South Dakota and Eastern Wyoming

Well, turns out that Dave and I were both totally wrong about the 'irrigation' systems that we thought we were seeing throughout MO and Nebraska. The attendant at the last motel we stayed at said that there was severe flooding in those areas and that if we had been traveling through there only a few days earlier that we would have witnessed the complete inundation..... and I thought that shell station and minivan were underwater on purpose :)

Anyway, the drive through South Dakota was AMAZING! Most of the state was all rolling green hills as far as the eye could see. As it got dark the bugs started to make their way out..... it seemed for a while as though it was pouring rain, but it was more like a locust migration.


We drove for a while after it got dark, hoping to make the small town of Murdo... but didn't quite get there. We stopped along the highway at a little motel whose sign was only visible by reflective tape lettering. Turns out that there are very few lights anywhere out here except in larger towns. Everything else is done w/ reflective tape. Very cool... everything gets really bright, and the eyes adjust really quick.



Looking left up the road from the motel...


Anyway, this little motel was something -- not bad mind you, nowhere near as bad as the last motel. Although, the fella behind the desk was totally plastered drunk and we had some problems understanding a word he said.... but the rooms were HUGE and quite clean. Turns out there was a high-school graduation that night or something, so everyone was partying (all 3 of them .. lol)

The next morning made for much better views of everything... we managed to get on the road right at 8am... the same views from before:



As we drove through South Dakota we kept seeing all manner of crazy signs for this place called 'Wall Drug'. Signs would read "As told by Time Magazine" or 'Reader's Digest' or.. "5c coffee"... or "Free Doughnuts for Hunters or Veterans". Turns out that this place gets nearly 15 thousand visitors per day during their peak summer season.... and they have their signs all over the globe... there were pictures up in this little, well, what really was the town of wall, of people carrying their wall drug signs on the great wall of china! The town has nearly 400 residents... 280 of which work for Wall Drug, the only pharmacy for over 6000 square miles! Now that's a long way to go for an Asprin!





Sorta funny.... the bathroom stall I was in had Tennessee scrawled on it (among many other things)


They had all kinds of stuff there...




Dave, trying to get a knee down from the Jakelope :)


And now for some views from the interstate on the way to Mt. Rushmore....

There were a few B1 bombers flying overhead from a nearby AF base.




Backbone rock anyone?


Neat little town




Up the hill to Rushmore.


Nice views...


Begin rushmore pics.




Nice bit of history... notice the date of completion.


And notice the sculptor's year of death...


Cool amphitheater.




The battle of wounded knee happened somewhere close by, these pics in the gift shop.




More views from the interstate, on the way to Devils Tower.




We turned out here to gaze for a bit and I called Mom and Dad.




Unfortunately most of the tower pics are on Dave's camera for which we don't have a card reader yet... and I forgot the camera phone... so minimal updates here. The tower was probably the sweetest stop so far. Very cool. Sacred ground to the indians they believe that the 'Mother Bear' left her claw marks along the sides of the rock formation. They leave colorful bags all over known as prayer cloths and pilgrimage here occasionally. They can be seen all over. The tower is known worldwide as a climbing spot -- and though holy ground, the indians share the monument. Climbers are asked not to climb during one month out of the year (I assume this is when most of the indians complete their religious rites).




Anyway, It's getting dark here now..... and we're sitting at the base of the tower, just outside a KOA campground, hijacking their wireless connection to bring you this update (tehe). So, on the road again.....