Day 28, Sunday, July 12, 2015, Sioux Falls, SD, Rest Day.  Oh how I needed this day.  Slept till 7:30 a.m. , the first time I slept beyond 5:00 a.m. the entire trip.  Awoke feeling refreshed and rested.  Ate breakfast and went out In search of, you guessed it, Espresso!  Found a Starbucks 3 blocks from the motel and enjoyed a leisurely two quads of Espressos!  The plains of South Dakota could be nicknamed an “Espresso Dessert”.  I can’t remember the last time I have been able to enjoy my beloved brew!!  Walked back to the motel, had a face time visit with Garrett and Ezra (oh and Sarah too).  I then got my riding gear on and headed out to see what I could find.  Sioux Falls is a bicyclist’s paradise.  There are miles of superb bike baths and green spaces that ring the city.  I accessed a path ¼ mile from the motel that follows the Sioux River downtown to the Sioux Falls. The Falls were gorgeous and I spent quite a bit of time taking them in.  I then went into the downtown area and had a brunch of crab, wild mushroom and goat cheese frittata, that was delish!  I then got back on the path, found a shaded bench, made some phone calls and took a nap.  Oh what a life I am living.  My new shifters on the bike worked flawlessly and I am certain that my trusty machine is up to my final leg of this trip.  Tomorrow we head on to Minnesota, then Wisconsin to catch the ferry to Ludington, Michigan.  From Ludington my final leg of the trip will be a 100 mile climb “up to” Mt. Pleasant, on July 21^st, where I will be greeted with a warm and welcome embrace from my Wild Rose.  Oh how I anticipate that!!  But between now and then I will arise early, hit the road and experience this grand country of ours from the seat of a bicycle.  I am truly living my dream.

 

Pics of Sioux Falls.  You can see dowtown in the background.

 

View from an observation tower.

 

I had a nice chat with this guy.  We have a lot i common!!