Another warm day for riding. We topped out close to 90, I believe. I returned to camping last night, at a very nice city park in a Elk Point, SD. Humidity continues to be high on the journey. More than one person has suggested that the Missouri River creates its own humidity, in which case I am going to have continuous humidity on this trip, I guess. So when I woke in the morning the tent was wet with dew and the sleeping bag was damp from moisture dropping from the roof of the tent. So I took my time in breaking camp and gave my gear time to dry in the sun. So with a 9:30 departure, I scaled back my goal today to the Yankton area, some 37 miles away according to the highway map. Along the way I would see the campus of the University of South Dakota, in Vermillion.
The campus is compact; it reminded me of the UW- La Crosse. Probably with a few more academic buildings but less dorms, Much smaller school than Madison. Of course, no students around. The campus is attractive, and all of the building seem very well maintained. Next to the campus, the National Music Museum was closed for remodeling. Lots of museums taking advantage of the virus situation this year to upgrade.
After a nice lunch at the Brule Restaurant on Main St. in Vermillion I struck out for Yankton which was 23 miles away according to the highway sign. There was a direct highway connecting the two cities. However, as has happened in other places, the Adventure Cycling Map I was using routed me on a zig zag route on albeit quiet country roads. At one point I crossed the busy highway on my route, and I saw wide paved shoulders, which would’ve been great for cycling. As the day got warmer, it seemed to be taking a long time to get to Yankton. When I finally got there, I realized I had gone over 10 miles further than the direct route. The quiet country road route went closer to the Missouri River, but never close enough to get a view. Also in Yankton, I experienced poor cell coverage for the first time on the trip. As I continue, it is likely that lack of cell coverage will begin to become an issue, from a safety standpoint.
However, a good day, all in all. I like being in a South Dakota.
Miles: 54
Elevations: high 1240 on USD campus: Low 1140 at 1140. Flat ride today with just one hill
Max speed: 27.7 mph
North component: 13.5 miles
University of SD
Another USD campus building
No comments:
Post a Comment