So we didn't quite make it to our destination today... story to follow.
After the hellacious storms passed last night, we were able to check out the Laura Ingalls history in town. We walked the old streets of downtown and went over to the Surveyor's Shanty where the Ingall's first resided upon arriving in De Smet. We also saw the house in town that "Pa" built and a church that "Pa" also helped build. ( I never read the "Little House" books but I was a fan of the TV series.)
I was really eager to get on the road in the morning as we had the trifecta of conditions for the day - tailwinds, sunshine and moderate temperature. It was a gorgeous day for a ride! In fact, it was one of those days that you dream about when you envision bike touring. We had gently rolling hills, gorgeous scenery and the best part... we were rolling along at a 17 mph average. Nice!
Everything was idyllic until we arrived in Brookings, SD. On our way through town, Marc stopped suddenly and asked me to listen to his bike. It was making a clicking noise when he pedaled. After further investigation, he deducted that it was coming from his rear wheel's hub. It appears that the wheel could no longer handle all the weight that he was pulling. As he investigated the noise, I pulled out my phone and starting searching for a bike shop. Luckily there was one in town, unluckily it was not open on Sunday.
With a bad hub, you can't chance riding on it. So we had to forfeit our plans of riding the additional 35 miles to Tyler, MN. We were really bummed as it was the perfect day for riding!
We got a room at the local Super 8 and decided that we just take today as a rest day. Brookings is a beautiful town with the University of South Dakota campus nearby.
After checking in to our hotel, we decided to explore the town. Our first priority was of course... pie! We found the Perkins Restaurant and I had a selection of 12 or so pie flavors. I was quite tempted by the Strawberry Pie, but wanted to save that for my mom's so I chose the Caramel & Crumb Topped Apple Pie. It was delicious... not too sweet, with a lovely hint of caramel and sweet crumb over a tart apple filling.
After our pie break, we stumbled upon the University of SD Gardens which supposedly boasts the most beautiful 70 acres in South Dakota. I beg to differ as the landscape in the Black Hills and Badlands is much more scenic.
As we wandered around town, I stumbled upon a Goodwill thrift store and begged Marc for a few minutes inside. I have been so embarrassed wearing my WalMart Shoes, so I was thrilled when I found a nice black pair of Kenneth Cole Sandals to switch them out with. I also found a brand new Dolce & Gabbana T-shirt and just had to buy it! I love finding great deals - where else can you get designer shoes and a t-shirt for $6!!!!
So plan for tomorrow is to hit the bike shop at 10 AM and unwillingly lay out $150-200 for a new wheel for Marc's bike and then hopefully get on the road by 11 AM. Our new destination is Springfield, MN and from there we are off to Mankato to stay with the Lorentz's (my friend Jess's parents.)
Marc's Stats:
Total Miles: 44
Average MPH: 17
Winds - 15 -20 mph (tailwinds)
Riding Time: 2 hrs 41 minutes
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Hi again,
ReplyDeleteI looked over my previous post and noticed a typo. I meant to say "run" straight out not "fun." Oh well, it's very hard to type without thumbs. I had a nice car ride today and a walk around the block later on. I just had some cheese for a bedtime snack. See you soon, Love Sierra
Oh little Sierra! I miss you. Can't wait to see you both in a few weeks. Looks like we'll get into town around the 10th and be able to stay until the 14-15th.
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