carbonel

Boy howdy, does this bring back fond memories. In an earlier lifetime (1976, fact), a friend and I did a road trip out to the Worldcon in Kansas City. On the way back, we went through South Dakota, hitting the Badlands, Wall Drug (is the giant plaster dinosaur still there?), Mt. Rushmore, and Deadwood. Very cool places, and we also hiked a bit around the Badlands though not with as much dedication as you did!

We noticed the Devil's Tower on our way to Kansas City and thought about stopping there, but it was 100 miles out of our way so we gave it a miss. Of course, "Close Encounters" hadn't been made yet.

I do remember the proliferating signs for Wall Drug -- we were seeing them as far away as Iowa. On that same trip we also saw the house where Jesse James was killed in St. Joseph, Missouri, and the battle site for Little Big Horn in Montana. Oh, and we also stopped at a "roadside attraction" in South Dakota that consisted of a teeny souvenir hut and a 60-foot tall plaster prairie dog.

I love road trips. Thank you for posting!