We woke to a bright, sunny day at Wildcat State Park in Iowa and decided to do a little hiking before getting back on the road again for another long day of driving. The trail we took was very well maintained and it was nice to stretch our legs after so much driving.

Sandwiches made a quick breakfast and then it was time to get back on the road. We were excited to know we would finally be making it to South Dakota today. The number on the GPS was finally about to hit single digits.

It was fun to see the landscape start to change as we drove further west and we were looking forward to seeing some of Minnesota as we had heard good things about it from some friends. We enjoyed seeing some of its many lakes as we drove through. It would have been a nice place to stay for a few days but with the temperatures steadily rising at the Badlands, we wanted to get there before it got too hot.

We decided to stop for dinner at Tacos Lupe in Worthington, Minnesota. A break from driving and a change from fast food seemed like a good idea. The menu was in Spanish with English translation and had more authentic Mexican food than many Mexican restaurants in the US. The one thing the menu did not have was a vegetarian section which is what I was looking for. I was going to settle for chips and salsa but our very sweet waitress was determined to find something for me. She went back to the kitchen and came back with the idea of guacamole served on a crispy tortilla. It was delicious and I appreciated her going the extra mile for me. Francis enjoyed his bowl of beef soup as well. Full and happy, we got back on the road.

We were thrilled to see the South Dakota welcome sign. Evening came before we knew it and it was time to find a spot to spend the night. It turns out that some of the city parks allow campers to stay for free for up to seven nights including electric hookup. We stayed at Hieb Memorial Park in Marion, South Dakota. The little league baseball games were just wrapping up for the night and then it was just us and a couple of other campers. We had access to the restrooms with running water and flush toilets which are always a nice bonus. Not a bad place to spend one last night before we hit the Badlands.