We are now at a KOA campground in Sheridan, WY, following a marvelous few days of sightseeing in the area surrounding Rapid City, SD. In this ‘issue’ of our blog, we will attempt to bring you along on our journey west.
On Wednesday, July 30, when we departed Wisconsin, we began a new phase of our Bounder Across America tour. Up until this time we have been deeply involved in visits with friends and family. For the next couple of weeks however, as we are trekking west, we are primarily sightseeing.
In the middle ‘Sixties’, Glen had the opportunity (following his freshman year of college) to take a year off and explore much of America – West of the Mississippi. Donna, however, has seen most of this part of the country only from the window of a jet – from thirty-five thousand feet. So in many ways this is a chance for Glen to share his sixties nostalgia with Donna, whose fresh outlook on the trip makes everything new for Glen.
Heading west from Wisconsin, through most of the state, and through all of Minnesota and a good part of South Dakota, the terrain is beautiful and rolling farmland, but with little to distinguish one state from the other. That is not, of course, to say that each does not have its own special charm.
Minnesota's wind farms are particularly notable. These sprawling ranges of up to 50 huge but delicate looking wind turbines are amazing. Perhaps not everyone will agree, but we both find these 'farms' to be somehow serene - even if they also appear somewhat surreal. (When we had our B&B in Wisconsin, we would occasionally pack a picnic lunch and drive out Hwy 18 toward Prairie du Chien, WI just to park beneath one of these marvels and sit and enjoy the hushed 'whoosh' of the large propellers.) Perhaps what is most exciting about these present day windmills is the knowledge that they use a totally renewable energy source. As long as life continues to exist on this planet there will always be wind; and as long as there is wind, energy can be generated by these mammoth turbines. No resource from the earth is depleted and no pollution is produced. We expect that with modern political tensions in the world and current attempts to reduce dependence on foreign energy sources, we'll be seeing more of these graceful giants on the landscape.
On Wednesday, July 30, when we departed Wisconsin, we began a new phase of our Bounder Across America tour. Up until this time we have been deeply involved in visits with friends and family. For the next couple of weeks however, as we are trekking west, we are primarily sightseeing.
In the middle ‘Sixties’, Glen had the opportunity (following his freshman year of college) to take a year off and explore much of America – West of the Mississippi. Donna, however, has seen most of this part of the country only from the window of a jet – from thirty-five thousand feet. So in many ways this is a chance for Glen to share his sixties nostalgia with Donna, whose fresh outlook on the trip makes everything new for Glen.
Heading west from Wisconsin, through most of the state, and through all of Minnesota and a good part of South Dakota, the terrain is beautiful and rolling farmland, but with little to distinguish one state from the other. That is not, of course, to say that each does not have its own special charm.
Minnesota's wind farms are particularly notable. These sprawling ranges of up to 50 huge but delicate looking wind turbines are amazing. Perhaps not everyone will agree, but we both find these 'farms' to be somehow serene - even if they also appear somewhat surreal. (When we had our B&B in Wisconsin, we would occasionally pack a picnic lunch and drive out Hwy 18 toward Prairie du Chien, WI just to park beneath one of these marvels and sit and enjoy the hushed 'whoosh' of the large propellers.) Perhaps what is most exciting about these present day windmills is the knowledge that they use a totally renewable energy source. As long as life continues to exist on this planet there will always be wind; and as long as there is wind, energy can be generated by these mammoth turbines. No resource from the earth is depleted and no pollution is produced. We expect that with modern political tensions in the world and current attempts to reduce dependence on foreign energy sources, we'll be seeing more of these graceful giants on the landscape.
Our first night was spent at a Wal-Mart in Fairmont, MN. Nothing much to say but ‘Thank You’ Wal-Mart. These large sprawling parking lots, well lit and security patrolled throughout the night, have proven to be a thrifty way to stay on the move when there is no better way to describe a destination than as a place to pass through. In four years of traveling, we have yet to stop at a Wal-Mart and ask permission to stay the night, where our reception has been other than cordial.
