Day 70 - 8/16/16 Riverton to Crowheart, WY

Man, some of these small towns can get to you.  Crowheart is basically just a name on the map to match the name of the convenient store in town.  There's no park or public space or anything here, the store clerk said it's pretty much ranches and a store.  I haven't tried to look around yet but I'm pretty sure this picnic table in front of the store is the center of town.  I don't have any service to look up anything nearby but I think it's just wide open spaces until Dubois 30 miles away.  I guess I'll keep sitting here until the store closes tonight and then figure out what to do.

Day 56 - 8/2/16 Burke to Witten, SD

I'm so excited to get to the Badlands.  Most people I meet tell me I'm going to love it.  I already know I am.  I'm just looking forward to seeing some other terrain besides big, open spaces.  I want some hills and mountains to break up the monotony of seeing the same thing for 50 miles.  

I'm sure I'll be regretting this wish in a couple weeks but, big hills are inevitable on this trip, especially in the Western half of the country.  I'm also excited for the Badlands because I know seeing some dramatic, beautiful nature is going to get my blood pumping.  There's not much excitement in these big green fields after a couple weeks of riding through them.  Change is good and it is just on the horizon.  

I really love ending each day in a new little town.  There aren't many streets in Witten and it doesn't look like any of them are paved.  I wonder if there are any kids in this town.  There's a slide and a swingset at the park and that's all there is.  I heard these towns have a downside to them too, even beyond the fact that there's not many forms of entertainment.  I met a cool dude named Casey last night before I went to bed.  

He loves living in Burke, hanging out with his dogs and girlfriend in his yard, gardening and just enjoying the sound of his sprinkler watering his vegetables.  But, they both said people in small towns know everything about you, both good and bad.  

Seems like there's the potential for some high tension and drama that you canmg escape just by going home.  I still think there's a lot of rewards for living so simply, I'd definitely like to try spending more than a night in one of these little towns.

Day 55 - 8/1/16 Pickstown to Burke, SD

I stayed in a hotel last night and left at 6:00am to beat the heat.  It was already warm and humid before the sun came out so I thought I was going to be in a sweaty situation once it got later but, the heat never came.  If anything, it just got cloudier and cooler as the morning went on.  

Since I got to South Dakota, I've been noticing sunflowers growing on the side of the road.  They look just like the ones we used to have at work back home.  Some are large but some are real small and dainty.  Most of the ones I've aeen haven't bloomed yet.  On my ride today I saw plenty of these little guys growing between the paved road and the great big fields of grass but then, almost out of nowhere, I came across an entire field of 6 foot tall sunflowers, all yellow in bloom.

 

 I wanted so badly to just float up over them and just be cradled on their yellow petals.  They stretched into the hazy distance just like all the corn fields I've seen but, sunflowers are just incomparably beautiful next to corn and soy.  As I kept riding, a kind woman pulled over in her pickup truck, offering me a ride to the next town.  I could see the sign just over her truck saying Burke was just 7 miles away.  

She was trying to help me avoid getting caught in the rain but, in the back of my mind a little rain sounded pretty good.  I waved as she drove past me and sure enough, the rain came.  I doubt I'll shower tonight so I welcomed the 7 miles of rain like someone performing a rain dance.  

Taking cover in the only coffee shop in this 700 person town, I am amazed and curious as to what it would be like to live in a place like this.