July 2019, South Dakota, Day 6

We woke bright and early to break camp and get on the road. There was good news and bad news. Our ten-year-old tent was no match for South Dakota’s sustained winds, and it was wrecked. But, good news, in the trash it went! We didn’t have to fold it and try to cram it back to the tent bag that always shrinks overnight and now we don’t have a tent! I have been freed (temporarily) from the shackles of hobo living! Also, we gained a tent-sized hole in the car to fill with all our souvenirs. We LOVE souvenirs! I’m real into Christmas ornaments and the girls like shirts. John likes hats. Thomas likes fancy, shiny rocks.

#Hatersgonnahate

#wetourandbuythethings

They survived unscathed

Life hack: If your beverage becomes tippy from all the wind, stick it in your shoe for increased stability and decreased spillage in stinky tent.

Alas, poor tent. I knew him well.

Good Morning, my pretty!

Our first stop of the day might be the largest souvenir mecca IN THE WORLD. Wall Drug starts advertising itself about 250 miles away with a wide variety of signs advertising their wares. Plus, free ice water and $.05 coffee. Now, the coffee tastes one step above hotdog water, but for $.05 you get what you pay for. The story behind Wall Drugs is sweet. In 1931, a pharmacist named Ted Hustead set his sights on Wall, South Dakota, because he wanted to buy a drug store and he wanted a town with a Catholic church. Wall had both, but it also had only 326 folks living there that didn’t have two nickels to rub together. Enter Mt. Rushmore. Mrs. Halstead came up with the idea to start giving out “free ice water” to folks who’d just traveled across the vast South Dakota Prairie in their Model Ts without air conditioning to see the newly completed Mt. Rushmore. Next thing you know, folks start buying an ice cream and homemade donuts and an empire was born. They have up to 20,000 visitors on a good summer day. We got there early so didn’t have to battle 20, 000 people for our mud puddle coffee and were first to sit atop the giant jackalope. Wall Drug also houses the largest privately owned collection of Western Art and home to lots of tchotchkes and taxidermy! And, you get a free bumper sticker!

PEW! PEW!

Poor guy, I guess "Strong like Ox" was taken

Could I interest you in some Buffalo art?

Or, do you fancy yourself more "Dungeons and Dragons?

Hair art is becoming a thing

Next stop! Mt. Rushmore! This gigantic mountain has an amazing likeness of Abraham Lincoln carved into it.  This road trip mecca has been the destination for people of the United States since the 30’s and continues to attract travelers from all over the world! #’Merica

So, there are other presidents too.

Frannie pack enjoys the sights!

2023 –“Hey should we stop to see if George Washington has any “bats in the cave” That is “Thomas” for boogers in his nose.

Crazy Horse- We were close to the Crazy Horse Monument, so we decided to go ahead and take it in even though it was originally on tomorrow’s itinerary. #sospontaneous

Crazy Horse was started in 1948 as a memorial to the Native American Warrior, Crazy Horse. When finished, it will be larger than Mt. Rushmore. It has been a slow process and only the face has been completed. It is solely funded by private donations so who knows when it will be completed.  Lots of Native American artifacts on display.

Sylvan lake- We met this couple, Rachel and Tony Bachmeier last year at this party at BFF Lindsay's house. They suggested we camp there, by “camping” I’m sure they meant “stay in the lodge”. We secured a cute little cabin with its own little yard and fire pit. It gave us some room to spread out and a place to roast marshmallows!

 

I completely unpacked the car to try and harness the mess. Mae had spilled an entire container of Cheerios, Thomas smuggled and dropped about 1500 colored pencils under and between the seats and the dirty laundry is multiplying. Order restored!