Day 26, July 10, 2015, Chamberlain, SD to Mitchell, SD, 74 miles and 1000 feet of climbing.   The march east continues.  I was on the road at 6:30 a.m. and pulled into Mitchell just after noon.  The weather was a repeat of what we have experienced over and over again on this trip.  It’s cool, calm and pleasant in the morning and as we approach noon it heats up.  The only really out of ordinary weather we had today was the wind, at about 12 mph out of the south (right at our right side as we headed east).  Though I got a good 8 hours of sleep last night I was tired all day.  After checking into the motel and eating a quick lunch I pulled the sheets back on the bed and took a two hour nap.  I have not done that in a long time and it felt good.  We had our daily RAP meeting at 4:30 p.m. to get our maps and plan for tomorrow and then went to dinner.  Dinner was next door at a Mexican restaurant and it was fabulous.  As I sit here typing this, I am moaning, “I am never going to eat again.”  The food on this trip has been quite good.  We have had a good combination of buffets (served at motels or restaurants), limited/select menus at nearby restaurants and like tonight order anything off the menu that you want.  I can’t complain.  We have had plenty of “fuel” and some of it has been quite tasty!  Breakfasts are normally motel continental breakfasts with an occasional “off site” breakfast at a local restaurant.  Normally I pass on the offsite breakfasts as I have my “Wild Rose Granola Gold” and when I pair that with some O.J. and yogurt I am ready to attack the road.  Eating Leisa’s cereal motivates me to pedal east and home.  It is as sweet as she is and like her love, it is all I need!!  Tomorrow we continue on down the road 70 miles to Sioux Falls and a much need rest day on Sunday. 

 

Leaving Chamberlain, SD

 

My guardian angel continues to look after me!!

 

Now here's a prosperous looking place.

 

Picture of my wounded bike.  The shifter controlling the back 10 gears broke.  We were able to cobble together the bar end shifter so that I can ride. It took some getting used to.  Tomorrow I will be picking up a new set of shifters and my bike will be whole again.  Hooray!!