We hit South Dakota the exact same week of an enormous bike rally in Sturgis, SD. It kicked up the number of tourists at each of our destinations by the thousands, which wasn't a huge issue, for the most part. I let out a huge sigh of relief that an overheard conversation about cocaine went way over my kids heads and that my oldest walked right by a biker with two holes cut out of her t-shirt (rendering her indecently exposed) without even noticing. Lucky for us, they were the exception to the rule, and most bikers are not drug-induced, breast-baring anarchists.
The Badlands came first. I wish I had a camera that could have done this place justice - it was stunning.
Our loop through the Badlands ended in Wall, SD, home of Wall Drug. I should have counted the number of billboards advertising this place from one South Dakota border to the opposite one, it might have numbered in the hundreds. Wall did not disappoint. Tourist trap, maybe. But I figure, if you must
take a potty break, why not do it somewhere that boasts a giant jackelope? I mean, really.
On to Mount Rushmore, not a bad place to stretch the legs.
We enjoyed a narrated trip of the Presidential Trail, highlighting each of the presidents depicted and why the artist chose them. It was punctuated by short bursts of thunder and rain - a welcome change after a couple of hot, dry hours in the Badlands.
The girls were excited to recognize our state flag atop the pillars welcoming us to Mount Rushmore. A picturesque drive through the Black Hills, check-in to the motel, dinner, a bit of women's gymnastics and we called it a night.
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