Happy surprises
DETAILS
When — May 25, 2O22
Where — Newton, IA - Sioux Falls, SD
Mileage — 307
Filth, happy surprises, and rain
It rained all night. I was glad that I did my practice campout in Carrollton before I left. I addressed the issues I found. I replaced the air mattress and brought extra tent stakes for the foot print. I was warm and dry all night.
In the morning I noticed that the temperature dropped and saw that I was going to be riding in rain all day! I had breakfast in the tent and then slowly broke down the campsite. I did not hit the road until 10am. This is a late start, luckily I only planned to travel slightly over 300 miles.
It was not a hard rain, just steady and cold. I avoided interstates as best as I could using Iowa 141, US 59, US 20, and finally I-29.
Riding in the rain is mentally exhausting for me. You cannot enjoy the scenery or think about things. All of your concentration is on the road. My full faced helmet is awesome while riding in the rain. I have the right gear and have rode through the rain before. Having said all that, the cold is another issue. I made hard choices about gear. Looking at normal temperatures in the states I was traveling through, I decided not to do cold weather gear. I use that gear when temps fall below 55 degrees. This entire ride was between 49 and 53 degrees! I put on all the layers I had available underneath my rain jacket and pants.
The portion of Iowa is was traveling is considered the great plains. It was massive and gusty. The soil is dark and treeless. I saw more wind farms in Iowa then I have ever seen before. There were long distances between gas and food. The massive farms seemed to be planting or just dragging mud all over the roads to get my bike dirty. Cold, rainy, and dirty muddy mist.
A true joy in traveling across the country is finding small town diners or cafes. I was very hungry and very cold and found civilization in Perry, Iowa. I pulled over in the beautiful small downtown and used Google to find food. This place had no less than three mexican restaurants. Eating mexican is a calculated risk on long motorcycle rides in the middle of nowhere! Suddenly, a little old lady walked up and asked if I was lost. I told her I needed a good sit down restaurant. She said I was already there, she said the Patee Hotel is the best in town and I was parked right in front!
What a happy surprise. A hotel that was restored to it’s original 1912 -1913 decor. I was so impressed with the art work, the wood work, and the bowling alley! The hotel manager gave me the nickel tour. The food was hot and the coffee even hotter. Just what I needed to ride on.
I blazed into South Dakota on I-29 where the speed limit is 80 mph. It was too cold and the head wind was too strong to go above 70mph. Finally, the rain stopped in South Dakota about thirty miles of my destination of Sioux Falls. I guess I should count my blessings.
I decided I deserved a steak dinner after that cold ride and found it at Morrie’s Steakhouse in Sioux Falls. Grass fed and grass finished steak sounded like a heathy choice, I added some carrots to balance it out.
Good news - the forecast is looking great tomorrow. Bad news - my bike is filthy. It is hard to tolerate such filth and could impact my compliment count!
