Day Eight: Oacoma, SD -- Sturgis SD

Another memorable day! After a fun stay at Al's Oasis we got a decent start this morning, plus we picked up an hour today by crossing into Mountain time (the time zone cuts through the middle of South Dakota which seems odd) We saw LOTS of SD today. Our first stop was at 1880 Town, a cute little tourist trap - we didn't pay to go into the village, but we did get a snack --they have six actual train cars converted to a really cute diner, and I got the caramel roll which was this heavenly sweet roll - wow! I feel like driving back for another one right now!! I couldn't help thinking how much my Dad would have loved it - he loved trains AND sweet rolls.

We had fun listening to the Vacation soundtrack that Bertha sent for this trip. JD has been singing "Holiday Road" all day since then. Next we got off of the main road and took the scenic loop through the Badlands which Rand-McNally rates as one of the most beautiful drives in America and indeed it was spectacular. The kids loved it and Anthony voted to skip Mt. Rushmore to just see more of the Badlands. He liked it even better after I decided to let him practice his driving on that scenic loop. It seemed like the perfect opportunity as there were few cars and the speed limit was 25 mph. I started getting nervous though when I noticed that at some places the curves were treacherous and the cliffs precipitous! But he actually did a really good job and everyone lived to tell the tale! It was nice to get a little break from all the driving. Interestingly it wasn't he who got pulled over by a cop today - it was I! The speed limit is so high out here (75 mph) that when I happened upon a 55 road I wasn't used to going so slowly. Happily the officer took pity on our travel adventure and said "Just consider this your warning for today." (And I didn't even have Denise Bakerink along who is always able to work her considerable charms on police officers!)

We even continued on the dirt road portion of the scenic loop which the kids loved as we got to see lots of prairie dogs, bison, deer and antelope on that route. The poor old van got a real work-out and the front end was COATED with grasshoppers when we got back onto pavement. It was a wild drive, but fun. When we emerged from the Badlands, we were in southern most part of South Dakota so we'd decided to pop over into Nebraska - another one the kids needed for their collection. Usually we go in long enough to really feel like we were there and to soak up a little of the local color. But the local color there was SCARY INDIAN RESERVATION. It didn't look particularly welcoming so we just drove in a little ways, took a picture, and came back.

Then we headed up to Mt. Rushmore - driving through Oglala, South Dakota! I wanted a picture for Olga, but there weren't any signs with the name on it. We got to Mt. Rushmore late afternoon and I was so happy to finally see it. It is really impressive. I kept wishing Mom was along, she has always wanted to see this. We hiked the Presidential Trail, took pictures, got ice cream, checked out the gift shop and had my National Parks passport stamped (a present from Greg - oh, and the other good news of the day was that the Badlands was having free day! That saved us $15!) The southern approach to Mt. Rushmore was UNBELIEVABLE--GPS lady led us on the "shortest" way in, but it was in fact the most treacherous. It made the mountain roads in Costa Rica look tame. About half way up we ran into a HERD of donkeys all over the road. Traffic was held up in both directions. The kids loved it and jumped out and started feeding them! One stuck his head right in the van with me! It was really funny. JD was howling with laughter, it was really cute. Fortunately we found a more civilized and normal northern access road to our motel tonight. We just got take-out from Pizza Hut and ate in our room at the Super 8...a cozy end to a fun-filled day.

A couple of quick observations....1) I'm my mother's son and so I can't help but always be looking at license plates and it has been so funny these past two states to have EVERY license plate be from one of the Dakotas - those are usually two of the rarest finds -- esp. North Dakota. It was such a strange feeling to see one everywhere you looked. Plus we are getting far enough west that people are starting to look at our car and ask incredulously "New York?!" So hopefully we are helping Western Families who are playing the license plate game! (Do people in North Dakota even bother to play the license plate game? Or is too hopeless? "Look everyone, it's NEBRASKA!!!") 2) Just a word of appreciation from a proud and grateful parent. The kiddos are being so cute and cooperative. They've been great travelers - virtually no fighting and very supportive of this crazy adventure. and 3) The carvings at Mt. Rushmore are such a testimony to human ingenuity but the incredible nature scenes all around it - the vistas, the rock formations, the mountains...are an even more impressive example of God's handiwork.

Tomorrow we will add my 45th and 46th states: Wyoming and Montana enroute to Bozeman to visit Ann Snowberger. So far, so good...