South Dakota highways seemingly stretch out forever...
Long miles of highway unfold before us and stretch out behind us as we make our way across Minnesota and South Dakota today. The heat and humidity were too much for the van A/C such that it stopped the cold air from blowing into the cabin. After a short while traveling with the windows open we started making phone calls. After brief discussions with the rental agency and mechanics, we made an appointment to have it checked at the Ford dealer in Mitchell, SD, home of the greatly exaggerated Corn Palace, which is nether made of corn, nor a palace. We might have such a thing in Minnesota, but you wouldn’t catch us bragging it up like that.
It turns out the problem with the A/C was the high humidity making an ice plug in the vents and thus stopping the flow of air… We were all quite relieved that extensive repairs weren’t necessary.
As we fueled the van, a storm blew through with torrential rain, lasting just long enough to douse us as we darted from the van to the sandwich shop for lunch. the storm had dissipated by the time we finished lunch and the streets were dry by the time we finished our impromptu ice cream run and the stand across the street.
Sometimes one needs a little perspective to see which way to go.
Although it was very poorly advertised, we managed to stumble upon Wall Drug. The fascinating sites of jack-a-lope, gorillas playing the piano, and roaring dinosaurs didn’t hold our attention for long and we were back in the van soon for the last short leg of the day’s journey.
After arriving in Rapid City, we found our host church for the evening, which is situated high upon a hill providing beautiful views of the valley below. We ventured out again for supper and supplies for tomorrow before relaxing and unwinding for the evening. Despite some warnings about rattlesnakes, the youth were unable to confirm or deny their existence in the area.
Tomorrow will be an early morning departure and another long day in the van. We will be picking up Chris in Billings, and spending the night in Bozeman.
We are all hoping that the tile floors are more comfortable than they look. And so, good night from Rapid City, SD.
Zion Lutheran Church at sunset