Day 25 Week 4

Continued on up into Minnesota and then on into South Dakota today. I am in Mitchell South Dakota tonight. Really nothing to see except hundreds of miles of freshly ploughed corn fields ready for the spring planting.

 Corn fields

More cornfields

Hundreds of miles on........more cornfields.

And still more......

Finally something different, a big sculpture in South Dakota.

I stopped in at a Walmart in Mason City, Iowa to get a Subway. Everything seemed to be shut because of Easter Sunday except Walmart and they always have a Subway inside. As soon as I spoke, the lady behind the counter said “Australia right?” I said “Yeah, how could you tell?” she said she had been married to an Aussie for 6 years she had met on the internet.  The young girl working with her came over and said “I dated an Australian for a while.” I said “How did you meet him” She said “Internet” We then had a discussion about how that is the only way the women in these little towns meet blokes. Anyway, the older lady then said to me “What are you doing in Iowa?” I told her I was just travelling around and she said “Yeah...but Iowa?” I then explained that I was heading back to LA via South Dakota and Iowa just happened to be in the way. She understood then.

After I got back out to the car, I started to drive off and the low tyre pressure warning light came on. I had just checked the tyres about 20 miles back with a bodgey tyre inflation nozzle so I had probably damaged the valve or it was stuck or something. I popped into the nearest Servo and checked all the tyres and one was down to 22 pounds.  I filled it up again and topped off the petrol. When I went to pay, the girl at the counter tipped her head to the side and with a real inquisitive look on her face, said “Are you from Australia” I said I was and she said “I am sorry but I need to know, what are you doing in Iowa?” I said “Just passing through” And with that she seemed to understand and smiled and was happy after that. They don’t seem to get to many Aussies around these parts, except for the internet Casanova’s.  

Anyway, tomorrow I am off to Mt Rushmore and the Crazy Horse monument and then on to Deadwood to spend the night.