We had a wonderful night at Red Shale campground, complete with campfire and tunes outside. In the morning, the rolling hills of Montana gave way to the prairie flats of South Dakota. We gave Coco a dose of gravol before hitting the highway and it made all the difference - she was able to calmly sit in the backseat showing no distress. So we were able to put in seven hours of driving and get midway through the state.
Thanks to the great website Freecampsites.net we were able to find another free camping gem for the night - Bryne Lake near Kennebec (pop. 284 or 240 depending on which sign you trust). We had the whole lake and grassy field to ourselves, only disturbed periodically by the crack of gunshots from the nearby hunting lodge.
Which brings me to my thoughts on South Dakota...it’s a pretty creepy place. Signs like “No Hunting” at the entrance to a rest stop are apparently needed. Anti-abortion and Bible verse billboards every few miles. Roadside attractions such as the Corn Palace (“Your eyes won’t believe our 275,000 ears!”) and Petrified Gardens. A good percentage of the local population in camo gear.
On our way to Bryne Lake, we got a friendly wave from a fellow in his yard cleaning his assault rifle. The outhouse at the campground looked like it was used for assassin practice. Not to mention the mind-numbing flatness. Which, to be fair, allowed us to blast through the state pretty quickly. Phew!
In southern Minnesota now scooting along the I90. First impressions - better cell coverage but worst roads. It’s a toss-up. You can always tell when you are crossing state lines as the highway conditions change.
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