Sioux Falls, SD to Farwell, Nebraska

I slept surprisingly well last night in this old fashioned motel off the highway in Sioux Falls and awoke quite refreshed around 7:30.  Since I had promised Tramp I would take her for a walk in the park if we woke early, I got up and did my emails and packed the car.  We set out for Starbucks first - I need my triple venti cap - and then for Falls Park.

There are many levels to the Falls

The Falls of the Big Sioux River are the center of recreational and geographic activities of the city.  It must be wondrous for the people who live here to have this special beauty in the heart of their city - a place to walk, to sit, to contemplate.  The park is over 40 acres, tiny in comparison to the nearly 800 acres of central park in NYC, but it is a bit of magic with over 7400 galleons of water dropping over 100 feet every second.

It's a LOT of water....

I had to keep Tramp on a tight lead as we walked the paths along the river and falls.  She was determined to find a way in the water and I was sure she'd be swept down and over the rocks if she got anywhere near.  It wasn't much fun for either of us as she struggled to get free of me and I struggled to keep her on the path.  Eventually we came upon a pool that was still and calm and I let her off the leash and in an instant she was swimming and smiling.  That made our time in the park much more fun.  We spent about an hour there and then got back into our car to head west and south into Nebraska.

I am driving county roads on this trip, avoiding the more trafficked interstate highways.  These county roads are in terrific condition for the most part, almost completely devoid of traffic with the exception of the occasional farm vehicle and they have the added advantage of taking me through towns every 40 or 50 miles so that I get a better sense of how people actually live here.  On the downside, they don't have rest stops or public parks nearby so that when we are ready to stop for a picnic or to stretch our backs and legs, it is more difficult to find a pretty place to do that.  Despite this significant drawback, I am pleased to be driving these roads and will continue to do so as I continue in Nebraska tomorrow and then into Colorado on Saturday.

This section of Northeastern Nebraska is more rolling hills than we typically think of this state.  I guess most of Nebraska is flat plateau land, but here, it is more like Minnesota with yet even bigger farms.  Here I think they must measure the fields in terms of miles rather than acres.  They just keep going.  Mostly the fields are corn.  Corn up to the proverbial elephant's eye.  Corn from here to the horizon.  More corn than you could ever imagine the world needing.  Why do we ever produce so much corn???  Honestly.

Occasionally there is another crop besides the corn.  I don't know if its soybeans or what, but it is a low and dense and dark green crop that is a beautiful contrast to the tall, wavy, and gold brown gleam of the corn in the sunshine.

The Farwell  Arms

I have stopped for the night at a B&B in the town of Farwell, population about 100.  What this particular Victorian structure is doing in this town I do not know - it is quite out of place in this community.  But it is very comfortable and Tramp and I are quite happy here.  We arrived around 3 and after chatting for a while with the innkeeper, we sat on the porch, on a swing, and read enjoying the strong, warm breezes and sipping on cold, delicious well water.

After a few hours we took the camera and went for a walk.  We found a small pond and Tramp went for a swim and came out black and gray.  I don't know what the purpose of the pond is, but I don't think it is a swimming hole.  The grasses around the pond were taller than Tramp and she had to jump rather than walk or run to get through them. It was terrific exercise for her and I think she was incredibly happy.  Her genetic disposition is farm dog, and I really think she feels much more comfortable in this environment than she does in the noisy city despite spending her whole life around concrete and cars.   When we got back to the inn we both went into the very large jacuzzi tub and thoroughly washed out the muck, the grasses, and the thorns.  We are both sweet smelling and refreshed - and ready to curl up in bed.

Tomorrow we drive west to Ogallala, Nebraska near the Colorado border  I have the distinct feeling I've been there before, perhaps with Chip.  I am curious to see if it brings back any memories.  I expect to cross into a very different kind of geography as we move into more desert and high plains.  If I can, I will stop at the Sandhills which is supposed to be a beautiful scenic part of the landscape here.