Sept 14 Across the Great Plains (again)

Bad Lands of South Dakota

We left the Black Hills headed east on Interstate 90.  Soon we went through Rapid City and out on to the  grasslands.  About every half mile or so were outdoor advertising signs for Wall Drug Store.  Come stop at Wall Drugs for breakfast, clothes, gifts, shoes, ice cream, etc., etc,.  This went on for 30 miles or so, building to a crescendo that compelled us to stop and at least have a cup of coffee.  We stopped at the town of Wall.  After driving a couple of blocks we came to main street which is two blocks long, one side of the street was the Wall Drug Store.  It comprised the whole block and turned out to be a warren of gaudy gift shops and tourist trap stores all under one roof. One the other side of the street was more of the same, but independent shops.  The entire business district of this town, in the middle of nowhere, was turned into a tourist trap selling the same souvenirs, jewelry  and t-shirts found all over this region. One thing these South Dakotans seem to be expert at is self promotion.  That is what got Mt Rushmore to the Black Hills and a bunch of ignorant tourists to stop at Wall South Dakota.

From Wall we took the Bad Lands Bypass to check out the bad lands.  The Dakota Badlands reminds me of the Grand Canyon in miniature .  Dry, desolate hills eroded by time, wind and water.  No river running through it, but ridge upon ridge of dry desiccated hills.  The unusual part was the road took you down into narrow gullies and you wound around the miniature hills and mesas and scrubby grasslands.  Again another example of South Dakotans taking a god forsaken piece of land that not even a jack rabbit could live in and turning it into a tourist attraction.  Tonight we are staying outside the town of Mitchell, which is the home of the world famous castle made of corn.  I can hardly wait.

Bad Lands!