So today we are now 2 hours behind all of you back East.
It was an awesome and exhausting day. Our neighbors in the rooms next to us were up pretty early and had probably started drinking their JD out of solo cups around 5am. We could hear them giggling and laughing but I quickly fell back asleep. We started the rest of our morning out slowly and in search of some breakfast food. On our search for breakfast we came accross signs of an old 1880 town (COUNTRY WESTERN!). So we had to stop before we ate. Despite our tummy's growling this was one of the coolest and gotta-see-it places. This town was where Dance With Wolves was filmed and boasts that it is also home to Cisco, the horse that John Dunbar (Kevin Costner) rode. There is also lots of Dances memorabillia, like the dead buffalo props, tipis, and lots and lots of photographs. The town is equipped with a jail, school, Marshall's office, church, saloon, bank, and a hotel/ brothel. It was really cool and I have plenty more pictures but I couldn't put them all up.
Then we went to Jigger's in Kadoka which was recommended by the cashier at the 1880's town and despite the fact that it doesn't look like much from the outside, we both had fantastic burgers and really yummy strawberry-rhubarb pie.
Next stop, the Badlands. It's so funny because during all of this drive we just see miles and miles of flat farmland. Then these huge rocky peaks and valleys just jump right up at you. In one word, REMARKABLE. I can't even begin to explain how amazing of a phenomenon this really is. It is absolutely worth it to see. We took the scenic drive and our first stop marked signs of rattlesnakes to which I promptly decided that there would be no walking off the beaten path. We saw all sorts of cool things besides the landscape, such as mass amounts of prairie dogs which are surprisingly social and cute. We also saw longhorn sheep, antelope and a DEAD snake (just the way I like it). Then of course was the buffalo. They are the most amazing creatures and really just fluffy muscular cows..... but cooler!
At the end of our trip we headed to Wall Drug whose billboard signs had been haunting us since Minnesota. It's actually a cool little town but maybe a little too much of a tourist trap. Wall Drug began it's advertising to passerbyers by claiming to have all you can drink FREE ice water.... the idea really caught on and then before you knew it they began to have 5-cent coffee which they still sell today. It's a funky little town and fun to walk through.
Our next stop was Rapid City where mom and I are now sitting in our hotel room watching re-runs of Will and Grace. Tomorrow we are going to Mount Rushmore, Crazy-Horse Memorial and Custer Park and then we're headed to Deadwood. For now, Goodnight Chickens!
The sign for Cisco....who is incidentally DEAD but there are no real signs for that....
Mom coming out of the saloon.....LUSH
Claire outside of the brothel/hotel....where she works
Little cute bunny rabbit
This is the storage bag on the top of the car....covered in bugs!
Badlands
Prairie Dog
I'm supposed to be looking at her cards
I think we all know who resembles what here
Jackalopes.... apparently the National Mascott
Momma's addition: another wonderful, surprizing day: the "Deliverence" guys in the rooms next to us began partying before dawn, then were off to the hunt ( I was tempted to shush them up but thought better of it ): an authentic Wild West town reminding me that I was born at the right time ( electricity, running water, insulation, tempur-pedic mattresses ) and then the Badlands... extraordinary, surreal and way beyond expectations which were pretty high: prairie dogs are cuter than squirrels, rattle snakes scare the pants off Eliza, antelope and buffalo do roam on the range: then Wall Drugs where we viewed the largest selection of cowboy boots in SD and were sorely tempted and had some of the best ice water ever... free.
Eliza passed on the 5 cent coffee in favor of a frappacino... yes, way. Can't wait for tomorrow and another adventure.
