Day 16: Sioux Falls, SD and Des Moines, IA

Today might have been the longest and most boring day of the trip so far. I hit the road early and drove across pretty much all of South Dakota to get to Sioux Falls at around 1pm. It wasn't much to look at, just miles and miles of grasslands and prairies. I think the exhaustion of the past 2 weeks is finally starting to catch up with me. 

Sioux Falls actually had a neat little downtown and I walked around for a half hour to stretch my legs.

I then headed south but within an hour ran into some major dark, heavy clouds. 

I tried driving through it but it was a torrential downpour, winds so strong they shook my car, and lightning that was way too close for comfort. I pulled off at some little exit in the middle of nowhere, along with another dozen or so cars to wait it out. The storm warning online said they were 60mph wind and potential quarter-size hail that could damage cars. Some cars even pulled under a bridge to be safe. Kinda scary.

After a half hour of waiting, however, it was clear that the worst was over and I was back on the road. 

5 more hours to Des Moines, Iowa and a whole lot more nothing to look at along the way.

I did pass by the hometown of The Duke, though.

I arrived in Des Moines about 7:30. Quickly checked in to a Hampton Inn downtown and walked a couple blocks for a pizza. I was pleasantly surprised by this city. Lots of young people, cool bars, clean streets. Definitely more going on than some of the cities further out west. The downtown reminds me of Pittsburgh.

Monday tomorrow...