Howard Dean spoke about the possibility of harnessing the already powerful wind valley that sweeps down from Canada through North and South Dakota. That's fine and dandy when you are speaking about it from a cozy cabin in Vermont but give me a calm forest any day. I have to admit the wide open prairies are beautiful and western South Dakota also contains the wonderful Black Hills and Badlands. It's the vast middle of the state made famous from dramatic panoramas seen in Costner's Dances with Wolves that really slow you down.

Our longest time off happened in South Dakota and it was both difficult and wonderful. When your body begins getting used to the rhythm of riding every day it is harder to stop then keep going even for a little while. But by the time we got to Brookings, getting back on to the bike was the last thing we thought of while gorging ourselves on good home cooking. It was good to be home for a little while and we really enjoyed those last few days off in the middle of the country with family, good food, and lots of rest.