  That was one great trip and eventually I developed a rear-end that could take many miles on a motorcycle.
   Not much happened on the road today.  I followed two NASCAR semi's for most of I-80.  I think there is a race this weekend in Iowa.  I also had one of those strange things that I hate.  I hate seeing the same car several times.  I passed it, they passed me, I passed it and they passed me.  Even after two interstate changes they were still with me.  I began to feel like I was being stalked.  This car showed up for two hours.  I felt like I was in the movie "Duel", but with a car.  I finally lost them at road construction and gratefully never saw them again.
   For those that like the "License Plate" game, I spotted 27 plates already.  Also in the "I spy with my little eye" game, I was 100 percent.  Come on smile that was funny.
  It was hard leaving Cathy again this morning but we talked and texted many time on the road.  So when I get lonely, or she does, we just pick up the phone and talk.  Thanks for all the prayers for me and Cathy.