"The American West in All Its Glory" - Time Out #146

How about a nice road trip from Our Town, not too far in the distance, but far enough away you and the family feel like you actually drove your buggy somewhere outside the local neighborhood? Our bunch did this adventure several years ago, and had an absolute blast, of course!

This little jaunt is an easy 2-day there and the same time to return, totaling about 2,000 miles by the time you pull back home, and turn off your engine.

Let's go to one of our country's greatest displays of Americana......western South Dakota

Pretty easy drive north through neighboring Kansas, and then on thru Nebraska, as very little traffic and wide open-spaces greet the traveling motorist. Once your vehicle finds I-90 West in South Dakota, it's not too far down the wide, uncrowded pavement, until the first must-see pops up for you to stop and spend a little time (and $money), The place is famous Wall Drug, located in Wall (population 786), and really a tourist mecca on the open plains. In 1936, small-town pharmacy owners Ted and Dorothy Hustead came up with a marvelous marketing idea for their store. Realizing tourists along the hot, dusty prairie road would always be thirsty, the Husteads put up many signs along the way, offering free ice water. Tourists have been stopping in huge numbers at their commercial buildings ever since. If the product isn't for sale at Wall Drug, you probably really don't need it anyway, folks?

Wall is the northern gateway to Badlands National Park, This prominent member of our wonderful US National Park Service (NPS) affords the visiting public absolutely spectacular scenery at almost every turn of your vehicle. The park contains incredible examples of land weathering and erosion There are irregular ravines, fantastic ridges, and cliffs everywhere, displaying variegated color. Wildlife abounds, including over 800 bison, coyotes, bighorn sheep, deer, golden eagles, pronghorns and the Roberts Prairie Dog Town. Those last-mentioned, little colorful critters are really fun to watch in their native Badlands home. The park also has 2 visitor centers, including one (Ben Riefel Visitor Center) just off I-90 before the Wall exit. NPS ranger-guided tours are conducted daily in the summer, in addition to evening outdoor amphitheater programs.

On westward to colorful Rapid City, the main population city for the western part of the state, with about 68,000 folks. It provides a plethora of tourist-based support items, i.e., hotels, motels, restaurants, fuel, etc. Just to the southwest of Rapid City, is the town of Keystone, size 4,341 people It also provides all tourist-support services for this Black Hills region of the state.

Now for Mount Rushmore National Monument, just 2 miles southwest of Keystone. This is truly one of America's greatest icons, amazingly created under the direction of Gutzon Borglum, and finished in 1941. It is one of the largest pieces of sculpture ever created, and no additional figures will ever be added to it. The gigantic display shows the faces of 4 American Presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Each granite face is 60-feet tall, and is carefully carved with intricate perfection in detail and expression. There is a wonderful information center at the memorial's base, including a short introductory film, museum, and an audio tour if the visitor wishes. Also on-location is the Sculptor's Studio, displaying tools and models during the memorial's construction period. An evening program is presented outdoors in the amphitheater during the summer, and these programs conclude with the lighting of the mountain, while the "Star-Spangled Banner" plays. Yes, folks, that is definitely is goose-bump time for this American patriot!

Not too far is Custer City, population 2,067, and 4 more must-see sites

How about the never-ending Crazy Horse Memorial? When (if ?) it is ever completed, the in-the-round figure of Crazy Horse astride his horse, will be 563-feet high, and 641-feet long! Once done, it will be the largest statue in the world. Thus far, the 9-story face of Crazy Horse is completed. The entire project has been going on for over 65 years. On-site there is a museum, a movie, construction models, and other exhibits explaining this enormous, incredible project. On-site Native Americans offer visitors educational insight into Native American history.

Scenic Custer State Park and and its beautiful 14-mile driving route are nearby, too. The park covers 71,000 acres in the Black Hills, and supports 3 visitor centers to educate tourists.

The last 2 mentioned areas are both units of the NPS, Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument. The former covers 33,928-acres, and with

140 miles of surveyed passageways underground is said to be the 6th longest in the world. A visitor center, and various ranger-led tours are offered. The latter cave is believed to be the 3rd longest cave in the world, with 170-miles of passageways. It, too offers a variety of NPS ranger-led tours, including historic lantern tours. Jewel is more rustic in development, and, in fact, is still being actively explored.

As is normal, I have certainly not mentioned all western South Dakota's attractions, but merely the ones we have visited, and thoroughly enjoyed.

These wonderful places are in our mind's eye, forever! Please, go see them, readers of Our Town and far beyond.