5% Increase and Rapid City, SD

A long, long two days! We left Hazen, North Dakota Wednesday morning about 9am and got moving down Route 83 towards South Dakota. Our travel was great until about an hour before we got to Akaska, a small town that we were going to spend just one night at, with construction. And a huge detour. To the tune of 65 miles out of our way. With all the oil trucks and heavy equipment running up and down Route 83 to Minot to the oil fields and to help with the flooding, this route and many others are shut down because the roads could not handled the traffic, or, the roads were flooded out. The picture on the left is a lake caused from the heavy snows - it is not a real lake. Was like this all the way to about 20 miles from Rapid City. Stayed in Akaska, South Dakota last night, 250 miles south of where we were in Hazen. We get the big - wow - when we see the city/town sign announcing where you are and they give the population. Akaska - 31 people! And yet, cute town. School bus picks up the kids and drives them to the next town, has a grocery store, bait store, supper club, city hall, etc. And everyone knows everyone. This little town has a kiosk for post office which I am sure is what all the towns where the Post Office has decided to close, will go to. Post person delivers mail to this little place where everyone has a box, then drives to the next town. Residents have to come to this kiosk to get their mail.

5% increase? Well, with Dave and I there, we upped the population by 5%. Talk about an impact. We pretty much followed the Missouri River south, passing field after field of sunflowers, corn, wheat, hay, barley, beans, and stuff we couldn't figure out. The sunflowers where cool - found out there are two kinds they grow here and was explained this way: if the sunflower is way down (like pouting) in the morning, it will perk up with the sun and follow the sun and then when the sun sets, the flower will wilt back down and return to it's original position (east). The second type of sunflower stays perked up but travels little in the sun's path. One type is for oil and the other is for eating (sunflower seeds). The picture here is a blur - and that's about what we saw - a blur of yellow! Something else that was an eye opener - we thought that Sinclair gas was out of business. Not so here in the Dakotas. That is the predominant gas/diesel sold. Even down here in Rapid City the flooding has taken it's toll. The Missouri River is still receding and when we drove through Pierre and drove on the bridge over the river, sandbags are still in place and the devastation from the floods is visible. If the powers that be release the dams upstream (where we were) this area will still flood. And winter is coming! By the way, I grew up calling the capital of South Dakota - Pierre, like the French man's name. Not so - it's pronounced PEER. After driving 285 miles today and changing into Mountain Time Zone, we are safe and secure at the campground. Will stay here for 2 weeks, Dave has a dentist appointment on Monday and we'll see how long a tooth repair (cap) will take. In the meantime lots to see and do. 6 National Parks, Custer State Park where all the buffalo are, Crazy Horse Monument, Devil's Tower National Monument, just to name a few.