Day 29-Gettysburg, SD to Mobridge, SD (52 / 1,241)

On the road I am riding through central and north central South Dakota I can normally look 360° around me and see no trace of another human being. Imagine how startled I was a few days ago to hear two loud shot gun shots that appeared to be coming from the very near the road. I stopped and looked around, but saw nothing. A couple of days later in an equally remote region I saw this sign!

I'm not sure what "road hunting" is, but I am concerned that, unlike livestock, bicyclists are not a protected species! :-)

When Lewis and Clark passed through this region they saw many large, grass-covered mounds, the interiors of which were accessible by a cave-like door.  These Arikara lodges were dwellings for up to 20 people and were constructed with cottonwood logs, willow branches and grass.  The Arikawa were farmers who grew a variety of crops, including corn, beans, squash, sunflowers and tobacco. 

These subterranean lodges provided protection from the fierce winter winds that blow across the high plains.

Bicycle touring with a support team is luxurious!  No longer am I rolling into any campground or isolated area I can find close to the trail, putting up my tent, and eating dinner - often consisting of a Clif bar, a couple of cans of sardines, and, for dessert, an apple.   No longer am I collapsing into my sleeping bag immediately after dinner to dictate my daily blog entry, and usually falling asleep in the middle of my dictation.

These days I simply pull over to the side of the road, place a call to my driver who meets me at the designated location. I am then transported to an outstanding campsite in the best campground in the area.  Sometimes we go out for dinner at a nice steakhouse. More often, my driver/cook prepares an elegant meal for me and we take a leisurely walk along the river with our dog. Finally, we sit by a bonfire before retiring to the ultra comfortable, queen-size bed in our RV.

No more hard boiled eggs for breakfast at the first gas station I come across the next morning. These days my cook/driver prepares a nutritious breakfast and drives me to the starting point for that day's ride.  On occasion, my driver/cook even delivers lunch to me on the road.

And you wonder why my mileage is down a bit this week?