Go West Young Man

Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota – 3 states in 3 days. From the relatively hip, cultured cities of Wilwaukee + Madison to the handful of architectural masterpieces in Iowa to the forlorn American Indian reservations of the prarie state. On two-laners, crossing both the Mississippi + Missouri rivers, the changing landscape is a treat for both the eyes and senses. Last night we slept on one of the grassy knolls of the Little White River valley, miles of prarie running off in each direction for as far as the eye can see. There was a lone teepee down by the river and only a couple lights within sight. We picked our spot just as the light was getting good and poured a couple glasses of wine to enjoy as we cooked a tailgate dinner and watched the light change, and then fade into darkness. The night before we'd slept outside of Algona, Iowa to see one of Louis Sullivan's "Jewelboxes". Also there we enjoyed the surprising treat of the largest group of fireflies yet, twinkling around us as we enjoyed an evening in the forest.

We continue West now along desolate Highway 44 through the lunar landscape of the Badlands, past majestic Mount Rushmore in a hailstorm, and through the Black Hills in to Custer State Park. There we spend another night in the wilderness and are treated the following day to a host of wildlife including spotted + mule deer, pronghorn sheep and herds of American Bison! That's a first. These prehistoric-looking animals look imposing and I marvel that we can view them at such close range.

From here we take a more South-Westerly trajectory to visit my brother + his family in Cheyenne. Sticking to two-lane highways and back roads leads us through the dramatic and unpopulated Oglala Grasslands of Northern Nebraska. It's an undulating, wheat-colored sea that stretches to infinity in every direction. Without signs, we take our guess at random intersections in the road, continuing towards the sun which has become obscured by a very dense mass of clouds. With the uninterrupted vista, we watch as the storm moved across the horizon, then towards us, then enfold us, and finally to continue on leaving a vibrant rainbow in it's wake. We spend the night somewhere in this golden sea. Tomorrow, we go West.

Check the links for more photos of the Great Plains area, friends + family and funky Americana seen along the way