Day 25: Mitchell, SD to Chamberlain, SD: Day 26: Early Morning (J's Version)

Good morning!! I'm writing to you in the lap of luxury. Directly to my left not even 7 steps away is the entrance to a casino. Did I mention i'm at a GAS STATION REST STOP? haha I'm in Vivian, SD and there's nothing around for 30-40 miles except the Coffee Cup Gas Shop. (Sidenote: Subways are actually more prevalent than Mcd's. Most of the smaller towns we've encountered usually have a Subway either as a stand alone or attached to a gas station.)

Casino?

I don't need no stinkin'
fancy coffee shop. 

I did a Yelp search for even just a McDonald's and the closest one is 40 miles away. I mean if there's not a Mcd's around then you know you are in dire straights.

I can't complain though. I got my coffee, my breakfast sandwich, the air in my lungs, AND free wi-fi. Take that Grand Falls Resort and Casino.

Blogging headquarters

I passed G on the highway about 15 minutes ago, so he should be here in an hour and half or so. I "plan" on staying here until then unless they kick me out. I've been getting more used to the idea of him on the highway because the shoulder is the Cadillac of highway shoulders and riding the highway makes the route not only quicker but easier to follow. Breaking news: G just texted me that a tourist at a stop told him to take route 16 instead because it's parallel to the highway and less noisy. Based off of that information I'm not sure if he's even going to be passing the Coffee Cup. I'll have to check the GPS tracker after I'm done blogging. Speaking of which, he forgot to turn

the GPS tracker off after he got to the hotel last night and check out what it looks like. haha

Okay, back to the gas station stop i'm currently blogging from. There's two little tables by the coffee area that I've camped out at. When I got here, I couldn't stop staring at the "Casino" right next to me. The lighting is dark, so you can't even see inside. So intriguing. Honestly, it reminds me of the X-Rated section in video stores. That big sign hanging overhead and not knowing what's behind those doors. Well, you KNOW what's behind those doors in theory but unless you pass through the "Must Be 21 to Enter Sign" you really don't know exactly what you'll see.

Part of me was thinking if it really was a casino. Maybe it's a cover for something else. When I paid for my breakfast, the nice lady that works here was surprised that I didn't buy any gas because no one in their right mind comes to this stop unless it's primarily for gas. I told her about the trip, and she was cool about it. Since we had that little "bonding" moment, I figured I could ask her about the "casino" when she came to my area to get something. I felt like a little kid asking her "I have a stupid question. Is that really a casino?" She smiled and said "Yes. They don't have casinos in Connecticut?" Me: We do. Just not in gas stations. Lady: It's mainly for the truck drivers to kill some time during their stops. A light bulb went off above my head. I GET IT NOW. Then, she goes, "As long as you're of age you can go in and take a peak. It doesn't cost anything to look."

I was given permission! I opened the door, and I expected to be transported to the Narnia of Gambling with a rowdy game of craps, dealers adding up numbers, and waitresses yelling, "BEVERAGES." My fantasy came crashing back to reality, for all it was was a little 11 x 11 room with 6 video slot machines and a TV! I tried snapping a picture really quick, but it didn't come out. Sorry! Still pretty cool, and I didn't even have to exit the room with a dirty, guilty look on my face.

G already posted a picture of the bridge and Missouri River view from our hotel, but i'll post one I

took, too because it's still a beautiful sight no matter how many times you see it. When I passed by him earlier, the wind decided to push him today instead of holding him back.

The speed limit on I 90 is 75. I'm still getting used to that. I'm a pretty slow, cautious driver, so 75 is definitely out of my comfort zone. Oh, also, last night G got an email back from the Trek people. He had emailed them asking if they sell their Portland to Portland route/directions, and they said no. Geez. Is it that hard to either sell or just give them to us? We do have the city breakdown along with how many miles each day is but having the direct routes would be even better. G's puzzled because today for instance the Trek route says 115 miles which is what he's doing, too BUT on the highway. If you don't do the highway it's like 140 miles, and we doubt the Trek people would have their riders on the highway.

Technically, tomorrow should be our day our rest (I can't believe it's been 6 straight days already!), but we decided to do 7 straight, so we could have a day off in Rapid City which is only 30 miles shy of Mt. Rushmore. I'm excited because uhhh it's Mount freakin' Rushmore! It's one thing to see in pictures, but I'm sure it's even more majestic in person. Plus, we'll be there Saturday, and the

If you ever see this truck: Lunch Box 23 EAT a slider.
They were at a local vineyard in this picture, so don't expect vino.

same Saturday in CT i'm missing two events I would have gone to. 1. The first annual Food Truck festival in the North Haven Fairgrounds. I love food trucks especially Lunch Box 23. They specialize in all different kinds of sliders and can usually be found on the streets of New Haven. 2. Hilary Clinton is doing a book signing at RJ Julia bookstore in Madison. *Sigh*

One last thing. By the end of this afternoon, we'll be in the MOUNTAIN TIME ZONE! WHOA! (YAY, G just got here!!!)