Badlands and Wall Drug

 You are driving along in a pretty nice short grass prairie and boom, it all goes to hell. That is a pretty good description of Bad lands National Park. Really it boils down to the northern most plateau eroding down to the lower. Far more complicated than that, but just for simplicity let's run with it.

 We drove a southern route out 44 to reach the park. As is our custom we stop in the visitor center, go thru the exhibits and watch a short film about the park and how it got the way it is now. In Yellowstone we repeated those steps 5 times as each visitor center had different information

 After driving the scenic loop tru the park we were headed north toward, wait for it....you guessed it, Wall South Dakota. Small little town in middle of nowhere. It's claim to fame is the fact that it happens to be the home of Wall Drugstore. The story of this store is taught in college, at least a business class at UTA that Mary took. The Housteads opened the store in 1931 and really struggled. One day the wife suggested giving away ice water to thirsty travelers. Perhaps they would buy something while they enjoyed free water. First it was just ice cream but then it took off. The rest they say is history. All these years later you can still get free ice water and coffee for 5 cents. Huge tourist draw to Wall, store covers several blocks.

  Inside that huge store(s) they have a little of everything. They even have a chapel for travelers.

 The badlands and Wall drug were both interesting places. Very different but interesting none the less.


  Tomorrow the plan is to go look at dead presidents. I will let you guess what that means.


 Really like the scenery of the Black Hills.


carpe diem