Hard-Fought Rest Day in Sioux Falls

On paper, it looked like it could be a repeat of yesterday's easy ride to Mitchell. The weather forecast had other ideas, however, and the threat of 110 degree heat and 30 mph winds caused us to get an earlier start than originally planned.

I ate a quick breakfast at Bonanza, which had opened especially for us. They do not usually do breakfast, but had fixed a nice spread for us. We hit the road soon after sunrise, and immediately felt the wind working against is, either as a crosswind or headwind as we maneuvered east and south toward our rest-day destination of Sioux Falls.
Scenes from the road:


Here is one of Kent zinging along nicely.

Again, here is the problem for cyclists hoping for some sign of towns. This sign says that in 4 miles, I should be in Sioux Falls. Only problem, all you can see are farms. I actually made it 3 more miles before I started seeing signs that I was approaching a large town.

The heat never reached the dire predictions, but still exceeded 100. The motels have been really great with providing us with cold treats upon our arrival, and the Super 8 had cold drinks and what we used to call Dreamsicles, the orange sherbet, vanilla ice cream bars. A perfect welcome. Off to a nearby sports bar for lunch and big screens showing the Tour de France, then back to the hotel to try to write this blog. I fell asleep. When I woke up, I walked over to the near by mall and got a haircut. My hair was just the right length to make quite a Mohawk when I removed my helmet. It is much better now, but I have the telltale tanless areas. At route rap we met one of our new riders, Larry Schwartz. As luck would have it, her rides a recumbent, so Mike's departure will not leave me the sole practitioner of recumbency after all. Dinner was at a buffet restaurant. I ate too much.