Onward
We left Racine and began our trek westward. We dodged and darted around Indiana State Flowers (road work cones) through Wisconsin and Minnesota and arrived in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Wednesday. In Sioux Falls, we visited the Falls that Sioux Falls is named for; a great park and relaxing to walk around. South Dakota roads, for the most part, were very good and they use a generous dose of weed killer to get rid of the Indiana State Flowers.
On Thursday, we continued our trek west like the early settlers. We stopped at the Missouri River to view the sight. The Missouri River is the longest river in the continental US (the Mississippi River is wider and bigger by volume). Then we continued on to Badlands National Park.
South Dakota was a surprise. I was expecting a Kansas-like plain nothingness. Traveling from the east, like the early settlers (but much faster), we got the sense of the plains and openness, but this time of year, it is full of green grasses, blue skies, and great weather. I-90 has much lower traffic then I-80. As we continued west, we crossed through low hills before getting to the rocky outcroppings of the Badlands.
In the Badlands area, besides the Badlands National Park, we visited the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site and the infamous Wall Drug Store.
Wall Drug Store
In 1931 a young pharmacist and his wife opened a drug store (Wall Drug Store) in western South Dakota along the highway. Well, they kept seeing the cars blowing past them east and west with very few stopping. Their business was struggling. One day, on a hot summer’s afternoon, the pharmacist’s wife was trying to take a nap and kept hearing the cars passing them by on the highway. She had a great idea. Why not put a sign out and offer motorist free ice water! Remember, in the 1930’s, cars didn’t have air conditioners and people would get very hot and thirsty. So, they put a road sign out offering free ice water expecting a few motorists to stop by for the offer. Well, beginning the next day, they started getting more and more motorist stopping.
They kept expanding, growing the store, and offering more stuff. Now, there are more than 300 varying road signs advertising Wall Drug Store as you head west from Sioux Falls to Wall, SD. The store is ten thousand plus square feet and is more like a mini mall of touristy stuff with a 500+ seat, order-at-the-counter grill, with homemade pies and donuts, and several free attractions. When we stopped, there were probably 400+ people there and I would guess a few thousand stop by each day.
Afer seeing the numerous road signs for hundreds of miles before getting there, by the time you do get to Wall, you want to stop and see what it's all about. So, what interested us? Not much, but we did eat lunch there and bought some fudge. To me, the interest was the successful marketing strategy. The original owners have passed away but the business is still thriving. Oh, and it is still a good place to take a break from driving and they still offer free ice water and 5 cent cups of coffee (which I had).
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
On our drive around the Badlands scenic loop, we stopped at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site and museum, because it was there. We learned a bit about the Minuteman ICBM program that the US had (has) that would allow us to obliterate the Soviet Union / Russia and others while they obliterate us (MAD). We then drove out to a decommissioned Minuteman
Missile command facility and then to a decommissioned Minuteman Missile site.
Badlands National Park
The Badlands is mostly known for its distinctive rock outcroppings, canyons, and rocky cliffs. But to the scientificy people, it is all about the geology and ecosystem. The Badlands is where the plains begin to meet the mountains. There are all kinds of critters along with plants that call this area home. But I only noticed the rocky things.
Pictures!
 The Falls at Sioux Falls |
 The great Missouri River |
 The marketing bonanza |
 The MAD learning center |
 A decommissioned missile silo |
 Approaching the Badlands from the prairie |
 Looking east |
Variety of views through Badlands National Park
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |