Wednesday, May 13, 2015

America the Beautiful: Part 3

Today was a drive across America's Grassland! Huge farms dotted the landscape of South Dakota. We crossed the big and beautiful Missouri river and enjoyed watching the acres go by. 
Our first stop was the famed Wall Drug. Who knew that such a ridiculous and wonderful place could be put on America's map simply by offering free ice water from billboards strategically placed a good 20 miles outside of its location? I had not been there since I was child and I was every bit enchanted by it as any kid would be! It's the wild west as you envision it! Kitsch abounded in every imaginable manner! And I even got a cup of coffee for 5 cents! I did like the travelers chapel. If all else fails, maybe we have a career there!
Tanner and I tried our hand at driving a stagecoach. Doug recreated his Dusty Dan part and decided to ride the giant Jack-a-lope...a legendary range animal that is a mix of jack rabbit and antelope!
I loved the horse tie ups in front of the parking spots. Well, we could've stayed there for a long time, but we still had miles to travel.
The next stop was another bizarre and wonderful place: The Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota! This is a civic center that is entirely covered in corn cobs! The inside is a big arena where sporting events, public events and even the upcoming High School graduation will take place. The woman in charge took great pride in her job as she told visitors about the place. They were working on the exterior so it wasn't really displayed in all of its usual glory, but it was still very fun to see this! Tanner had to stay in the car for this one. When we returned he had finagled his way into the front seat!
Eastward we continued. More farm land. But with the added bonus of a few of the 10,000 lakes that Minnesota boasts! Soon we crossed over into Minnesota...more farmland! But then it was time for our first ice cream treat of the trip. Tanner even got a cone and boy was he happy with that! He enjoyed looking out the window and poking his head between the seats, checking in with us now and again.
So we have finally arrived at our destination! It's great to be home with Doug's parents. Tanner is quickly making himself at home and testing Doug's parents to see if they will slip him some food!
We're glad to be here. There are some challenging days ahead as we get the lay of the land with Doug's sister. We are so thankful that we can be here. And we really enjoyed these days of driving across our beautiful and diverse country.

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