Drive-by Touring in South Dakota

The sprint back towards Missoula to be reunited with the Cream Puff was considerably less leisurely than my trip east. There were many interesting attractions advertised by the side of the road that, had I been less pressed for time, I would certainly have stopped to see.

The Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota was particularly tempting. I came very close to leaving the Interstate for the promised pleasure of distinctive "earchitcture." Honestly, the things I'll almost do for a corny pun. Once I'd had a look at the website I was really kicking myself. Not only do they have very enticing billboards, but the management of the Corn Palace are even good at promoting online. Check out the Corn Palace Webcam. I just can't believe I drove past this!

I also drove past 1880 town. This attraction features 30 carefully maintained buildings furnished with authentic relics, including some props used in the movie Dances with Wolves. Unlike the mysterious minarets of the Corn Palace, 1880 town is visible from the freeway. It is, like all such period towns, remarkably small. In the age of big cities it's easy to forget just how small a normal community once was.

The prize for the most billboards and other roadside promotions goes unquestionably to Wall Drug. Prompted by all this propaganda I even vaguely recalled seeing a bumper sticker in California that read "Where in the heck is Wall Drug?" The truth is that the bumper sticker was all I'd ever heard of Wall Drug, but that just shows how ignorant I am. The billboards assured me that Wall Drug has been extensively reviewed by such august critical authorities as Time Magazine and Goodmorning America. A later perusal of the Wikipedia entry clarified the situation. Wall Drug is a shopping complex including assorted Americana, a drug store, Dinosaur World, an art gallery, restaurant and a whole bunch of other stuff. This major tourist attraction is chiefly famous for its successful billboard promotions.

Having to rush right past these curiosities of South Dakota was a little annoying. Driving around the outside instead of through the middle of Badlands National Park just about brought tears to my eyes. It's still too painful to talk about. Just look at the photos at the bottom of the Wikipedia entry. Can you believe I gave this up so I could get to Mount Rushmore?