To read from the beginning, click here.
This is a long-delayed summary of our Dakotas trip. We’re about to embark on another epic tour, so I thought it time to get this one summarized before we start the next.
“The only people who ever get anyplace interesting are the people who get lost.” — Henry David Thoreau
While it’s harder and harder to actually get lost anymore what with detailed atlases in our pockets, we still managed to make a few wrong turns and wandered down some strange rabbit holes. All good though.
We’re often asked about our favorite person/place/thing and we reply, “There were so many, it’s hard to pick one.” Highlights though include Lake Michigan, Madison, WI, Whitewater Wines, Plainview, MN, Prince’s Paisley Park, MN, Teddy Roosevelt N.P. (ND Badlands), Mt. Rushmore, SD Badlands (and Wall Drug, of course), Iowa (yeah, all of it on our private RAGBRAI). We started off visiting Dana’s fam in Akron and were treated to an amazing send off!. It was also great seeing old friends Eric and Wanda in MN and Sarah and Curtis in IN, but we also met a number of great people who helped us along the way. A takeaway: there are good people everywhere and they greatly outnumber anyone meaning you harm (which we NEVER encountered). Strangers took us into their homes and made us feel welcomed and safe. No one asked what party/religion/ethnic-group we were from (and yes, we do realize being white Caucasians is an advantage not all share) before they offered help. All in all, it was a great experience and we wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.
Some statistics from the trip:
| Item | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mileage | 3700+ mi | |
| Avg Daily Distance | 54.4 mi | |
| Median Daily Distance | 57.3 mi | |
| “Normal” Avg Daily Distance | 60.4 mi | On days over 30 miles |
| Longest Day | 102.1 mi | |
| Shortest Day | 6 mi | Not incl. a few “0” days |
| Avg Speed | 10.7 mph | |
| Climbing | 106954 ft | 20 miles up! |
| Camping | 27 nights | |
| Warmshowers Hosts | 22 nights | |
| Friends/Other | 12 nights | 1 on a train |
| Motel | 8 nights | |
| Rain days | 12 | Rained sometime that day, but not while riding |
| Rode in the rain | 7 | |
| Flats | 2 | Both on Papa Hobo |
Since I did one Thoreau quote above, here’s another I like:
“When it’s time to die, let us not discover that we have never lived.” — Henry David Thoreau
To that end, stay tuned for updates on our next trip at the end of January 2026! Happy New Year!
Thanks for the summary. Better late than never!
We are so looking forward to reading about your next adventure and stories from the road.
Have fun, be safe, and if you can’t find any PBRs, maybe go with Foster’s!
We’ll be watching from afar. Steve and Debbie