Tourism Trifectca

Breakfast, as I expected, was less than impressive. Smaller motels just can't offer the same variety. Lower turnover can also mean freshness issues. The "Cheerios" tasted sort of funny, but were still crunchy. I had to wonder if they weren't some generic version. But it didn't cost extra, so why bitch?

Before hitting the interstate, I made a stop at the local tourist trap – Badlands Petrified Gardens. They have a yardful of South Dakota petrified wood specimens, and displays fossils and minerals from the area. I noticed the wording on the interpretive signs were carefully worded. This region has a large population of fundies, and I'm sure the museum staff has no desire to engage in daily debates. So they signs have phrases like "geologists believe", and two time charts are displayed: biblical and geological.

 The museum was quite interesting, and I had more than $6 worth of fun. So I consider it a bargain, even if I did forget to use my coupon.

As recommended by the nice lady at the Mitchell info booth, I got off of I-90 to take the scenic loop. It wasn't long before I found a wonderful tourist trap, where you feed peanuts to semi-tame prairie dogs. It was incredibly fun. Some would even take the peanuts right from your hand. They were so cute, it was worth a possible exposure to plague. (Seriously.)

I ended up spending quite a bit of time at the Badlands National Park, and didn't burn up a lot of miles. It's an awesome park! The landscape is truly spectacular. I actually find it more impressive than the Grand Canyon. The formations stretch for miles, and are more accessible than the canyon. The road goes right through them, and they have lots of pull-offs and viewpoints. There are quite a few places where you can walk around in them, without killing your knees. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed walking along the Grand Canyon Rim. But I knew that'd be all I could do there, without involving search & rescue dogs & probably a helicopter.

After awhile, I became anxious about the evening's accommodations. Once again, dark clouds gathered, and the radio was full of severe storm warnings. Finding someplace cheap but not disgusting can be a bit of a challenge. Even in the off-season, they can sell out. So I left the park before finishing and headed into Wall. The info booth lady had told me that Wall drug was open till 10, and an evening outing sounded like a nice change of pace.

Turns out, a lot of places were closed for the season (or forever, it's kind of hard to tell). The Best Value wanted most of $60, and I knew I could do better. I was just about to give up, and head out of town, when I spotted the comforting glow of the Welsh Motel sign. They only charge $32, which includes coffee. No fridge, but they have one of those huge old ice machines that could fill a semi.

After awhile, I drove back over to Wall Drug. It was only 8:00, but everything was closed. I guess the 10 PM closing is for the high season. So I bought some PBR from the gas station. Guessing from the other folks in line, it's the thing to do here.

Sleeping indoors turned out to be a good move. The thunder was so loud, I could feel it through the floor.