Perhaps it is 'corny', but we enjoyed our visit to the Corn Palace. (Yes... pun intended.) This large and multi-use building in the heart of Mitchell, SD boasts a most unique design feature. Nearly the entire exterior of the building is decorated annually with fruits of the South Dakota harvest - particularly multi-colored cobs of corn. Decorative adornments and large murals cover the face of the building. Inside, more large murals cover the walls of the combination basketball arena/auditorium. Glen remembered this spot from his wanderings in the sixties. And although Donna at first thought he must have been 'smoking something' in those days, she couldn't help but be impressed. Then, still heading west, there's Wall Drugs. Like the Corn Palace, Wall Drugs is nearly impossible to describe clearly to someone who's never seen it. But this venerable travelers' stop along the highway to Rapid City and points west has been going strong since the great depression. Each year it grows larger as more than half a million tourists annually swell the population (800) of little Wall, SD. Today's complex is about the size of a square city block. Clever highway signs dot the roadways in all directions for hundreds of miles before arriving in Wall - enticing tourists to stop. And the gimmick that first put Wall Drugs on the map, free ice water for thirsty Summer travelers, still a mainstay. Now of course, this free ice water can be complimented with full course meals, jewelry, trinkets, clothing... and just about everything a tourist might desire. And yes... the drug store is still in operation - prescriptions can be filled!
Continuing on, a subtle but striking change begins to occur. About the time that the westward bound traveler reaches the starkly beautiful Badlands of South Dakota, it is as though an invisible line has been crossed – and the Midwest gives way to the West. The landscape becomes more forbidding; agriculture turns to ranching; baseball caps and shoes are replaced by cowboy hats and boots; and ‘Howdy Pardner’ loses its strange ring.
Also, perhaps now is as good a time as any to talk about Sturgis. (For the uninitiated. Sturgis is a small town in the foothills of the South Dakota Black Hills that for one week each Summer becomes the Mecca for motorcyclists. In a good year, this little town of just over five thousand souls swells to over half a million, as motorcycle enthusiasts from across the country and around the world converge on this scenic area for the largest motorcycle rally in the world.) Shortly after departing Fairmont, MN on Thursday morning, we were struck by the change in the nature of our fellow travelers. Accustomed to the relatively quiet company of ’Eighteen Wheelers’, RVs and a variety of automobiles, it was now apparent that nearly half the traffic was on two wheels. The raucous sound of only half-muffled engines was everywhere. We were amidst the annual pilgrimage to Sturgis!
Perhaps it is 'corny', but we enjoyed our visit to the Corn Palace. (Yes... pun intended.) This large and multi-use building in the heart of Mitchell, SD boasts a most unique design feature. Nearly the entire exterior of the building is decorated annually with fruits of the South Dakota harvest - particularly multi-colored cobs of corn. Decorative adornments and large murals cover the face of the building. Inside, more large murals cover the walls of the combination basketball arena/auditorium. Glen remembered this spot from his wanderings in the sixties. And although Donna at first thought he must have been 'smoking something' in those days, she couldn't help but be impressed. Then, still heading west, there's Wall Drugs. Like the Corn Palace, Wall Drugs is nearly impossible to describe clearly to someone who's never seen it. But this venerable travelers' stop along the highway to Rapid City and points west has been going strong since the great depression. Each year it grows larger as more than half a million tourists annually swell the population (800) of little Wall, SD. Today's complex is about the size of a square city block. Clever highway signs dot the roadways in all directions for hundreds of miles before arriving in Wall - enticing tourists to stop. And the gimmick that first put Wall Drugs on the map, free ice water for thirsty Summer travelers, still a mainstay. Now of course, this free ice water can be complimented with full course meals, jewelry, trinkets, clothing... and just about everything a tourist might desire. And yes... the drug store is still in operation - prescriptions can be filled!
