Top Memories -- Riding on the Moon

As I've been home for just under two weeks it is time for me to start organizing photos and enjoying some of the memories of the trip.   Here is the first of several photos and memories I'll share on the blog -- Riding on the Moon -- in South Dakota.

As I looked through the states that we would be riding through on our bike across America, South Dakota was lowest on my list.  Vermont was very high as I'd never seen much of the east coast before.  But South Dakota?  All I could think about was Wall Drug and lots of flat long headwinds as we would go across.  Truth is -- South Dakota was a smashing place to ride a bicycle across.  

One of the highlights was riding through the Badlands.  I had been to the Badlands several years ago and enjoyed it -- even camped there one night.  But generally in a car you just sort of blow bye it and say, "Hmm, that is interesting."  And then you  move on to Mount Rushmore or Wall Drug, depending on your direction.   But to ride for three or four hours through the Badlands with hardly a car around us in the middle of the week with a morning rising sun and 60 other fellow bicylists was great fun -- it was like riding on the moon.

Up until this point along the trip we had been hammering out long distances, huge climbs through Montana and Wyoming and the ride felt slightly like an endurance challenge.   But we all became giddy riding through the Badlands and taking photos as we rode and stopping at east point of interest.  We couldn't stop enough just enjoying the tremendous landscape afforded us on this unique corner of the world.  Just loved it.