south dakota, i'm sorry...

It turns out I was premature in saying that South Dakota was boring. Even east of the badlands and Black Hills, it is pretty amazing. There are rolling hills as far as you can see, that turn into valleys and valleys and more valleys. The scenery is breathtaking. Then the fields of corn and sunflowers grow up hopefully in vast plots of land.

Plus there are only two or three McDonalds. You have to appreciate a state that McDonalds can’t colonize.

But the piece of South Dakota that truly grabbed my heart was the slice of Americana that is Wall Drug. Yes, this was better than even the Corn Palace of Mitchell, SD. Wall Drug is the Wild West meets the Prairies. It is a block long of kitsch. Fantastic. I want to mock it, but it was entertaining and fun that I really can't.

The drive through the western part of South Dakota and through Wyoming, when it wasn't snowing, was rolling hills into mountains. What keeps startling me is how few people there are around here. NO ONE lives in the west! There aren't stores, gar stations, signs. It's almost like it was how it should be.

Tonight we are staying at a Day's Inn in Billings, Montana. Tomorrow: Yellowstone. :-)

south dakota

is boring.

but i can appreciate the emptiness of it. and the driving is fast because no one is on the road. we are sitting in the motel 6 at mitchell, and debating who is going to take the first last shower tomorrow.

our excitement today has been the panera in lacross, and the beautiful cross into minnesota over the mississippi river. the time passed much more quickly watching episodes of bones and listening to stories on the moth storytelling podcast. we have traveled about 10 hours, but that still means we have 10 hours again tomorrow. i'm hoping for a starbucks, but it looks unlikely. i may have to settle for the hot chocolate in the machine at the front desk.

i'll try to post pictures when things get a little more interesting. :-)