Cycle Across America – Day 49

Fort Thomson to Wessington Springs

44miles / 1,814ft climb

Today, I cycled my 2,000th mile in pursuit of our 4,500 mile Cycle Across America challenge. We are nearly at the halfway point.

We have left the reservation, feeling slightly unsettled by a police presence we haven’t observed anywhere else and by security guards at every premises we visited and bag checks before entering the casino restaurant. Signs everywhere dictating no drugs and no guns suggested that there may be problems with both. Our motel, attached to the casino, had multiple of these signs, along with a list of barred individuals, the requirement for a security deposit and compulsory room checks before departing. Witnessing a late evening eviction from our, the only, motel in town, reinforced our sense that just under the surface a tension and disquiet was present. Yet, the people we met were lovely. The waiters and waitresses, the motel receptionist and the casino security manager all went out of their way to help us.

Our visit provided yet another chance to observe and briefly engage with cultures, customs and ways of life completely different to our own and our journey is absolutely fascinating.

The road was straight but undulating. There was just under 2,000ft of climb and my legs and lungs have become so used to this, they hardly noticed at all. The air was much cooler today which made for a refreshing change. The black storm clouds that hovered just behind us for the first few miles eventually caught up with us and we took shelter under some trees on one of the long driveways to one of the very few properties on our route. The route was unremarkable and we made good time.

Once again, there is nowhere to eat, so for supper, we each microwave a frozen meal bought from the only shop open, we play a few hands of cards and have an early night. As well as fascinating, life on the road can be incredibly simple.