Debbie and Ed's Wild West Adventure: Final Chapter

Part 5: The Badlands, SD to home

The last leg of our journey brought closer and closer to Farm Dover and included a final stop in Owensboro for barbecue and cider. Homeward Ho!

Day 15:  The Badlands, SD to Omaha, NE
Drive time: 6 hours, 35 minutes; 457 miles

We hiked the next morning in The Badlands, being mindful of rattlesnakes, and watched a Swainson's hawk hunt its breakfast.

And then we set off for Omaha, Nebraska, where we had a Czech goulash dinner at the Bohemian Cafe and listened to an outdoor concert by the US Air Force Heartland of America Band Brass in Blue. Nice way to end a nice day.


Day 16:  Omaha, NE to St. Louis, MO
Drive time: 6 hours, 48 minutes; 435 miles

We started our day at the Omaha Farmers' Market, stocking up on coffee, scones, craft root beer, and listening to some original music.

Then we were off for St. Louis, our final night's stop. Using our trusty i-pad, we located the Italian part of town and headed there for a final trip dinner with the friendly folk at Charlie Gitto's on the Hill. While waiting for our table, we found a nearby hotel using Hotwire, so were all set for the night.  We even parked for free on the street, dodging the parking charge and making Ed happy.




Day 17:  St. Louis, MO to Farm Dover, Shelbyville, KY
Drive time: 4 hours, 44 minutes; 290 miles

Leaving St. Louis on Sunday morning, we crossed into Illinois and felt we were almost home. We made two final stops on our way home: Owensboro for a barbecue lunch with Gay and Steve at Old Hickory and then Reid's Orchard for some fresh-pressed cider and apples.

And from there, it was a straight shot home to Farm Dover. Nice to be home. Really nice to crawl in our own bed that night and know that we had been on a great journey and lived to tell about it. We slept soundly.