Since this was to be another day without lunch, we headed back to Miller's Landing for breakfast. Boy those sausages are good. After a quick stop for gas we were finally headed West toward home.
We gave some thought to staying in Rapid City, South Dakota tonight, but extending the driving day from four and a half to nine and a half hours lost out in the end.
With lots of extra time we headed for Sutherland, Iowa, where my grandmother was born and raised. We found the house she lived in and I had a short conversation with the guy that lives there now. With a population of only 645 hardy souls Sutherland is a small town, so it didn't take us long to drive the streets. Yes, the downtown is one block long. Parking is not only at the both curbs, but also down the middle of the street.
Traveling two lane roads from one small town to another and flanked by farms we encountered a flurry of activity and dust. According to the waitress at Miller's Landing (who's husband is a farmer) the time has come to get the corn and soybeans (around here simply known as beans) harvested. So, the activity was harvesting and the dust the result thereof.
Once again small towns announced themselves with water tower and grain elevator. Reaching the 151 mile mark we stopped for coffee at the Inwood, Iowa all-in-one gas station, cafe, grocery store. On the way out I asked the older guy behind the counter how to get to Minnesota. He mumbled something about around a curve, a paved road and Interstate 90. I decided to trust the lady in the dash and we ended up in Luverne, MN. From there it was a short drive into Mitchell.
Too early to check into our motel we headed for Cabela's. No second floor or mountain, but still a nice store. A lot of looking and only one purchase kept our financial future on an even keel.
While driving in Barb researched the internet for dining in Mitchell and came up with several options. We settled on Chef Louie's Steak House based on a near perfect Yelp rating. We both opted for the bacon wrapped filet and baked potato then finished with a shared creme brulee. Oh, and a really good merlot. If you are ever in Mitchell, go to this place.
A couple of observations. First, South Dakota has more road kill than any state we've been in. Even more than Texas. Second, in Iowa you best like Bud Lite, Coors Lite or Miller Lite or you will be thirsty. Third, the bugs in South Dakota are large and they leave really big white splotches on the windshield.
Tomorrow we have a fairly short drive to Rapid City, South Dakota. 297 miles today.
Posted from my iPad
Old barn
Humboldt, Iowa
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