A Cross-Country Adventure – Day 1: Ohio to South Dakota

From Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa to South Dakota

August 13, 2016

Mission: Two cousins, Nici and Todd, heading to Seattle from Ohio by car, stopping at many National Parks along the way.

Miles Driven: 1,050 miles
Hours Driven: 16 hours
Goal: Get as far West as possible on the first day
Journey: We drove from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, through Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa, entering South Dakota through Sioux Falls, and then ending the night in Mitchell.

adventure music life nici lucas

Day 1: From Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa to South Dakota

Animals Spotted: Two hawks, a turtle, ducks, lots of birds, and tons of cows

Music: Shockingly, none. We talked and soaked it all in. I had Punk Rocker in my head the whole day, though. Does that count?

Notable Sighting or Events:

  • Crossing over the Mississippi River from Illinois to Iowa
  • Going from the Eastern to Central time zone
  • Fields and fields and fields of corn
  • Red or pink-ish highways in parts of Iowa and South Dakota
  • Seeing tons of motorcycles heading the opposite way, presumably leaving Bike Week in Sturgis, South Dakota.
  • We spent an evening in Mitchell, South Dakota, a town with an unexpectedly fun night life. We stopped into a few of the bars, before crashing after a long day.

Pondering: How many ears of corn are in the state of Iowa?

adventure music life nici lucas

Fields of Corn in Iowa

Impressive Fact: The speed limit on South Dakota highways = 80 MPH! Awesome for the driver. Not so awesome for the passenger. 🙂

Learning: Nature is invigorating. Viewing the Falls of the Big Sioux River in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, gave us a mighty second wind after an incredibly long day on the road.

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Falls Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

sioux falls adventure music life nici lucas

Falls Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

sioux falls adventure music life nici lucas

Falls Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

sioux falls adventure music life nici lucas

Falls Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

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Awesome Clouds in South Dakota

About Nici Lucas

Nici is inspired to find adventure in everyday life as well as share adventures with others in the hopes of inspiring them.