Day 3Experiencing America > Road Trip Year...2004 > A Night in the Sioux Empire > Day 3
Day THREE...
Tuesday, April 13th, 2004
The Comfort Inn of Sioux Falls on Cliff Avenue was a fine member of the Choice Hotel network. Just like the day before, for some strange reason the day started at 4:45 a.m. So after a great hotel supplied breakfast it was off to gather content for our sister site "Roads of the Mid-South & West".
Whats a road trip with out a KFC sign with the bucket.
Now it was off back to Illinois. So we headed into Sioux Falls and took South Dakota State Route 42 to Iowa.
A old Dariy Queen sign on SB DWTN Loop I-229/MN St Rt 115.
As we headed out of Sioux Falls it was the goal to join with Iowa State Route 9 across the northern part of Iowa.
Back to State #2!!...
While at the South Dakota/Iowa State Line a local farmer turned his John Deere tractore around and informed us of a maker a mile and half down a county blacktop at the location where South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota all come together. So we went to it.
Back to State #4!!
Back to State #5!!
Back to State #4!!
The marker is actually to the northwest of point where the meeting place is.
The marker. Iowa is on the leftside of the road; South Dakota is on the rightside.
Click for a close-up on the text.
Back to State #2!!...
Now it was back to Iowa State Route 9. This was going to take us across Northwestern Iowa. Again, Iowa is full of alot of nothing. Just when you think something is over the horizon...you find out your wrong.
A old drug store front in Rock Rapids.
At Iowa State Route 60 we decided to get on the closest interstate. That was I-90 in Minnesota.
Back to State #5!!
Minnesota was a flat barren state. It was filled nothing and more nothing. On Minnesota State Route 60 we stopped at the welcome center for a state map. Like South Dakota, it was not tourism season. We jumped off I-90 at Fairmont to see what that town had to offer. You guessed it nothing.
A Minnesota State Trooper on EB I-90.
At Albert Lea we headed south on I-35. The Minnesota Welcome Center on NB I-35 was open and active. So we decided to turn around and visit it.
Back to State #2!!
At the first exit we turned around to go back to Minnesota.
Back to State #5!!
Being just past noon we headed up to Albert Lea for a bite to eat. Then a brief drive through town to see that we are not missing anything. We were not missing much.
Another KFC with a bucket...two makes a good road trip.
Back to State #2!!
In Iowa we stayed with I-35 to near Mason City. The rice burner finally need fuel here. Not bad, Sioux Falls, South Dakota to near Mason City, Iowa on one tank. At Mason City we followed Iowa State Route 27 down the partially built "Avenue of the Saints". This took us past Waverly, Waterloo, and Cedar Rapids.
A Iowa State Trooper on NB I-380/IA St Rt 27.
Once back to Cedar Rapids we knew we were in the home strech. Only two and a half hours home.
A ambulance on NB I-380/IA St Rt 27.
Near Iowa City we jumped onto I-80 to head back to Illinois. On the eastside of Iowa City we stopped at the Herbert Hoover Highway exit to empty the pictures off my camera. Then it was back onto I-80.
You know it closes better if you take the oil can out...
The rest of the truck...
Once back into the Quad-City Metro Area we needed fuel one more time. So we stopped at a fine BP station featuring Amoco Fuels. Just like we entered the state...we took I-74 back into Illinois.
Back to State #1!!...
Interstate 74 took us back to Interstate 80 which took us back to the conclusion of this trip...
Mile marker 14 on EB I-80.
Back to Experiencing America.
