Roadside Attractions

(Please visit the other South Dakota postings first so you can appreciate this one.)    Well let’s see.  South Dakota is determined to be a great party state.  It has two incredible monuments.  The Badlands represent increcible beauty.  Now, let’s take a look at two of the most unusual roadside attractions.  The first one is located right outside of the Badlands and the other was found as we neared the eastern border of the state.  Wall Drug Store started in the 1930’s boasted free ice water.  What a selling point.  We began seeing the signs for this place miles before.  They had almost as many roadsigns as “Pedros” on Interstate 95.  However, this place wins the prize for the classiest kitsch.  Inside the “drugstore” (it started that way) you can find basically a mall of shops from bath products to western wear to Native American art.  But the best part of Wall Drug is the decor.  The place is filled with weird stuff like the enormous rabbit with antlers, a mechanical T-Rex that roars every 15 minutes, the miniature Mt. Rushmore and many assorted sculptures and stuffed animals.  This place is worth the stop.  Then, on our way east out of South Dakota, we stopped in Mitchell because I’d heard of “The Corn Palace”.  Originally, this building’s facade was made of corn and corn products in the most artistic way.  Through the years the design changes annually because the real corn products get eaten by the birds and go through a natural process of deterioration.  I took many pictures of the panels on the outside and few on the inside where they adorn an auditorium/performing arts center/gymnasium.  Finally, we stopped at Al’s Oasis for a final look at South Dakota.