Introduction

 Cold and damp would be a good summary of the weather today.  It rained all last night and this morning when I checked the weather it said rain would let up at 8:00am so Dianne did not get up till it did slow down a little.  

We had breakfast of English muffin and coffee and loaded up without any rain.  Then I visited the fire fighter bike group next door who were also getting ready to leave on their big bikes.  They suggested the Ruckus were easier to handle and ride than their bikes.  But when I told how far we have been and how far we are going they said maybe not so comfortable.  

There were two routes to choose from.  The one on the west side of the river was shorter but required crossing the Missouri river on a 2 lane bridge.  The one on the east or north side was 20 mile longer but had a local 4 lane bridge to cross over on.  Dianne preferred the longer route for comfort reasons.  So we rode 129 miles down route 1804 in North and South Dakota.  The rain stoped at 11 am and it became a fair day to ride although this morning had a lot of drizzle for a couple of hours.  The new coats worked well.  I at least stayed dry if not entirely warm.  

Passed though the town of Pollock, Named after a local minister.  As they put dams up on the Missouri River the original site of the town was to be flooded over so they moved the town.  The town sign said population was 196.  As this town did not have a gas station I decided to use some from my spare emergency can.  Good thing too as when I finished in Mobridge and refilled it required 2.5 gallons meaning we would not have made it.  

Mobridge was founded in 1906 and got it’s name by contraction of Missouri Bridge build by the railroad.  This bridge had to be replaced when the dam was build as it too low.  There is a rummer here Sitting Bull was buried here.  He died in Fort Yeats and it is believed was re-buried as it was closer to his place of brith.  

Other notes:

• Traffic outside of the city was very light only 40 cars ands pickups combined in the 125 miles.
• Saw 1 deer and tired to run across the road a fence kept him in so finally he turned around and ran the other way.
• There was a flock of turkeys on the side of the road
• Scared off three Buzzards eating a very stinky dead skunk on the side of the road.
• A lot of Gas stations here have a casino in them
• The first thing listed when you google Mobridge is “ice fishing”