#5: Rapid City, South Dakota
It’s been a while, so I feel a little rusty. But once I start writing about this trip, it will be easy to get back into the swing of things. I will start reminiscing and remembering exactly why I solo-travel…and how much I love the thrill of it.
Looking back, my South Dakota trip was full of meaning, inspiration and adventure. The first half was spent working, which is where the meaning and inspiration comes into play. This wasn’t some ordinary work trip; this trip was something more. I had the honor and pleasure of meeting two significant women in my work world. It was my first time officially meeting both, despite talking to one multiple times and seeing the other express her sorrows and gratitude to my office. None of us had met before this trip and we came together like we had known each other for years. As much as I would love to share a picture of the three of us, I will not to protect their privacy. Ultimately, I walked away with an “adoptive mother” and “adoptive aunt”. And even though I am not sharing a picture, I will say this: The two women I met have experienced some horrific things in their lives that are incomprehensible to deal with. Yet, they radiate hope, enthusiasm and captivate an entire audience by simply saying hi. I listened to both, spewing goodness, developed through heartache, in a way I have never seen before. Unbelievable! I value every second of inspiration and spirit I gained in the first half of my trip to the Midwest.
After finishing the work portion of my trip and dropping my new family members off at the airport, I was off to travel across the state of South Dakota. I started in Sioux Falls, made a pit-stop in Mitchell and I was off to the Rapid City side of the state. There was so much to see, and ultimately I had plenty of time to see it (well, almost all of it).
Since it was on the way, Mitchell was my first stop before dark overtook the sky. Mitchell is the Home of the Corn Palace…sounds exhilarating, right? In a way it was, and in a way it wasn’t. It’s one of those “need to see once and never again” type of things. Essentially, the Corn Palace is a national landmark covered in corn- yes CORN! They use all corn to decorate murals on the walls of the palace. Husk. Corn cob. Everything! Unfortunately, I have no idea what the inside of the building looks like because it was closed…despite me being there before closing time. Mind you, Mitchell is a tiny town, with maybe one stop light and a old country western feel to it. I guess it’s no place to be after dark. My advice, stop in if you are around Mitchell- check out the Corn Palace and be on your way!
Did I mention that I am super thankful that I brought my jacket with me for this trip? I didn’t even think about the flatness of South Dakota and how there is nothing to block the wind. Let alone, the cold front and rain that decided to come through during my stay. Amen for jackets, otherwise, I would have had to purchase some tacky “tourist” sweatshirt that said “Rapid City” or “Mitchell, Home of the Corn Palace” on it. Phew!
Anyway, after my departure from the small town of Mitchell, I was off to locate a cheap place for me to stay overnight. I didn’t want to go all the way to Rapid City because I wanted to drive through the Badlands before hitting Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore on the “west coast”. I can’t remember where I found a place, but it was cheap and next to a gas station. No big deal- I just needed somewhere to lay my head. Before getting to the motel, I did one of the coolest things ever…well, at least I thought so! I DROVE IN TWO TIME ZONES! I hadn’t even known about this, until I started talking to my friend, AB. I was actually on the phone with her when I lost an hour in a blink of an eye.
I actually almost missed the sign. It was dark and I was expecting some huge sign. Nope, small sign on the side of the highway. Thankfully I saw it, so I pulled over, climbed over to the passenger’s side seat and out the window to take a few pictures. I made it happen!
After a good nights sleep, I was ready to go! I had a full day ahead of me – drive through the Badlands and explore Wall Drug. And a last minute addition was a drive to Devils Tower in Wyoming! Lots planned in such a little time. As far as the Badlands go, they are pretty freaking cool. The mystery and wondrous things the Earth can do is displayed in something like the Badlands. I drove through the Badlands, stopping at every pull-over area. I was afraid I would miss something new, even though everything looked exactly the same. And I mean everything! Looking at the pictures you would think the same. So, I picked some of my favorites. I think seeing pictures does the Badlands justice, versus trying to describe them by words.
See! How amazing. The rolling hills and mountains of different shades of brown. It may look plain, but in person, it is captivating! I will talk more about the wildlife later on, but seeing the various wildlife throughout my trip was my #1 favorite thing! Bison, prairie dogs, burros, and various types of rams/sheep. Just great!
I made some really cool time-lapse videos of me driving through the Badlands and wish I could share. But since I can’t, I will move onto my stop in at Wall Drug. You can’t go to South Dakota and not stop in at this national landmark. The little town continues to hold the old western feel. The Wall Drug Store is my vision of an old school Wal-mart. Quite interesting once you go in, but I sadly forgot to get my free water (they claim to give out 200,000 cups of water during tourist season!). I ended up buying a handmade Native American Christmas ornament that matches the colors of my house and color theme of my tree every year.
Once I finished at Wall Drug, I was off to find my first bison of the Midwest! While I won’t go into much detail until I write about Custer State Park, I did find some bison. Thank goodness for the Jeep I rented (it was an upgrade and so grateful) because I went “off-roading” on some off-set path of the Badlands. I don’t think I could have done it without an SUV, but so glad I had the Jeep. That’s where I found my first bison, grazing on the lands, quiet as can be. They are really graceful creatures.
