Tuesday morning we made the 34 mile ride to Madison on our scooter. I’m really impressed with the performance of our Kymco Downtown 300i scooter. We’ve ridden just about 200 miles in the last week “two up” at 60 – 65 mph and it just purrs along at 6,000 rpm.

It hasn’t missed a beat, It doesn’t burn any oil and we’re getting better than 60 mpg. We have storage space under the seat and it also has a folding hook to hang a grocery bag between the rider’s knees. This makes shopping a breeze. I can even situate a case of beer between my knees and ride comfortably!

In Madison we obtained our driver’s licenses (Donna was happy with her photo on her license) and also met with the insurance agent. Elizabeth at Kundert-Williams Insurance had sent me a quote for the RV, trailer and scooter. We went with her package which is a Progressive Insurance full-time RV policy that also covers the trailer. The full-time RV policy is an important point. When you live in your RV, you shouldn’t insure it like it’s a car. The coverage we chose is more like a hybrid auto/homeowner policy. We also chose Progressive for the scooter.

Yesterday we packed up and drove the motorhome to Mitchell. We enjoyed the scenery and quiet time at the Camp America RV park in Salem. But there was a trade off.

We had to deal with flies which kept us from dining outside. Also the water pressure was erratic, ranging from zero (no water!) to more than 60 psi. Their wifi was also erratic. When the campground filled up with visitors, the wifi was either very slow or wouldn’t connect at all. Overall, next time through here I think we’ll choose another spot.

Sunset at Camp America RV Park

We parked in a large lot next to the Ford dealership in Mitchell and walked a couple of blocks to the attorney’s office. We signed our wills and health care directives. This was our final order of business establishing us as South Dakotans.

We hit I-90 westbound and were uncertain of how far we would go. It was already after 10am. We made a stop at a super rest area just east of the Missouri River. I call it super, because it’s more than what you would expect to find at an interstate rest stop. They had an RV dump station and a visitor information center that was practically a Lewis and Clark museum. In the back was a scenic overlook of the Missouri River. Impressive, right? That’s how they roll in our new home state of South Dakota.

Donna at the Missouri River scenic overlook

Across the Wide Missouri is the title of a book written by historian Bernard DeVoto. It’s about the mountain man era (1820 – 1840) and the Rocky Mountain fur trade. I read it about 20 years ago and remembered it as we looked at the river. When we crossed the wide Missouri, I truly felt that we were entering the western US. The terrain immediately changed from flat prairie farmland to rolling hills. I love this part of our country. The open space, the expansive vistas and the wildlife are a treat and I was smiling as we drove along.

The wide Missouri

Donna worked in her co-pilot’s seat on her laptop. She was writing her monthly newsletter while I drove. She looked out and spotted deer in a field at one point. We snacked instead of stopping for lunch and drove straight on through to Wall, South Dakota.

On I-90 for about 300 miles in each direction from Wall, South Dakota, you’ll see signs luring you to stop at Wall Drug.  According to Wikipedia, Wall Drug spends $400,000 per year on billboards. Wall Drug is a store that occupies a city block in the town of Wall, South Dakota. It’s sometimes described as a mall, but it’s all one store consisting of gift shops, outdoor supplies, cafes and yes, a drug store.

Wall Drug

They offer 5 cent coffee and free ice water. This store with it’s marketing gimmicks draws two million visitors annually to a town with a population of less than 800 people. We had to stop. There are several parking areas designated for Wall Drug, we found an RV-friendly spot. We had lunch in the cafe and wandered around.

Donna’s new friend at Wall Drug

It was raining lightly while we were in Wall. We got back on the road and I decided to push on to Hermosa where we had a reservation at Heartland RV park beginning Thursday. Donna phoned them and found we could come in a day early.  As we drove west, we left the rain behind and had blue skies. We’ll stay here three nights. We want to see Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument while we’re here. That’s our plan for today.

Before we go traipsing off on a tourism quest, I have another task to accomplish. About 19 miles from here is a branch of the Black Hills Credit Union. They are affiliated with Genisys Credit Union which means I can finally deposit the proceeds from the sale of my BMW motorcycle. That is my first order of business after breakfast this morning.

Last night’s dinner – Carmelized Tilapia with green olives and lemon