South Dakota

I am trying to get caught up on posts from our Summer trip West. We left home three weeks ago and headed to see our family in Utah.

I am also typing one handed because of an unfortunate mountain biking accident that left me with a badly sprained wrist. Now my brain is working three times as fast as I can type as apposed to the usual twice as fast. I will hope for the best in the typo/coherency department!

We took the more Northern route home this time. I had never been to Minnesota or South Dakota, so I am glad to now check them off my "States to  Visit" list.

We took the detour through the Badlands of South Dakota. It is amazing to see these jutting desert like formations pop up out of the prairie grass! Such a change from the flat and green landscape of Illinois!
Georgia was nervous when we told her we were taking a short detour to see the Badlands.
She asked if they call it that because there are so many mean people there.
I guess it really does not sound very inviting, does it?
Turns out people were actually so friendly that one stranger handed me his camera, walked up to Del, spun him around, threw his arm around him and told him to smile for a picture!
Del and I laughed, but when he walked away we both whispered, "That was weird!"
So, some guy has a picture with Del in the Badlands!

We started seeing Wall Drug signs pop up along the highway, and I was interested in stopping! I read a series of books called "The Walk" and the main character visits Wall Drug and gives a background on how this place came to be so big! I wanted to see it for myself.

Wall Drug was started by a couple in the 1930's when the depression was in full effect in the U.S. After years of trying to make it work in the town of Wall, which one of their family members once described as "a Godforsaken town," the couple came up with the idea of advertising free ice water for hundreds of miles along the highway leading to the town. Sure enough, thirsty, hot travelers stopped to fill up on water, and found a few other comforts in the drug store that they were interested in buying.The store grew steadily, and today, Wall Drug draws up to 20,000 interstate travelers a day during the busy season! It has grown steadily for their family since. Years later when writing his biography the founder said, "No place on Earth is Godforsaken." True, true.

We stopped for lunch and a plastic pony ride. Georgia is one cool customer with her frozen lemonade.

Now many places, including Little America have adopted the Wall Drug strategy, and you will see their billboards for hundreds of miles on the roadway.

I was not sure what to make of Walker's fascination with this plastic statue of a showgirl. Let's just hope he remains this innocent for a long time! Let's also hope he is a little less "handsy" in the future! Yikes!

Wally came up with this little story line all by himself.
Boy running from buffalo.

Pictures of the Wild West influencing characters, and newspaper clippings with articles about Wall Drug line the walls.

We bought this little cowgirl a hat so she would be all outfitted when we crossed the Wyoming border.

Then we were off to Mt. Rushmore! Coming up!