And off I was to Wyoming. Like I mentioned before, it was a last minute addition to this trip. I hadn’t planned on crossing state borders, but why not! Especially when it was less than two hours away from my final destination in Rapid City. So, I drove…and drove…and drove some more. I stopped at the Wyoming state sign and eventually made it to Devils Tower Park. As you notice from my bison pictures, it was cloudy and chilly, so I pulled up my hoodie and walked the base of Devils Tower. Again, this place was one of those places that you are just fascinated by what the Earth is capable of.
If I remember correctly, I read that Devils Tower used to be under water billions of years ago and is the remnant of a volcano. I didn’t have much time to explore before the sun went do, so I simply walked the based of the “mountain”. Apparently, there are trails and other things to explore, but I didn’t have the chance. I did meet an adventurous kid and some other exploring travelers. (I-spy with my little eye something that is fearless…and it is not me!)
Since it was getting dark, I decided to head back to Rapid City and call it a night. I passed back into South Dakota (and got a picture) and made my way to the haunted hotel I booked- Hotel Alex Johnson. Some say it is haunted by Alex Johnson, but I did not experience any supernatural occurrences. For what it’s worth, the hotel was nice and worth the nights stay!
Right across the street was this great little restaurant called Tally’s Silver Spoon. For breakfast, I sat at the bar like usually and ordered bison, eggs and sweet potatoes. Paleo meal if I do say so myself! Oh, wait, and pancakes 🙂 Not so paleo! A few patrons at the bar made some comments about me not being able to finish my plate, but I showed them! It took all my energy not to lick my plate. It was meal for champions…and a meal to get me through the rest of my adventure. Crushed it!
I had a lot to get done this day – Custer State Park, Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore. So after my champion’s meal, I was back in the car off to find bison, burros and see all that I could see in South Dakota.
First stop, Custer State Park, full of bison and burros. This is where I will talk about the wildlife I experienced. They were in numbers. Tons of bison covered this park. Countless burros blocked my car from passing. It was such an amazing experience! I think I mentioned this, but bison are graceful and peaceful creatures. They glided across the plains, barely noticing they were gazing on the fields. If their heads weren’t pointed down to the ground, you would have assumed they were statues. I couldn’t tell they were moving, but when they did move, they demanded attention. Not in sounds, but in BEING! I couldn’t take my eyes off them. And they were everywhere! Seeing these amazing beasts was a major highlight of my trip.
Between the bison and the burros, I have some amazing videos. I just wish I could share them.
Burros. Burros. Burros! They are called the “begging burros” and that is exactly what they are. As soon as they knew a vehicle was in the area, they swarmed. Cars basically stop, let the burros venture around the car and escape when possible. I think I sat with the burros for at least 30 minutes. Once one bunch left my Jeep, another approached. There was even a front line blocking me from passing. Almost like the troll and I needed a special password.
The burros were amazing creatures, too. I was bewitched by their begging behavior and couldn’t take enough pictures. I had to pick my favorite pictures of the bunch – there were too many to choose from.
Once I gave the burros the right password to pass, I was off to Crazy Horse. I don’t want to dishonor anyone but I was a little unnerved by the entry fee for this landmark. I understand it’s not a national park, but then again, it’s kind of a knock-off of Mount Rushmore. Sad thing about this place is as much history there could be here, the sculpture is left not even half done. After I left, I read some reviews and most people are a little perturbed by the “exploitation a white family has done to the Native American history” (my words, not anyone else’s). It’s unfortunate to say the least. Needless to say, the art that is done here, as well as Mount Rushmore, is amazing. It’s mind blowing the art that is demonstrated by human creativity and talent.
Since my day was going by fast, I had to make my way to Mount Rushmore before I had to get to the airport. I HADDDD to see it- it was the primary reason I extended this trip in the first place. I couldn’t be the idiot who didn’t see the presidents while in South Dakota. But who am I kidding- I was making it and was going to have enough time to explore. It was a must!
Mount Rushmore is the epitome of talent. To carve faces of presidents into the side of a mountain…SERIOUSLY! Words can’t describe the sight of this landmark in person. I took my time wandering around the grounds, taking tons of pictures and staying in a state of awe and disbelief. Geez, that someone accomplished this masterpiece is crazy to even think about, let alone seeing in person! I just wish I could have gotten closer. I would love to see the detail in the rock. Despite getting closer, seeing Mount Rushmore in person was life changing and gave me appreciation for so much more.
Having time to reflect on this trip and writing this post, I realize this trip held more than just solo-travel meaning. I met two amazing women, saw some beautiful Earthly creations, majestic animals, and some of America’s greatest talent. This trip was full of inspiration on so many levels. I walked away with a shared sense of connectivity, to both humans and nature. The idea that my continued connection is ongoing, and simply just need to keep going through the tunnel of life.
