Badlands Ural: Owanka and Home

Once I merged onto I90, it was about ten miles to Wall - famous for the Wall Drug store.  Now, I don't know if Wall Drug has any drugs for sale, but if you've ever crossed the northern plains, you know from the hundreds of billboards that it has everything else!  

I did stop on this trip, but only patronized the gas station.  Though come to think of it, the Ural would look pretty cool parked in front of the Old West styled facade.  Somewhere in this blog's archives, there is a photo of my first KTM there.  That would be around ten years ago.

After my brief visit to Wall, I rode 20 more miles west and exited here - the road to Owanka.  As previously explained, the Ural is most certainly not a freeway vehicle.  But 30 miles is doable, especially if traffic is light - and it was.

The road in to Owanka (whose name is derived from the Sioux language) is paved from the north.  And what you see here is about all that's left.  Wikipedia says its population is 2.  You read that right.  There are literally a couple of people still living in this settlement, dating from 1888.  I didn't see either of them that day.

Must have been a railroad stop at one time - probably not anymore.  No trains to the west...

No trains to the east.  Looks safe to cross.

This was the only block of structures that hinted I might be "downtown."

After the bridge across Boxelder Creek, the road turned to gravel.

Winding up the plateau to the south, some nice views opened up behind me.  And the road was quite enjoyable!

Around ten miles of that and I was back at a paved road, less than half that many to the north of Highway 44.  

I'd be back in 30 minutes.  A single day trip couldn't get much better!  I'd even left some roads to look forward to next time.

And each time I pull into the garage, our new place in Rapid City feels a little more like home.