Day 3, Friday September 5, Madison, SD, 350 miles

We awoke to a very un-New Mexican morning with steady drizzle and gray skies. The LaSalle's wipers had not worked well when we needed them on the first day. I crawled under the dash to see if anything was dragging against the mechanism. No problem was evident. We motored off anyway. Fortunately the rain and traffic was light enough so we could get by with our intermittant wipers -- about one wipe per minute when coasting downhill. Absolutely no wipes going uphill. What a breakthrough, these vacuum wipers!

We passed out of the rain in about 20 miles. Wendy and I applied some RainX at an attractive rest area, we'll see how it works if we get any more rain.

We entered southern South Dakota on US 83. This area is very beautiful, it reminds me of the Black Hills. Rolling hills with golden grasses, perhaps a bit drought stressed. We saw many streams, ponds and even a herd of 20 or 30 small deer. Traffic here was light but dominated by heavy trucks. There aren't many N-S interstate highways nearby, making US 83 an important commercial artery.

The big hit of the day was the Pioneer Auto Show museum in Murdo, SD. Their logo is a very stretched 20's Dodge coupe. Inside were hundreds of old cars, farm machines, and you name it. We were thrilled with it all, took hundreds of pictures. Don't miss it, especially if you like pre-war cars. Many slightly known obscure makes and models are here. Check out the 1917 Crow-Elkhart, for example. You won't find any high end over-restored garage queens. All the cars are dusty and devoid of flashy accessories. Many had flat tires. Most probably don't run, but they look like they could with a bit of effort.

The diner in the museum had a great lunch. After three hours of museuming, we were back on the road. We headed east on I-90 but got bored with that. We exited to cross through the Crow-Creek reservation on SD 47 and 34. This area is lovely and very lightly populated. We made sure we gassed up at every opportunity. There were almost no hotels. Then suddendly, in the small town of Madison, a nearly new Super 8 appeared. It seemed too good to pass up, we collapsed into the room and ended a very great day in South Dakota.

The LaSalle continues to impress. She coughed a few times today on ethanol and her voltage regulator needs attention now and then. But mostly she provides smooth, quiet and comfortable transportation. We usually drive around 65 MPH, most folks when they pass offer a friendly wave. We hope for continued good luck.

I was disturbed to hear today that our nephew Glenn Hulkenburg of Albuquerque was hit by a car near Santa Fe and was badly injured. We understand the damage is not life threatening but it is still quite serious. Get well soon Glenn, you are in our thoughts and prayers.