Today's Report: 

It's nice to have an easy day once in a while...today was just that except for the pesky crosswinds that made bike handling a bit sketchy.  I guess I have to also mention the nice climb into the wind that awaited the riders right around the corner from the motel...a little leg waker upper to be sure.  As far as the winds were concerned, we were really lucky that the winds weren't 15 degrees more out of the east or we'd probably still be out there.  As it were, they were just off our right shoulder and only affected the handling but not the speed too much; however, every time we got close to a town, the road would always bend to the south for about a half mile which gave us a real taste of what it would have been like had we been going another direction. 

After a leisurely load, the riders headed downtown for a hearty breakfast buffet to get them started.  I was sweep today so Karen rode with me to keep me company.  We release the sweep after the last SAG or until we get everyone within manageable range of the vans.  We took time off from bouncing off the back riders to tour a couple towns like Pukwana and White Lake on our way to our only Sag today at the 36 mile point.  I really enjoy seeing the small western towns...they are still viable to some extent and still have a proud heritage.  They are so small that many of their streets are not even paved...usually only the main street through town is paved and all the neighborhoods are gravel. 

One thing we found interesting was that Pukwana had lawnmower races on Saturday evenings...now that would be something not to miss if we were in the area on the weekend.  As Karen and I rode by, a lady was walking and she confirmed that fact.  "You folks should come back and see the races this weekend...you would be glad you did," She said.  I wonder if they have different categories...maybe riding, self propelled, or push mowers...3 horsepower category...who knows?  I wonder if the contestants are graded on the uniformity of the cut of grass...do they have a bag category...does edging count for anything?  I'm sure someone like Tall Greengrass or Oscar Mower are the local favorites and they usually just mow down the competition...this could go on and on and...well you get the picture.  When Karen and I are at the back and piddling, we have a lot of time to think up this stuff.

Today's route only reinforced my opinion of South Dakota as the state with the most roads that go off into nowhere.  I know, I've said that before, but it seems to keep coming up. At least today riders saw some trees lining the roadway, but several times the road was so straight and flat that it seemed to go on forever. Over the course of the entire 71-mile route today, I think riders saw maybe 3 stores, until they arrived in Mitchell.  Yep, it's really desolate out here, but they ARE improving the roads as we were confronted with 2 road closures last year that were smooth and fast this year. 

Our destination today was "a-maize-ing" Mitchell, SD...a little corn crazy prairie town (its radio call letters are KORN) and home to the world's one-and-only Corn Palace.  The citizens of Mitchell built the first Corn Palace in 1892 when some of the early settlers decided to put some of their harvest on, rather than in, the concrete reinforced building with its dome and four turrets.  Now, every spring, about 20 local residents are contracted to redecorate the exterior of the building with with over 275,000 ears of native South Dakota corn along with native grain and grasses arranged into large murals.  Each color of corn (and they use 11 different color varieties) is grown in separate fields so it won't cross-pollinate by local corn grower extraordinaire, Dean Strand.  One might say it's a large "corn by numbers" project as the pattern is drawn on black roofing paper and is marked with which color goes where to make the design. 

The Corn Palace serves more than just one purpose...it's a tourist draw, it's a huge auditorium for touring celebrities, it's a sports arena for the various Kernels teams, and it's the locus of Corn Palace Week, the high water mark of Mitchell's yearly social calendar.  As a sports arena, it is often referred to as the "Boston Garden of the Midwest."  Corn Palace Week marks the end of the harvest and the beginning of planning for next year's Palace theme.  The Corn Palace has one more title: World's Largest Bird Feeder. After Corn Palace Week ends and winter sets in, local pigeons, squirrels, and birds make a feast of the murals.

Almost everyone got in early today (some well before noon) and spent the afternoon sightseeing downtown...or eating ice cream (right).  The town has an interesting historical district but mostly it's a tourist trap around the Corn Palace.  Last year was the first time I had a chance to see the inside.  I must say...well, never mind.  Suffice it to say it was interesting...well worth the trip from Astoria to see.

We have only one more day in SD before we have another day off.  I'm ready and I'm sure the riders are too.  Tomorrow we ride to Sioux Falls...See you then.   

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