Okay not really. I drove all the way across South Dakota today. Have you ever driven across a 300-mile prairie? The only thing I’ve seen that rivaled this was driving through Kansas and Oklahoma.
I went to the Crazy Horse Memorial yesterday. I was ambivalent about it. On the one hand, the concept is really neat. The creator (a Polish guy) has a vision that includes not just the monument and the museum, but a university and a hospital and something else useful all in one complex. I initially balked at the $9 cover charge, but since it’s privately owned and operated, I got over it. They have some really cool stuff in the museum, but it’s not presented very well. It’s arranged well, but many items are not labeled/explained, and those that are are often accompanied by a laminated printout. I gave them the benefit of the doubt since it’s got to be a lack of funds issue. But it’s sad, because it indirectly reflects on the people it’s trying to honor. I’m glad I went. The monument itself is gonna be amazing when it’s done.
I stopped at Wall Drug. It was horrifying. Imagine the most horribly cheesy collection of crap with a western theme that you can think of. Now make it ten times worse. That’s Wall Drug. I was so stunned (and somewhat distracted by my need to find a restroom immediately upon arrival) that I couldn’t even make myself take pictures. I didn’t want any reminder of this terrible place. But I did eventually, just because I’ve already got a thousand pictures of this trip, why leave this out? But I opted out of the postcard. I didn’t even attempt to find food for my woefully empty stomach, I wanted to leave so badly. On a positive note, I’m happy to report that it does actually contain things that a drug store should, though they’re camouflaged by the horrendous western decor.
I saw the Badlands. Pretty cool. Much like the Painted Desert in Arizona. Except these just rise right up out of the grass. And they look like they’d be rocky, but they’re actually covered with this clay-like stuff that’s quite soft. And the colors were pretty neat. And you get to drive right through the middle of them, unlike Painted Desert.
And I stopped at the Corn Palace. After the Wall Drug experience, I was quite wary. But it was okay. And this is a functional building. I was amazed to find a whole auditorium inside, complete with stadium seating, a big ol’ stage, and a basketball court. Unfortunately for poor Mitchell High School, their mascot is the Kernels. Heh.
