Road Trip!

Well, we DID go to Rapid Tuesday. We cut up thru Merriman to Martin, SD, and went to I 90 on the back roads... it was fun driving those swooping hills. We came up over a rise - and there spread below us was the southeastern tip of the Badlands. Once we got into the Interstate, we took the Highway 240 loop thru the Badlands. It was a little more crowded than the last time - but there were a lot of people our age and older in RVs, and some Japanese and Spanish tourists with children.

What got to us was all of the cars with out of state tags that insisted on flying past us. The speed limit there varies from 45 to 35, depending where you are; some areas are not very scenic and don't have "viewpoints" while other areas have pullovers every half mile or so. So many folks seemed to just want to rush from one spot to the next, or to get thru as quickly as possible. You can't really DO that when you are looking at the intricacies of the geologic wonders these layered rocks and ash and old lava represent, though. Why would you drive from Illinois or Minnesota just to blow thru something you paid money to see and experience?

Well, after we left there, we went to Sam's in Rapid. Spent 3 hours there; it was exhausting. But we filled 2 carts; so many good deals in bulk buy items. I have always been a hoarder, especially of food, and since we moved I have felt distinctly uncomfortable about not having my food and dry goods storage readily available. Now the larder is full and we are back up to the norms I am comfortable with. Whew.

It was 4:00 by the time we got out of Rapid; not enough time to take the hour long trip into the Black Hills and to Rushmore like I wanted. That will have to wait til another time. We did, however, go another back route home - thru Pine Ridge and over to Wounded Knee. We stopped and Mike got out to read the commemorative sign at the spot of the Massacre. While the kiosks were unoccupied and the tourist info center was closed, we did have some Lakotas come up and ask us if we wanted to buy their jewelry (same as last time but not the same people). I bought Mike an arrowhead necklace while he read.

We chased a single huge thunderhead all the way from Rapid to home; occasionally we would hit spots where it had dumped some rain. But it never rained on us. We got home at 8:30; tired and dusty and gritty but satisfied at the day's productivity and fun. Next road trip - the Dexter cattle show next weekend in Hastings!