Here we are in South Dakota, and they're having a heat wave. Go figure. We went to the Great Plains Zoo here in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and it was 89 degrees. 
We drove through some rain in Minnesota this morning, but once we hit the South Dakota state line, the skies cleared up and the weather heated up.
T. Boone Pickens would have been thrilled to see all the windmills in Minnesota along Route 90 around Albert Pea (yes, an odd name for a town). I couldn't count them all. They went as far south as the eye could see as we drove along the highway, and pretty much to the north too. It was cool to watch them going.
The other town names we passed that I liked was Blue Earth and Luverne, Minnesota.
The highlight of my day was lunch. While researching the trip, I bought the book "Roadfood" and wrote down "Bob's Cafe" in Sioux Falls. The authors raved about Bob's burgers and "broasted" chicken. I'd have to concur - they were awesome. Bob's is a tiny joint - about 10 or 12 stools around the kitchen. We watched them make our burgers and made friends with the other patrons. They gave us tips on things to do in South Dakota and gave us a nice welcome. The owner asked us where we were from, and asked us to sign his visitor log. Because I mentioned Roadfood, he gave the kids magnets. We all had burgers, but Ruth fell in love with the mac 'n cheese squares - delicious deep-fried macaroni and cheese wedges. We were invited back for breakfast tomorrow so the owner could give us his own suggestions for things to do in the Black Hills. The guy sitting next to us said he'd be there around 7:15 a.m. and that Bob makes the best hash browns. I don't doubt it a bit.
We then spent a couple hours at the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls. It's a cute little zoo. The kids got to ride a camel, pet a Clydesdale, and a giraffe walked across a viewing area over to where Henry was taking pictures, so he got some good close-ups. But in the 90 degree heat, we decided we had seen enough and wanted to get settled at the campground and head to the pool to cool off.
One of the great things about camping is meeting interesting folks along the way. Henry and Ruth made a friend at the campground today - his name is Mason, he's from Georgia and he's almost 8. Mason has a thick southern accent and his personality is bigger than his little body. He hung with us for awhile and even tried to teach Henry and Ruth how to ride his bike.
If you haven't been out to this part of the country, one thing that takes getting used to is it getting dark so late. Henry and Ruth were fried, but it was hard to get them to go to bed when it was still light out - at 9:30 p.m. It would be okay if they slept late, but they get up at regular time, which usually means Ruth spends a bit of the day grouchy. That's not fun for any of us.
Well, I'm a bit tired myself. I'll add some pictures to the slide show and call it a night. Tomorrow we're off to the Badlands.
We drove through some rain in Minnesota this morning, but once we hit the South Dakota state line, the skies cleared up and the weather heated up.
T. Boone Pickens would have been thrilled to see all the windmills in Minnesota along Route 90 around Albert Pea (yes, an odd name for a town). I couldn't count them all. They went as far south as the eye could see as we drove along the highway, and pretty much to the north too. It was cool to watch them going.
The other town names we passed that I liked was Blue Earth and Luverne, Minnesota.
The highlight of my day was lunch. While researching the trip, I bought the book "Roadfood" and wrote down "Bob's Cafe" in Sioux Falls. The authors raved about Bob's burgers and "broasted" chicken. I'd have to concur - they were awesome. Bob's is a tiny joint - about 10 or 12 stools around the kitchen. We watched them make our burgers and made friends with the other patrons. They gave us tips on things to do in South Dakota and gave us a nice welcome. The owner asked us where we were from, and asked us to sign his visitor log. Because I mentioned Roadfood, he gave the kids magnets. We all had burgers, but Ruth fell in love with the mac 'n cheese squares - delicious deep-fried macaroni and cheese wedges. We were invited back for breakfast tomorrow so the owner could give us his own suggestions for things to do in the Black Hills. The guy sitting next to us said he'd be there around 7:15 a.m. and that Bob makes the best hash browns. I don't doubt it a bit.
We then spent a couple hours at the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls. It's a cute little zoo. The kids got to ride a camel, pet a Clydesdale, and a giraffe walked across a viewing area over to where Henry was taking pictures, so he got some good close-ups. But in the 90 degree heat, we decided we had seen enough and wanted to get settled at the campground and head to the pool to cool off.One of the great things about camping is meeting interesting folks along the way. Henry and Ruth made a friend at the campground today - his name is Mason, he's from Georgia and he's almost 8. Mason has a thick southern accent and his personality is bigger than his little body. He hung with us for awhile and even tried to teach Henry and Ruth how to ride his bike.
If you haven't been out to this part of the country, one thing that takes getting used to is it getting dark so late. Henry and Ruth were fried, but it was hard to get them to go to bed when it was still light out - at 9:30 p.m. It would be okay if they slept late, but they get up at regular time, which usually means Ruth spends a bit of the day grouchy. That's not fun for any of us.
Well, I'm a bit tired myself. I'll add some pictures to the slide show and call it a night. Tomorrow we're off to the Badlands.
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