Sisters To St. Paul
Day 10

 

 

Date: August 3, 2005

Route: Grand Tetons to Black Hills

Distance: 500 miles

Ride Time: 9 hours driving

Elevation Climbed: NA

Weather: sunny

 

Log

 

We were on the road at first light to make the long drive to Keystone, South Dakota. The first 65 miles were stunning with the sun rising as we were making our last crossing of the Continental Divide. I believe this is my highest pass yet and I wish I had been riding my bicycle. The high meadows were still bright with wildflowers. As we passed from west to east, I assiduously watched the direction that the creek flowed … verifying personally that the map was not in error. Jon stopped in Dubois, a town very much like Sisters, for an espresso.

The scenery was numbing the next 400 miles. I dozed and worked on the computer. We saw miles of coal cars filled to the brim on their way, I assume, to Newcastle (WY). We also saw several herds of antelope grazing contentedly in the alfalfa fields.

I perked up as we neared the border. South Dakota is a new state for me and I wanted to capture the welcome sign. We zoomed past it and Jon screeched to a halt then backed up on the freeway (a Midwestern thing?) in order to get the shot. If I look a little sleepy and rattled, it’s because I am.

If I do say so myself, I have done a commendable job finding suitable lodging … off the beaten track, comfortable while neither seedy nor toney. I found the Roosevelt Hotel on the internet and it looked perfect. The picture showed a white stately building tucked up in the woods at the foot of Mt. Rushmore. I knew nothing about the town of Keystone except that the location was in the center of the Black Hills, just where we wanted to be. I was excited to cycle on the Peter Norbeck Scenic Highway and through Custer State Park. To cut to the chase, we landed in the lap of consumerism at its worst. I had no idea that Keystone is a tourist trap … big time! This is the view from our balcony. In case you’re interested, we are within 2 blocks of a Dairy Queen, a Wendys, 2 pizza parlours, 2 tee shirt shops, a deli, 3 generic fast food restaurants, a tram, an alpine slide, and a wax museum. Oh, did I mention the heliport?