Yellowstone Adventure 2016 - The Getting There Day 2

  It was sure nice to finally leave Iowa and get into South Dakota.  If you have never been to South Dakota it is very hard for me to describe the openness of the state.  It is what I really like about the drive through on I-90.  You can see for miles in all directions and for some reason that makes me feel good just standing by the side of the road and looking at the vastness of the land.  It also makes it great for weather spotting because a storm cannot sneak up on you.  You can see bad weather coming for miles.  I guess next to standing in the mountains and looking from one peak to another the views in South Dakota are something. 
    I stopped in Mitchell South Dakota today just to see what the Corn Palace had for a theme this year.  You see every year they create a new theme on the outside of the building using corn to make giant murals.  This year's theme was rock and roll and they called it "Rock of Ages".  Mitchell has not changed much since Dad and I came through on the motorcycles in the 90's, but the interstate exit has ballooned into a shopping, lodging and dinning mecca. Where there was just an exit to Mitchell in the 90's you now have a Cabela's, several places to stay, a Super Walmart and a bunch of places to eat.  I don't think Mitchell was too happy with all that because people may just stop at the exit and never come to the town of Mitchell.  The town has some very nice shops and such that people really should see. 
   Heading out of Mitchell my next stop was my most favorite rest stop of all time.  It is the rest stop right before you get to cross the Missouri river.  South Dakota really did that rest stop up right.  It is placed on a hill over looking the river and the bridge that I-90 uses to cross the river.  Standing up on the hill and looking down I would just close my eyes and try to imagine Lewis and Clark coming upstream on their way to an adventure that makes my summer work look like a walk in the park. That rest stop is a great place to read up on history of the area as well as get some great pictures. 
    Crossing the Missouri at that point you are in my opinion "In the West".  The landscape starts to change and they ground looks more and more like you saw in the movie Dances With Wolves.  Speaking of Dances With Wolves, just up the road (well several miles but they go by fast) is the 1880's Town.  This is the best preserved old time western town that I have ever come across.  The owner who set up the town brought in buildings from all over the area to build a very real looking western town.  He has a great saloon with batwing doors, two churches, a railroad depot, a dentist and doctor's office, a bank, a post office, etc.  He also has a section in the main building dedicated to the movie and has several pictures and props.  When Dad and I went through in the 90's we got to see the horse that Kevin Costner road in the movie.  The horse is gone but some very large long horn steers have been put outside of the town and believe me seeing them up close is something you will remember.
  I decided today to stop by Wall Drug for a lunch/dinner.  If you do not know about Wall Drug all I can say is you have to see it.  Wall Drug is in Wall South Dakota which is on the edge of the badlands.  They are known by their signs that are on the roadside.  I saw a sign for Wall Drug around 350 miles from Wall today and I am sure there are signs much farther out than that.  If you travel I-90 and get close to South Dakota then you will get an education on what is happening at Wall Drug.  It was established as a drug store a long time ago and has blossomed into a great tourist attraction over the years and a very nice place to eat ad rest.
   Leaving Wall I headed to Rapid City where I decided to stay for the night.  Once I got checked in I decided to go up the mountain and see Mount Rushmore.  All I can say about my trip up the mountain is that Rapid City has changed immensely since the 90's when Dad and I took the motorcycles up and around the mountain.  There are many more places to stay and many more family attractions.  Some of those family attractions my Dad would refer to as tourist traps and I would have to agree.  The place is starting to look more and more like Branson in Missouri. Which is good for families but kind of bad for those looking for scenery over stopping places.  I did also notice that Rapid City, like Branson, is being affected by the economy as several places were closed down and some were for sale.  A sign of the times I guess but this usually indicates a big boom followed by a big bust.
  Well that is all I have today and I will have to plan my route for tomorrow.  I am leaning toward getting off I-90 and head to Cody Wyoming because I want to see my favorite mountain overlook.  Cathy will know what that one is as I always talk about the spot as leaving the plains and heading into the mountains (the Bighorn Range).  The spot always brought me smiles going up and frowns going down as I knew that once I was down there would be no more mountains to venture across.