June 21, 2018
Mobridge to Pollock- Smooth Sailing and Instant Fame
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Today's ride started off with a stop at the Mobridge Post Office. My replacement tire was supposed to have arrived yesterday, but won't be there until Friday. The damaged tire is holding up OK and we wanted to keep riding, so we asked the Mobridge PO to forward it to Bismarck when they receive it on Friday. We should all (we and the new tire) make it to Bismarck on Saturday.
From downtown Mobridge, it was a short hop to get back to the route. Of the 520 miles that we've ridden in South Dakota, most roads have had exceptionally low traffic. Today was no exception. We followed state route 1804 over gently rolling hills and we were probably only passed by 20-30 vehicles during our 4 hours on the road. The surface was like butter, the headwinds were mild, and the dominating ambient sounds were birds, insects, and the occasional whoosh of a mammoth wind turbine.
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We stopped for lunch on the side of the road and enjoyed a view of the Missouri River while we munched on peanut butter-smeared bagels, an orange, pretzels, trail mix, and cookies. I know. It sounds like a lot of food ... But, remember, we have a lot of calories to replace!
And for you viewing pleasure, Ron has put together this video. Please watch.
When we arrived in Pollock we picked up a few things at the grocery store and sat outside to eat ice cream bars. A lady wearing a large smile approached us and asked if we'd like to see the Visitor's Center. "Sure!", we said, and she drove over to her house to pick up the key.
Vina LaFave was her name, and she gave us a great tour of the Center, which houses not only historical information about Pollock and the Lewis & Clark expedition, but also interesting artwork and artifacts. One of my favorite displays was a group of clocks that area resident Leo Brockel made out of different types of wood. He passed away in 2001 and his family donated the clocks to the Pollock Visitor Center.
While we were there, Waynette Geigle from the neighboring Prairie Pioneer newspaper office stopped by and asked us about our tour. She offered to make us instant celebrities and took our photo for next week's edition. We posed outside next to the loaded bikes ... maybe the Prairie Pioneer readers will be inspired to go on a bike ride?
Vina and Waynette then gave us directions to the town park, where we could camp under the picnic shelter. We were amongst very few visitors to the park and were the only campersWe quickly assumed ownership of the shelter and spread our gear out across 3 picnic tables and a clothesline. Thankfully only a couple of people drove by because the chaotic spread looked like a scene from the Beverly Hillbillies!
We spent the rest of the afternoon re-connecting with the world via smart phones and watching the shelter's resident swallows tend to their nest. Swallows are quite the aerial acrobats!
Ron and I road into town to take a few photos, enjoying the quiet and tidy surrounding neighborhood on the way. And the day ended with a colorful sunset over Lake Pocasse.
| Heart | 5 | Comment | 2 | Link |
6 years ago
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6 years ago
We love the photos and are thoroughly enjoying your journal.
6 years ago
Today's ride: 41 miles (66 km)
Total: 802 miles (1,291 km)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 10 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 13 |
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