to Belle Fourche: To the geographic center of the USA

September 11, 2017

The climb out of Deadwood tells us we are in no shape today to go very far. The long day yesterday took a lot out of us, so instead of a long day today and a short one the next, we reverse the sequence. Today a short one to Belle Fourche, tomorrow a longer one to Devils Tower.

After the climb we have a long descent all the way to Interstate 90, then rolling to St. Onge and on to Belle Fourche. The geographic center of the USA when you include Alaska and Hawaii is located somewhere in a field near here, so they installed a monument to memorialize this in a more convenient location downtown. We take some photos, then find the Riverside Campground. There is some construction going on, and the campground only has permanent residents, but there is a descent enough shower, power and WiFi. We laze the afternoon away, have dinner at a sportsbar and laze some more. We both needed this half restday.

Our friend Dan had sent us some Trader Joes dried cherries "for use during dire circumstances". We carried them from Illinois and nothing had seemed dire enough. So now we have started adding them to our oatmeal. Hopefully we did not jinx ourselves....

Abandoned two story stone and wood farmhouse near St. Onge.

South Dakota has standardized memorial signs along its highways. This is a bad spot.

Another old farmhouse in the South Dakota hills.

Belle Fourche courthouse. The flag is still flying high, later today it will be lowered to half mast in remembrance of 9-11.

Belle Fourche is the geographic center of the United States, if you include Hawaii and Alaska. Of course there is a monument for this.

Today's ride: 46 km (29 miles)
Total: 39,283 km (24,395 miles)

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