Continuing on, a subtle but striking change begins to occur. About the time that the westward bound traveler reaches the starkly beautiful Badlands of South Dakota, it is as though an invisible line has been crossed – and the Midwest gives way to the West. The landscape becomes more forbidding; agriculture turns to ranching; baseball caps and shoes are replaced by cowboy hats and boots; and ‘Howdy Pardner’ loses its strange ring.
Also, perhaps now is as good a time as any to talk about Sturgis. (For the uninitiated. Sturgis is a small town in the foothills of the South Dakota Black Hills that for one week each Summer becomes the Mecca for motorcyclists. In a good year, this little town of just over five thousand souls swells to over half a million, as motorcycle enthusiasts from across the country and around the world converge on this scenic area for the largest motorcycle rally in the world.) Shortly after departing Fairmont, MN on Thursday morning, we were struck by the change in the nature of our fellow travelers. Accustomed to the relatively quiet company of ’Eighteen Wheelers’, RVs and a variety of automobiles, it was now apparent that nearly half the traffic was on two wheels. The raucous sound of only half-muffled engines was everywhere. We were amidst the annual pilgrimage to Sturgis!
When we began planning the Bounder Across America tour earlier this year, it was evident that something unexpected was going on during the time we were passing through South Dakota. It was nearly impossible to get a reservation for a few nights at any RV park or campground in the western part of the state. (Sturgis is within shouting distance of Rapid City – if you’ve got a really loud voice, that is!!) When it finally occurred to us that we were attempting to overlap our visit with the Sturgis Rally, we changed our plans slightly so that we would be in Rapid City for the weekend before the official opening of the event on Monday, August 4 – the date when we would leave South Dakota. What we hadn’t bargained for was that because a beautiful weekend preceded the Monday opening, many, if not all, the cyclists would be arriving early.
So, on our drive through half of Minnesota and nearly all of South Dakota, we were accompanied by a constant escort of big bikes. Let us be the first to say that at no time did we ever witness a single act of driving discourtesy on the highway; and furthermore, after arriving at our destination and traveling throughout the area, never did we meet and speak with any biker who was anything but polite and courteous. That’s not to say this can always be discerned from outward appearances.
(The irony hasn’t escaped us that here, in the West, the cowboy has all but disappeared. But for Sturgis Week in South Dakota, it’s almost as if the cowboy has re-emerged in the form of the Harley Davidson rider. De rigueur dress - denim jeans with chaps, colorful bandannas, and lots of leather - is not so different from one to the other. Couple this with hair long enough to braid and no shortage of facial hair, and the cowboy/Harley rider comparison continues quite nicely. The major difference? The trusty steed is now made of metal, and it makes one heck of a lot more noise than the average horse.)
In any event, by the time we arrived in Rapid City it was apparent that the population of the state had nearly doubled from that of a normal South Dakota weekend; and that we were in a noticeable minority – driving a 25,000 pound motorhome. The KOA campground where we were staying was reminiscent of a cattle drive; with tents and campfires abounding. (The truth of the matter is, we were thrilled and excited to be in the midst of such interesting company.)
Saturday morning we awoke to the sound of hoarse engines revving, and we started our day by driving into The Black Hills in order to visit Deadwood (South Dakota’s answer to Las Vegas) and to drive through Sturgis in order to see just what the ‘rally’ action was all about. Deadwood is a pleasant, restored ‘gold rush’ city that is now populated with more than eighty small casinos; each with just a handful of gaming machines. (It should be noted that the total count of slot machines in the entire city of Deadwood is probably less than that at a decent sized Indian casino.) Driving to Deadwood we were again amongst mostly two wheeled traffic; and when we arrived in the city we could see that much of the curb area had been given over to the parking of motorcycles. The town, after years of participating in the motorcycle rally event, had clearly learned how to cater to the clientele. And it was notable that everything was well-organized and orderly – with motorcycles being given priority, but with consideration for four-wheeled vehicles also apparent. In addition to sampling the obvious entertainment of a gambling city, it was just fun to walk the streets and admire the number and variety of big bikes on display. We had not previously understood just how many variations of the Harley Davidson are available. There seemed to be no end of sizes, colors, styles and customized variations of the basic machine. (Although Harley’s are not the only motorcycles represented at the Sturgis Rally, they are by far the predominant bike. A good guess would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 to 1.) Going along with the variety of their bikes, there was also no end to the variety of riders. They too come in all sizes shapes and colors. Although it should be noted that there are women riders, it should also be noted that they are also hugely in the minority. This event is high testosterone; and based on the advertising displays that dominate the scene, women are mostly ‘objectified’. By all appearances, the women participating in the event are willing to go along with this characterization; happy to sit on the back of the bike, clad in shorts and halters.
Our next stop, Sturgis, was much the same – but more so! The main street was closed to all but motorcycle traffic and parking, and the entire town seemed as though it had been transformed into something approximating a slightly raucous ‘state fair’. It was still early in the event, and there’s no telling what could happen by the end of a week of partying, but we were happy to see that the crowds were orderly, and that there was no public display of drunkenness or nudity – both of which we had been warned about.
Sunday dawned another beautiful day, and we had planned to head south – to Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, and Custer State Park. Motorcycles were again everywhere on the road. But let us reiterate – they were always courteous to automobile drivers, and never engaged in driving that could be construed as dangerous or careless. Although we have both previously been to see the Mt. Rushmore mountain sculptures, the visit was nevertheless again impressive. It’s difficult to imagine the artistic skill required to create such a sculpture – mostly with dynamite. It can only be imagined what heartbreak would follow had a slight mistake been made; and George Washington’s nose had ended up on the rubble heap at the base of the mountain!
Following Mt. Rushmore we headed to the Crazy Horse monument, which is not too far away. Approaching on the highway, it’s difficult not to be impressed by the scale of the work. It’s also difficult to miss that a very small portion of the sculpture is complete. It’s easy to believe that Crazy Horse’s head will still be all that has been sculpted in our lifetimes.
From here it was only another short drive to Custer State Park, which boasts one of America’s largest herds of wild buffalo. (Or bison, if you prefer. They are actually the same animal – buffalo being the common term, and bison being the scientific.) We were anxious to view these animals in the wild, but had been warned by many others that a sighting of the herd was unlikely. Never daunted, however, Donna explained to the ranger at the park’s entrance that our grandson, Evan, had especially asked for us to send photos of the animals. The ranger, sensing our earnestness, told us that if we were willing to stray off the beaten path, and wanted to travel inland across more than ten miles of gravel road, we could arrive at a place where the herd had been sighted earlier in the day. Needless to say, we high-tailed it along the route that the ranger had set out for us. We were rewarded for our efforts when we crested a hill and witnessed a herd of more than two hundred buffalo meandering through a meadow. With little apparent fear of humans and our cars, they seemed either not to notice us; or more likely, not to care that we were there. We drove as close as we dared, and they passed us on all sides; walking across the road in front and in back of us. It’s hard to describe the joy of being in this pristine environment, away from most of the many tourists in the park, and witnessing a display of nature that few in this day and age will ever see. It was truly inspiring, and reminded us of the wonder and reverence that Native American peoples had for this majestic animal. When we’d had our fill of buffalo, we continued our drive through the back roads of the park, viewing mountain goats, white tail deer, and of course – numerous rabbits, all in their natural habitat. All in all, and although we enjoyed all that we’d seen, it would be hard to pick the man-made wonders we’d witnessed that day over the natural beauty of Custer State Park
We returned home to Rapid City in early evening; tired – but satisfied that we’d seen the best on offer in the area. It was now time to get the car back on the dolly – ready for towing; and make the Bounder ready for our departure, deeper into The West, the next morning.
Donna has again prepared a Picasa photo album of our time traveling to and in the State of South Dakota, and we hope you will enjoy it. The album can be seen at:
Also, don’t forget to leave a comment.
Until next time, when we chronicle our drive to Sheridan and our time spent here – we hope you are all well and enjoying life as much as we are.
Until next time, when we chronicle our drive to Sheridan and our time spent here – we hope you are all well and enjoying life as much as we are.
Donna & Glen
