Day 5: Chicago to Mitchell, SD (victims of the flood)

Leaving the Quality Inn you realize that there is a certain ironic use to the word "Quality." However, ending up in a smoking room of a Motel 6 (after checking 7 other hotels) you will grow to appreciate Quality Inns and how much they resemble Four Seasons. But lets rewind a bit.

Creepy "Road Trip Fact" for the day: Number of dead deers seen: 8, Number of dead vultures:1, Number of dead possums: 0.

We expected today to be a boring drive through the middle of nowhere and nothing, but it turns out we were destined for much, much more. As a result of the storms in the midwest, southern Wisconsin was flooded and I-90 (our straight route to Mt. Rushmore) was shut down for 40 miles.

There were NO SIGNS and NO INFORMATION about this fact and we spent a good (subjective use of the word) hour driving around I-90 trying to find an entrance ramp. Eventually we ended up in a traffic jam on Highway 12, crossing four miles in about an hour.

However, the detours and dalliances lead to several interesting sights. Madison, within a span of 3 blocks, you can run across the capital building, outlying suburbs, and large farms. The good thing about traveling in a land of few humans is how beautiful the scenery is. The rolling hills and flowing grain of Wisconsin were breath taking on multiple occasions.

A side road lead to Ehlenbach's Cheese Chalet where we tried a 7-year sharp cheddar that would have sent Steve Urkel into a stroke and a beef stick that would make Macho Man Randy Savage break down into tears. Too bad "Snap into a Ehlenbach's beef stick" isn't a more catchier phrase. A lunch at a new fast food restaurant chain, Culver's, made us wonder why fried cheese curds aren't offered as a side in more places? (Side note: their website is the most epic burger website ever).

We see more beautiful scenery as we cross into Minnesota, driving between sharp cliffs and the Mississippi river. I didn't realize we would be traveling through Minnesota, but the journey definitely paid off.

60 foot tall Jolly Green Giant. Enough said.

We missed bar-hopping in Sioux Falls, but Mitchell, SD is a good place to rest (as evidenced by the lack of a Vacant hotel room).