October 1, 2009 Soux Falls, SD to Blue Ox, NE

Well, not really Blue Ox, but Blue Ox in Pender, NE.

Blue Ox is the maker of the hitch system that connects our motorhome to the Tahoe so we can drag it around the country.

MMG had read that Blue Ox offered factory tours and had an inexpensive or free campground right at the factory. DDG had some maintenance questions not covered by the owners manual. Since we were only about 130 miles from Blue Ox we decided to go by the factory, take the tour, check out the campground, then decide whether to spend the night or move on.

While we were talking with the Blue Ox employee about DDG's maintenance questions, we were told that for $25 they would completely take our hitch apart, replace all washers, replace any worn parts, lubricate everything, and also check out the electrical connections. He also told us that use of the campground was free to any customer having service done on their Blue Ox product!

It was a pretty easy decision to take them up on their offer and spend the rest of the day and the night here while they refurbish our hitch.

After lunch, we went up to Sioux City, about 30 miles, to get in some "hiking" in at a large indoor mall on the south side of the city. Also checked out a "Menards", a new to us kind of store that we thought would be like a Home Depot or Lowe's. It was much more, including clothing, books, groceries, and pet supplies, among other different things. See it all here.

The drive down here from Sioux Falls was a relief from yesterday, at least for the first hour. No wind! Then the wind did start again, but instead of being from the SE, it was from the NNW, so it was pushing us along but also occasionally giving us a blast from the side that pushed us around a little.

The scenery was handicapped by the low-hanging gray clouds and the occasional showers, but the most interesting thing was that all through the remainder of SD, almost every field was planted to corn, but as we crossed the border into Iowa, the corn gave way to wheat and soybeans with only occasional corn. What's up with that? I dunno.

The town of Pender is located the Omaha Indian Reservation and on our drive through the "Rez" it became obvious that the Omahas cut a much better deal with The Great White Father than their brethren to the west. The land here is covered with fields of corn and grain and showed evidence of being excellent farmland which is being put to good use.

MMG and DDG have decided to go to Decatur, IN to tour the Fleetwood factory there where the Excursion, our brand of motorhome, is made. It is between 700 and 800 miles east of here and the most direct route goes too near the Chicago area to suit us, so we're working on an alternative.

We'll reclaim our good as new hitch in the moring, take the factory tour, and hit the road. We'll let you know which direction tomorrow!

Love to you all,

MMG and DDG