Monday was a spectacular day; one written about in books but very rarely experienced by us. After waking up in Omaha with our "Jetson-looking" trailer behind us, we headed north to Sioux City and then turned west on I-90. Pop had bought juices, waters, peanuts, chips, a cooler, and ice for the trip. As we traveled west, the external thermometer nudged closer and closer to 100 degrees, but inside the Expedition, the air was very cold. There were blankets, sweaters, and sweatshirts being swapped around in the back. Sleeping, chatting, aweing over the breathtaking scenery, and cutting jokes were just part of the day.
Our first stop was a visitor center/rest area where the ladies there gave us the scoop on the best things to experience and see in SD. We got back in the car with at least 10 pounds of brochures and pamphlets of things waiting ahead of us. About 200 miles later we stopped in the medium-sized town of Mitchell, SD. There we saw the Corn Palace, a time-rendered tribute to the bountiful corn crop in that area. And believe me, there is plenty of corn in this area! Part of the outside and the murals inside the building are completed made of corn, different colors of corn and straw, hay, and grasses from the SD plains. Magnificent!
The rest of the afternoon we spent traveling. We were heading towards the Badlands. Because I'm a reader, I have heard much about the Badlands of South Dakota. I have pictures to publish which really won't convey everything, but the rest of the party is ready to get on the road, so I have to cut this short.
As we came out of our astounding ride through part of the Badlands, we came upon the charming little town named Wall. By then we were all exhausted (in a good way) and famished. The Red River Cafe promised interesting and vital nourishment, so the four girls all went in to the restaurant as Pop and Jeff went looking for a room for the night. They got the last two in town! How is that for planning? After a great meal with some very friendly people (maybe South Dakota people are so friendly because of the "south" part? I don't think so), we headed to our Econo Lodge and literally "hit the wall".
Wall, SD has been 7 years without much-needed rain. As a matter of fact, they are in drought status. So, as we were falling into our slumber, we all whispered a prayer for some refreshing rain to fall on this great little town......and this morning, we see that God answered those prayers. It rained during the night!
This morning we are heading to Mount Rushmore and shopping in the Black Hills, then we're heading north for a very short corner trek into North Dakota before heading west again into Montana.
Stay with us.....it's been magical so far! And the three generations are having a great time learning, loving, and laughing with each other!
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