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Day 3 began well, with
a short ride from Don's place to a little breakfast
shack straight out of a Steinbeck novel. We were parked next to
a log-cabin style place which I figured had to be some sort of business,
but which turned out to be a young couple's home. The breakfast was
very nice and we didn't hurry -- neither did the cook. (The
group that morning)
On the way to breakfast, we'd passed through lots of cornfields, and after breakfast was no different. Contrary to the general opinion about cornfields, I found them not boring exactly, but soothing and actually quite nice scenery. I was sorry to leave them behind later in the trip.
We headed north out of Iowa and finally crossed into Minnesota, where we picked up I-90. We seemed to have finally left the worst of the weather behind and the day was spent normally and at a pretty brisk pace.
EZ wanted
a hot tub!
So we decided
to call ahead to a KOA and reserve a campground, which was a fine idea,
as they purportedly had the much sought-after hot tub.
Unfortunately, somewhere
around Kimball, SD, we began to be treated to a spectacular lighting show
-- a huge storm about 25 miles distant and coming on fast. We gassed up
and booked!
The sun set fast and we drove fast, hitting 90 mph at one point. We were determined to make camp before the rain. Well, we found the KOA without too much trouble and proceeded to setup camp, even as the rain began. The camp owner/director came down and let us know that a horrible storm was about to soak us in ten minutes, but we doggedly kept setting up tents. I got done with mine just as the rain really started. I threw my stuff inside and ran for the recreation area, where Al and Nathan had already parked their bikes under cover.
Al, Nathan, EZ, and I hung out there with two other bikers for about fifteen minutes, and then a very drenched Marje showed up. Another fifteen or twenty minutes went by and the rain let up. I went back to the campsite and was surprised that the inside of my tent was dry and so was my stuff! I grabbed my therapy equipment and went up the the laundry hut, where I could plug the machine in, watch a little TV, and let my socks dry out.
A quick beer and I was in the sack. Slept like the dead that night. An exciting end to the day, surely. 549 miles.
