Day 5 Fargo, North Dakota to Hill City, South Dakota

 We got up early to get started on another long day of driving. We left Fargo and drove west to Bismarck then headed due south right through the middle of North and South Dakota. It was an amazing drive through absolutely nothing except rolling prairie and cows. No cars, few if any houses, no phone connections, no nothing for at least 300 miles, and it was interestingly beautiful. You could see prairie for forever, and could drive for miles without seeing another vehicle. The whole drive was over 500 miles and were lucky we got gas before we left because it was more than a hundred miles between gas stations, and the ones we saw were like you'd see in a 1940's movie.

Dakota Drive

Our destination was Hill City in the Black Hills about 40 miles southwest of Rapid City. On the way we drove through Sturgis and Keystone where, at the recommendation of a friend, suggested that we turn off on to Cemetery road until it turns to dirt, then up the hill to the top of the cemetery where you can see Mount Rushmore. It was pretty neat and we didn't have to fight the crowds.  We arrived in Hill City midafternoon and drove through town which is maybe 5 blocks long before checking in our hotel, which fortunately had our reservation. 

After walking around the very touristy town checking out the t-shirt and trinket shops we stopped and had a refreshment at the Mangy Moose Saloon where we chatted with a couple from Iowa who brought their side by side along and had spent a week driving it around the Black Hills. I suppose it's the thing to do because we must have seen a hundred muddy side by sides driving around town. Anyhow, we ended up walking over to Mangiamo Wood Fired Pizza and had a pizza and a Caprese plate. Both were okay, but the waitress was fabulous. Her name was Lauren and she was a college student from Sioux Falls working here for the summer. She chatted with us for a relatively long time and gave us a detailed hand written note on where to go and what to do in each place. Everybody we've talked to on this trip has been so nice, but she was more than that.

Afterwards we went back to the hotel and called it a day. Tomorrow we're thinking of driving the Badlands. It's an hour and a half away, but everyone says it's something we should really do.

Lauren's Note