Saint Joseph, MO to Sioux Falls, SD

We passed cornfields and more cornfields and farms and more farms. We drove and drove. And we made detours.

So after a leisurely start in Saint Joseph, we finally hit the road heading north to Sioux Falls, SD. We made some detours here there and yonder: Mound City, Iowa, Brownville, Nebraska, and finally to Sioux Falls. We stopped at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, but they were closed and part of the car tour was closed (so we couldn't connect to the road north of the center). Disappointed, we hit the road again.  (Side note: Why doesn't Iowa have a giant sign for pictures? We improvised with a t-shirt.)

Mom discovered that she likes B.O.B., the hip-hop artist. And for those of you who know my mom, this is a real stretch. (In case you haven't figured it out yet, we are very different people with very different outlooks on life.) 

Once in Sioux Falls, we tried to get to Falls Park but all of the streets were blocked off for a biker festival... I am not one for crowds, so we decided to head over to the Duluth Trading Company.  I always love their marketing and my husband has some stuff, so it was very neat to see a storefront. The nicest man told us some great places to stop on our way to Badlands National Park and recommended JL Beers across the street for dinner. While nothing fancy, the food was good, the waitstaff was great, and the beer was needed.They even give you a postcard to fill out and they will stamp it and mail if for you! How cool is that?

 If you're ever in Sioux Falls, take note of the amazing sculptures they have lining the sidewalks in the downtown area. It's truly a neat town. 

Finally, we made it to Hilton Garden Inn for the evening. Mom got the win of the day when she found my long lost gloves in the bottom of the suitcase she is using. 

• Today's Stats:  335 miles, 2 states, 1 NPS stop.
• Running Stats: 982 miles, 6 states, 2 NPS stops.