Lake Oahe, near Pierre

Chamberlain at dusk

I left Mitchell this morning and headed toward the state capital in Pierre. It was a lot like a drive through western Nebraska - small towns few and far between with nothing but fields and grasslands as far as the eye can see. The drive around the southern edge of Lake Sharpe is fantastic, if the road is a bit lumpy, and completely isolated. After leaving the Native American settlement of Fort Thompson, there was not a single gas station or much of any sign of civilization until reaching Fort Pierre an hour and a half later. In the end, Pierre was only mildly interesting. The city is mostly a single strip of chain restaurants and stores without many unique qualities other than the state capital grounds.

Also visited: Letcher, Woonsocket, Lane, Wessington Springs, Big Bend Dam, Lower Brule, Vivian and Kimball, South Dakota.