We left Sioux Falls on Sunday and headed to Oacoma, SD to a beautiful campground on the Missouri River that Rick and Jaye had told us about.

One of the fun things about our travel is the "stuff" you see along the side of the road ~ NO I don't mean litter.  Like the "world's largest bulls head"!  No seriously, isn't everyone longing to see such a thing?  Well as we drove along Interstate 90, through Montrose, SD there is was ~ the bulls head I'd been waiting to see.  This is part of Porters Sculpture Park, which we should have gone to visit while we were in Sioux Falls.  Oh yeah, that's right it was so darned hot we didn't go out much during the day!

Further along (but not much further, because they go for hundreds of miles in each direction, we started to see the Wall Drug signs ~ they just crack me up, they are so "hokie" ~ like the South of the Border signs in the Carolinas.

Then we came to a rest area on the east side of the Missouri River ~ what a gorgeous view of the river.  The campground we are at is on the western shore of the river.

South Dakota really knows how to do rest areas - they are so gorgeous.  With so many states closing rest areas this was wonderful to see.  We were in one state (can't remember which one, other than MA, but that's an entirely different story) that had closed their Welcome Centers as you cross into their state on the interstate.  I'm not sure the various departments of transportation or departments of tourism realize the value of rest areas, and especially welcome centers, to those of us on the road.  No, I don't mean as a free campground (we've only slept in one once in 2 1/2 years) I mean as a source of valuable information as to where we'll be spending our money in their state, and as a means to showcase their state.  My interpretation of these closed facilities is that the particular state doesn't feel they have anything to showcase and they don't particularly care if we will be spending our money there ~ not a great message to be sending these days, do you think?

Anyway, this particular rest area was also the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center ~ Kimberly it made me think of our time in Council Bluffs and Omaha and the ride we took that Saturday and the re-enactment we saw.  You would LOVE this area ~ it is thick with Lewis and Clark history.  Much as history really bores me, I have found some of it interesting, as in how the river has changed and the wildlife they encountered along the way (they referred to prairie dogs as barking squirrels).  

This particular stop had several picnic tables overlooking the river, as well as walking paths and viewing areas.

I think today we will take a ride up the east side of the river to a dam about 20 miles away and Sir can have some swimming time.  

There's also a quilt shop in town that I'd like to visit.  We will be leaving here tomorrow morning headed to Sturgis for a few days - who knows it may be a week and a half.  We will definitely be leaving there on or before 7/31 when the rates go up because of the motorcycle rally.