Day three - still driving

All this driving is wearing me out. But it's been pretty smooth sailing. One casualty on the way out here - I think it was either late Wisconsin or early Minnesota when Pat Benatar came on my iPod. Just as she was singing "hit me with your best shot" a starling dive-bombed right into my front fender. Or, at least, so it appeared. After impact, in my rear view mirror, all I could see was a tuft of feathers floating. We inspected the car at a DQ in a small farming town (Chatfield, MN) and saw no evidence of bird parts. I'm optimistic that the bird miraculously flew under my car and survived to tell the tale... maybe via its own little birdie blog.

At the aforementioned DQ I got the chance to eat some fried cheese curds. Kinda yummy, kinda gross (see cheesy goodness at left). We also, in Blue Earth, Minnesota, got to hang out with the Jolly Green Giant! HO HO HO! (check out his giant booty!)


Aside from the JG Giant and the kamikaze bird WI and MN were without much incident. South Dakota, on the other hand, was pretty fun. A long, long state, there was plenty of opportunity for adventure.

The second night we stayed in Chamberlain, SD, population 880, right on the gorgeous Missouri River. It was an adorable town and I got to explore it when I went for a little jog in the morning.

There's a store in Wall, SD. Some of you may have heard of it. Those of you who have ever driven down I-90 in SD surely couldn't have missed it. It's called Wall Drugs. Every mile or so along the entire length of I-90 is a sign for this store! "Coffee 5 cents" "Free Ice Water" "See our backyard, bring your camera!" etc etc etc. So much of the state was spent in anticipation of Wall Drugs. Not sure if Wall drug lived up to our expectations. I think it may have. I did get to ride a jackalope (see left!)... and see an animated t-rex, and western art, and ice water, and homemade ice cream,stuffed game of all types, old photos of Calamity Jane...

SD has kitsch. I thought the trip to the UP was kitschy. I thought rural PA could be kitschy, or Platt, Nebraska. I was so wrong. Giant prairie dogs, giant steer heads, steel reenactments of "Cowboy and Indian" fights. The thunderstorms we drove through were also spectacular!

Today we finally traversed SD and are in Wyoming. We saw Mount Rushmore, the badlands, the black hills... it was a lot of tourism and less mileage but still more than 11 hours in the car. I'm exhausted, so 4 states and yet another time zone later I must sign off and hit the hay!