Ellsworth AFB, SD

Today was a very pleasant day. We got on I-90 at exit 399 in Sioux Falls, SD and got off at exit 67 near Rapid City, SD. For the mathematically challenged that’s 332 miles of straight west interstate with a speed limit of 75. We don't do 75. Our first stop was in Mitchell at the Corn Palace. It’s a worthwhile stop. There are pictures, both inside and out that are done fresh every year using nothing but ears of corn as the artist’s medium. I included an outside picture which doesn’t show the individual ears and an inside picture which does. We made one stop for lunch at a rest area and another, later in the day, at a scenic overlook.
One would think, without having been here, that 330 miles in SD on I-90 would be a mind-numbing, boring day. Let me assure you that “boring” it was not. It is very pleasant to be in an environment where you can see 50 miles without being on a mountaintop. Every time we crested a ridge there was a new panorama of every shade of green and yellow and tan extending to a distant horizon (just as Ann said). It does, however, create a greater appreciation for the Conestoga generation. We climbed to 3,000 feet today which explains, of course, why the mileage dropped to 7.3 mpg.
It was nice today, as we were backing into site 16 at the Famcamp at Ellsworth AFB, to watch a B-1 turning final. It was also very pleasant, as the national anthem sounded loud and clear at 1700, to stand and proudly salute again.