the journal

When you think of a “party state” does South Dakota come to mind?  Well, it should.  We pulled into Sturgis and I knew this town was wild… I could only imagine how it is during the motorcycle rally.  After the requisite visit to the Harley Davidson store we asked where to eat lunch.  What a great suggestion.  The Knuckle Saloon – a bar/restaurant/motorcyle memoabelia museum/sometime rodeo stadium was fabulous.  They had wonderful buffalo burgers, a really cool interior and a promise for lots of fun.  The next day they were holding a bucking bronco rodeo in their courtyard.  From Sturgis, you can also visit the really different and beautiful town of Deadwood.  A throw-back to the Olde Wild West.  The buildings were reminiscent of a time when gunfighters and saloon girls dominated the place. Oh, and they had gambling halls with all the slot machines you need.  The two guys featured in the photos were a treat to meet.  The guy in Sturgis standing next to my car wanted to know how I like the Camry.  He happens to work at the Toyota plant in Kentucky.  The “Elvis of Deadwood” came out of the elevator in the Deadwood parking lot.  He was a riot.  All in all, South Dakota is a blast.  But wait, there’s more cool stuff to come.

Within a half hour of each other you can find two major American monuments.  One was completed years ago and the other is years from completion.  I have known of Mt. Rushmore and seen the iconic images for many years.  Once you get there you realize that it isn’t that big.  But it’s impressive and beautiful.  I saw other sculptures by the artist at the museum in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and his work is magnificent.  One of the best sights at Mt. Rushmore is the sightseers.  They come from all countries and watching people here is a spectacle.  The monument still a work in progress is Crazy Horse.  The visit to this monument included a short video on how it was commissioned and the artist who began work on it over 50 years ago.  This was a fascinating place.  The monument is huge and just the arm of Crazy Horse alone is bigger than all the heads of the presidents at Mt. Rushmore.  The visitor center also included many Native American artwork, history and artifacts.  I loved the bison so it’s my focus on this posting.  One final word.  See the monument, see the video, read about it – this is the most interesting “tourist attraction” I’ve seen.

Extaordinary beauty.  Now this is a great National Park.  The area is remote and filled with charming wildlife, stunning landscapes and colorful plant life.  We arrived at sunset and got up at 5:00 am the next morning to see the sunrise.  Both experiences were worth it.  The best wildlife sighting was the deers with antlers.  It was the first time I saw “the Gentlemen’s Club”.  This group was out together for their morning meeting.  We really enjoyed our cabin that was reminiscent of traveling in the 60’s or 70’s.  Not much had changed but it was really comfortable and right there amidst all that beauty. 

(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. 

This is one of the most progressive and civilized cities in the United States.  Of course, that is my opinion but I find the depth of cultural options so impressive as well as the quality of the arts.  The Minneapolis Art Institute is a traditional museum with a number of wonderful collections.  The new wing is devoted to the design and architecture of Michael Graves.  I became a fan of his when I started seeing his designs at Target.  The coolest things were the board games he designed: chess, backgammon, poker and monopoly.  He also designed household products.  What a treat to make such artistic designs available to the masses.  We also went by the Fitzgerald Theater that houses the Prairie Home Companion radio show.  While we were taking pictures of that I saw a dinosaur across the street painted with some of the great musicians of our times.  Did you say “Bob Dylan” – my hero?  After these places we went to the Walker Art Center.  What a bizarre artistic experiment.  The most innovative and creative art is found at the Walker.  There was one “piece” that was a woman sleeping in the corner.  A real live woman who sleeps in the corner for an hour.  Don’t ask… even I was confused.  But you have to go just to allow your mind to be imploded.  I also got to go to a Twins game.  My Minneapolis hotel was also the coolest.  They have a pool table and rocking chairs in the lobby.  What could be more attractive.  I also got to see a show about Ella Fitzgerald at the famous Guthrie Theater.  I just love this city.  Especially because I have WONDERFUL relatives there.  This was a really great place to stop on my adventure.