Drove past this on our way to a “pit stop.”
We woke up in Rapid City. South Dakota has always had a place in my heart. Members of my family are from the western part of the state. It’s been one of my goals to visit those roots. But, we had a bigger goal in mind…getting home! So, we set off for the 10 hour drive. Maybe it was only 8 hours. At this point in the trip, Paul and I were both just eager to not be in the car anymore. Our collective sanity was beginning to wane.
However, I thoroughly enjoyed my drive through the Mount Rushmore State. The numerous signs to Wall Drug caught my eye. Next time, we will stop there. The landscape was beautiful. We missed the Black Hills because it was dark when we hit the state line the day before, but we will be back there one day to see the places my forebears lived.
I was still looking forward to the flat prairie area. To me, it seemed more rolling hills than flat. The Central Valley in California is flatter than the area along I-90 that I saw. It wasn’t until we were almost out of South Dakota that the flatness appeared. Maybe it’s further south. Some day I might find out.
One of the wonders of technology let Paul and I stop in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to have dinner with a couple of his friends as a brief respite from our eastern trek.
Home sweet home
Then it was onward to Minnesota! I didn’t realize how far south I-90 is in the state that is now my home. We weren’t very far from the Iowa border. Some day, I’ll get to that state, but neither Paul nor I are very eager to get back in an automobile for any significant length of time.
It was dark and late when we finally made it home to Saint Paul, but made it we did. My Beetle is here with me. It survived the frigid temperatures of Wyoming and seems to be happy in the cool quasi-winter/pre-spring climate of Minnesota. Thank goodness because I need it to help me find a job. I’m very excited to explore my new surroundings, too. The Twin Cities have much to offer.