Day 55: Huron, SD to DeSmet, SD

July 24, 2023

35 miles

2,039 miles so far

Today, we had another short day, as we wanted to stop and spend the afternoon in DeSmet, hometown of pioneer girl and author, Laura Ingalls Wilder. We expected an easy ride which was literally a straight line due east from Huron to DeSmet. While it was relatively flat, we got to experience our first South Dakota headwind!

We went on a Laura Ingalls Wilder tour which included visiting the one-room schoolhouse she attended and later taught in as well as the family’s first home in South Dakota. We stayed two houses down at the Prairie House Manor B&B which was built in 1884.

We had dinner at Half Pint Steak and Spirits where we sat at the bar and met many of the locals including Hutch, a retired air traffic controller from Tallahassee, who was very entertaining. We also met the Sorensons - Wally, Kathy and their entrepreneur son Adam, who owns the restaurant. Adam and Wally, both electrical engineers, also founded and run a company called Dakota Grills. (Dakotagrills.com).

We also met Amanda, our friendly bartender, who moved with her husband and four daughters just a few years ago from Maryland. She and her husband also run another business in town, Fields, Fish and Game, a hunting and fishing store.

They were all the friendliest people and made us feel so welcome in DeSmet.

The Prairie House Manor