July 2 (Day 30)

Talk about a busy, fun filled day! we began at Mount Rushmore where we got to learn about the neat history of the massive carvings of four of America’s greatest presidents (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt). It was so weird to actually see it in person, instead of on a movie screen! So surreal! We had a great time, and Blake became a junior ranger. J

After we left Rushmore, we got to eat at Golden Corral and then went to the craziest Wal-Mart on the planet..haha. We then continued to the Badlands of South Dakota. However, before we ever made it to the Badlands, as we were driving, every half mile for fifty miles or so we would see signs advertising Wall Drug. The signs would say things such as “5 cent coffee” and “ free ice water”. So basically that by the time we got to the exit, we had no choice but to pull over and check it out! And boy was it worth it, it was a sight to see. The tourist trap of all tourist traps. There were tons of stores, cafes and even a giant jackalope and a t-Rex that would attempt to eat someone every twelve minutes. We had a blast, and all agreed it was well worth the stop.

After we pried ourselves from Wall Drug, we continued down the road a few hours to the infamous Badlands of South Dakota. And boy were they bad. Hot as all get out, and the desert formations looking like something out of a sci-fi movie made it easy to understand why they’re called the badlands. They were beautiful and mysterious. But I think Blake’s favorite part was the prairie dogs. We saw hundreds of them and Blake got as close as a yard away before it scampered back into his hole. It was such a neat thing to see, so different than what we’re use to.

We drove and drove and drove and drove and drove a little more until we reached Sioux Falls at two o’clock in the morning J and all collapsed into an exhausted sleep. Good day.

Best part of the day? Wall Drug was definitely a favorite, but all of it was great!