Days 4-5: From the Eureka White Castle to Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Day 4: A Respite for Weary Travellers

On day 4, we woke up at 10am and had some breakfast. My parents cooked excellent scrambled eggs, bacon, and I made some toast and buttered it. We had some coffee with it. It was coffee made in our Keurig. Well, let’s just say that I was still unimpressed with it. I needed to get back to good coffee…

I finally got to go to white castle! I reveled in the taste of crappy burgers. I seriously have a problem. I know its trash, but I loved it. Well… Not anymore. I put scorpion pepper sauce on them, and 7 hours later my stomach was churning. I had a horrible time of it, and I realized that I’m never eating at white castle again. So long, cowboy. See you on the other side.

We were going to go to Six Flags, but there was a heat advisory. I was pretty dissappointed, so to remedy that which ailed me, I went with my parents to Wal-Mart to get some coffee supplies.

This is my new travel coffee setup! I got the Aeropress, the most efficient camping coffee brewer. I also got a Burr Grinder – they are better in every way to blade grinders for grinding a uniform grind. And lastly I got a gooseneck kettle to heat up and pour the water – and, it’s electric. Very convenient for making quick coffee. I bought some decaf coffee, and then we went twenty minutes to the highlands to get some whole bean coffee from a local coffee shop.

Shoutout to Toasted Coffeehouse in High Ridge, Missouri. They have amazing Ethiopian beans. I tried it the next morning. Speaking of the next morning……

Day 5: From Missouri to South Dakota

And just like that, we were on the road again. We woke up at 6am and I made the new coffee – it was great! I also got a thermos to keep it warm or cold. We packed up, and headed west.

We passed through the lake of the Ozarks this day, and I was in love with the natural wonders I saw. I have a feeling I am going to be even more excited when I get to Yellowstone… and the rockies beyond!

We ate Lunch in Clinton, Missouri, eating at Mallard’s Roadhouse. What a great meal! I had bang bang shrimp tacos. Yum.

We went from Eureka, MO, and went west on interstate 7, and then hit Kansas City.

We rode right through Kansas City, and continued North, where we hit the Iowa-Nebraska border. I watched as rolling hills turned into miles and miles of cornfields. It was immense. I was in awe of America – the vast machinery needed to keep us all fed. It put things into perspective. I felt enamored with the sheer vastness and raw beauty of the landscapes. I truly feel that I am connecting with the lands of America in a way that I never did before. I was truly midwest-sheltered, barely ever setting foot in the west either. I did twice in my life before now. Once to go to California via plane, and another time to go to Las Vegas by plane. But this time, we were driving across the plains, hills, and forests, and I couldn’t feel more connected to the lands.

I got some photographs of the cities and also the landscapes with my film camera. These photos are piling up! I am happy that I got to bring this with me, it’s been a ton of fun, and it’s going to make for a very fond piece of memorabilia.

We continued north, near Omaha, Nebraska, when the weather turned sour in Blair, Nebraska. It was looking to be grey, dark clouds, and soon the rains began. In total it rained for three hours, all the way up to Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

We finally made it to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at 8pm. We started out at 7am, so it was a roughly 12 hour road trip. Worth every second. I got to listen to the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, and Rush, among others, and I got to watch more Star Trek: Enterprise.

Here’s the photos I collected over the course of our long journey. Some of the city, some of the landscapes, and on the right, some night photos, demonstrating that my Instax Wide 300 is not suited to night photography. I even hit the lighten button, to no avail. Oh well.

All in all, today was tiring, but I am feeling more at home in America than ever before. I am ready to conquer the next day, a five hour drive to Hill City, SD. That’s where Mount Rushmore is – I am going to be going on a tour bus! Tomorrow we unpack and stay two nights – a needed respite. Today was our longest travel time by far, and probably the longest of the trip.

I am so ready for bed, it’s 1:31 am. I must retire. Goodnight, America.

Oh and See you, Space Cowboy~