That
brown & white thing on my dashboard is a peanut butter
sandwich. I became very proficient at making peanut butter
sandwiches. I can read a map, make a sandwich, and drive a
stick shift up a mountain at the same time, blindfolded.
Departed
Sheridan, Wyoming at 5:30 AM headed to Devil's Tower, WY.
I
HAD NO ENCOUNTER OF ANY KIND.
(no
UF0s etc.)
Walked
around, strolled the gift shops. Bought post cards, mailed
'em. Hit the road!
Above:
The Penny Motel & Hostel. Glad I stopped here. Just
what I badly needed--a break somewhere where it was cool, clean, and
quiet. Had the room to myself again. Great air
conditioning. Took shower, changed, and took a slow walk
around Deadwood.
Hadn't
decided exactly where I wanted to spend the night. Saw in one
of my hostel books that there was a hostel no far in a town called
"Deadwood". Never heard of Deadwood before. Didn't know
what to expect. I was surprized to find out that it was quite
a popular little tourist town. Happy people. Gambling
places everywhere. But not like Las Vegas.
It was
good because people seemed to park their cars and walk around the
town. So there was hardly any traffic. No jams, no horns
blowing.
Deadwood
turned out to be a national historic landmark--a partial replica of
a wild west town. And the resting place of Wild Bill Hickok and
Calamity Jane.
Above:
Main Street Deadwood, SD
Glad I
didn't continue on that evening to Mount Rushmore. I heard on
TV that around 10,000 people were crammed into that area to attend
the Fourth of July celebration & firework.
I happily
went to bed in my nice, cool room at 7PM.
Above:
Mount Rushmore, Me, and my Kia. I wasn't supposed to park
here, but it was the only place where I could get both my car &
Mount Rushmore into the photo together. It took only a
minute. Nabbed a passing tourist and asked him to please take
the picture.
July
4
Got
up and left Deadwood at 5:30 AM. Mount Rushmore was 50 miles
from Deadwood so I got there early enough for the breakfast buffet
right there in their cafeteria/restaurant overlooking Rushmore.
After
Mount Rushmore (the gift shop & post cards), I headed for the
famous Wall Drug Store on I-90 in S.Dakota. Good place for a
family with kids who need a break from riding in the car.
Mostly a huge tourist trap. Way too hot & crowded for me.
Decided
not to visit "Badlands National Park" because I had seen so much of
the deserts of the southwest including Death Valley. At that
point I wanted to stick to the main roads for awhile.
Above:
Famous Wall Drug (I had never heard of it before this trip).
It's not just a drug store, it's like a shopping center laying out
in the sun--a shopping mecca. No trees. Just cars, and
people shopping. And there was nothing special about the
prices. But it was a good place to stop for a huge glass of
ice water!
Evening
was approaching. Had to find a place to stay for the
night. No local hostels indicated in my books. Had to
stay at a campground--KOA in Sioux Falls, SD. It was still hot
& muggy. They had a noisy, crowded pool. I did some
laundry, took a shower, and went to bed.
