Getting Close!

For the past three weeks the weather has been extremely hot and humid and riding long distances has been difficult to say the least.  It is easy to become dehydrated if one is wearing leathers and sweating because of the heat and humidity.  For the first time since mid-July the temperarture and humidity was such that riding was a real pleasure.  When I left Davenport, Iowa, the sky was completely covered with clouds and the temperature was in the mid 70s (F.) The first two hours and 225 kilometres to Waterloo, Iowa, were easy and when the clouds finally burned off the temperature was in the low 80s with reasonable humidity.  For the whole day riding was a real pleasure and the 725 kilomtres I did today seemed quite easy.

Sometimes I see names that get my attention. In addition to Waterloo and Moscow, which sounds like the beginning of a list of battles Napoleon lost, two names stuck in my mind.  The first was Wartburg, Iowa, and the second was Kiester Falls, MN.  What could the people who named these palces have been thinking?

I left Waterloo and headed northwest to Minnesota catching I-90 near a place called Albert Lea after crossing the Winnebago River.  For the past three days I have been riding past interminable fields of corn with soybeans thrown in for some variety.  In northern Iowa I saw a huge wind farm with between 50 and 100 wind generators.  As I drove along I-90 there were four more wind farms, one of which stretched over 8-10 miles with what must have been hundreds of generators.  This country seems to be really good for corn, soybeans, and wind power.

Wind generators near Worthington, MN

A corn field in Iowa.

A typical cornfield in Minnesota

The first part of the ride from Davenport to Waterloo was on I-80.  This highway seems to be a main trucking route because it was not unusual to see eight to ten trucks in a row with no other vehicles in between them.  However, I-90 was different.  The truck traffic was much lighter and the ride was much easier.  The whole day's ride was done at speeds of 65-70 mph except for the last 12 miles between the Minnesota/South Dakota border and Sioux Falls which was 75 mph.  That's the fastest speed limit I have ever seen and it was a fun way to end the day's ride.

Sculpture at the south Dakota Welcome Center.

Today I began to notice large numbers of motorcycles heading west, presumably to Sturgis, but many were also heading east singly or in groups of four or five as well.  Everywhere I stopped people asked if I was going to Sturgis.  As one person remarked, "If you're heading west on a bike, you're going to Sturgis."  Tonight the parking lot in the Super 8 Motel where I paid $90 for a room that probably goes for $45 any other month of the year, there were about thirty bikes and about twenty-eight of them were Harleys.

For the past two days the air has been filled with the sound of bugs 'singing' sort of like the cicadas in Ontario, but in multiples with a pulsating sound that goes on for minutes until they stop.  The video I have included here is mainly so readers can hear the sound.  It is powerful and unlike anything I have ever heard before.  To really get a sense of the sound it would help to turn up the volume on your speakers.

Tomorrow I'll do most of the distance to Sturgis but I'll have to find a camping spot out of town so I'll be able to do an easy ride there.  There is a possibility that I'll camp for a night or two at the Buffalo Chip Campground but I've heard the price is steep at about $60/night.  I plan on riding to Mt. Rushmore and if possible to the Badlands as well as spending time in Sturgis.  Then it will be on to the west coast and home.