Day 32 De Smet, SD to Watertown, SD

This morning, I stopped at a coffee shop in De Smet with Barb, Pam, and Ken.  They had coffee.  I had non-coffee.

The TV in the coffee shop was tuned to one of those Good Morning/Today type shows, and they were covering the latest in Mrs. Trump's speeches (even my 1st and 2nd graders know that plagiarism is a bad thing) and Garry Marshall's death.  Since the show "Happy Days" was one of his creations, guess what song was running through my head all morning.  Yep.  "Sunday, Monday, Happy Days . . . "

Today's ride was much, much better than yesterday's.  For one thing, for most of the day we were headed north, and the winds were out of the south.  Tail winds!  Also, the ride was only 60 miles.  "Only 60 miles" is not a phrase I use in my normal life, but this is the shortest ride we've done so far on Cycle America, so I can say it this summer.

A couple miles north of De Smet, there's a historical marker related to Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Most of her life was spent in that area, so she's very important there.

There's the hill where their house probably was.

This part of South Dakota is much greener and has more ponds and lakes than we've seen in the other areas we've ridden through.  The main crops I saw were corn, soybeans, and hay.

Our first water stop was next to the Bryant Parkview Care Center in the tiny town of Bryant.  The staff there put out all sorts of treats for us, and we were able to visit with some of the residents (of which there are about 20).  It was really nice.

Our lunch stop was in the tiny town of Hayti (pronounced "Hay Tie").

There was a heron in one of the ponds.  I was hoping it'd fly away, so that I could get an even better picture.  No such luck.

Some more scenes.

The largest lake on the way the Watertown is Lake Poinsett, which I just learned (by googling) is one of the largest lakes in South Dakota.  That lake and the flower poinsettia were both named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, Secretary of War under Martin Van Buren.

Before heading to the school in Watertown, Barb and I stopped for a second lunch at the local Dairy Queen.  I had a fish sandwich and my favorite -- a root beer float!

We're staying at Watertown Middle School, which is a beautiful new school, and it looks more like a high school than any middle school I've ever been to.  Since it is really hot (forecast high is 97º) and humid, most riders, including me, are staying in the HUGE gym.

Tonight is our last night in South Dakota.  Tomorrow, Minnesota!  And more heat . . .