So Long: The Current, Southern Minnesota, South Dakota

Southern Minnesota Windmill

The Corn Palace, Mitchell, SD

Rolling Hills of Western SD

Campsite Night 1 aka Howard Johnson

Bouldering Just Before I Hit the Stream

Well the first day has come and is nearly gone. We woke up and the tender hour of 5 am and were off after a tear filled goodbye with Laurie and Gordy. On our way I texted my great friend VJ as we ventured down his daily route south to Shakopee on highway 169. He texted me back "I consider you a brother... I will miss you dearly." With that we were on our way south to Mankato. While on our way I phoned up 89.3 The Current's morning show and asked them to play something that would remind Alyssa and I off Minnesota. Instead, over the airways, they mentioned every radio station we could hear them on from Minneapolis to Sioux City and played a memorable and unique set of three songs to "wake up too."

Southern Minnesota, an area I very rarely frequent surprised me with its beauty. The first picture above is of a windmill I caught along the highway 60 area just south of St. Peter. It was a beautiful crisp morning and after a detour around some construction and with coffee in hand we reached highway 90 and headed for the long and arduous eastern 3/4 of South Dakota.

If you have ever driven along highway 90 through the flat expanse that is South Dakota you may have the names Wall Drug, Corn Palace, 1880 Town, and Pioneer Auto forever ingrained in you're cerebral cortex. Also don't forget that Jesus died for you're sins and that abortion is baby murder. Just as we were about to lose it and after about 6 pit stops to merely keep our sanity, we began to enter the gorgeous Black Hills of western South Dakota on our way to our first nights camp in Spearfish Canyon. For all of you who see the picture above of the beautiful valley and the bubbling brooke that was where we planned to camp. Fortunately for you the Howard Johnson won out and you now have this beautifully constructed blog update to keep you entertained (ask me what happened later). Got to do a little bouldering in the canyon thus far and also got to do some swimming when I fell in the river off the boulder as a piece of the limestone flaked loose on me, see above photo of said river.

All in all, both of us had a long days drive but our vehicles held up to the challenge, knock on wood, please. We are heading for Yellowstone tomorrow and there is potential fly fishing and geyser watching that should occur. Hope all is well and we will keep you posted.

Love,

Connor & Alyssa