Mt Rushmore, SD

The quick stop by Wall Drug turned out to be a couple of hours. It was pretty cool to see. Specialty shops such as chocolate and candy, pharmacy, and of course, free ice water. It really was icy cold. The coffee was five cents too. I don’t drink coffee, so I don’t know whether it was good coffee or not. I feel like no one should complain though, it’s five cents.  I’m attempting not to eat out too much on this trip. But a café offered buffalo burgers. It isn’t something I can get anywhere, and I figured the buffalo in South Dakota would be better. Alas, to my disappointment, it tasted just like a beef burger.

Two and a half hour drive to Mt Rushmore. At this point, the roads were getting more hilly and there were more trees. It was a different kind of gorgeous. I’m not sure whether I prefer the open fields or the forests. Every time I truly looked outside, I felt like I was looking at a computer background for Windows XP or some other sample pictures that come with the computer. On the way I saw a zoo looking area, with bears. Baby bears! They were so cute, I had to stop. But it was $16 per adult. So I said no thanks, pulled over by the side of the road and zoomed in with my camera on these cute cubs. Pictures on facebook later. I figured I may come along some bears in Yellowstone or Glacier. And those are free. Scary, but free.

Drove past Mt Rushmore, through Custer State Park, and to Wind Cave National Park. I don’t care what anyone say, caves are cool. I wish I knew Bruce Wayne so he could give me a tour of his cave. The Wind Cave was huge. It was very interesting. But again, I became numb to the scenery. All the rocks and trails started looking the same. But as I walked through it, I still had that sense of adventure, of discovering something new. The idea of a really cool hideout. It was very interesting how this cave came about. A small hole that sucked a fella’s hat in. So he went down to explore. Makes me wonder what else is out there. Caves are interesting discoveries in that there are no signs that any of them exist. I wanted to take the crawling tour, but let’s get to Mt Rushmore already…

Drove through Custer State Park to get to Mt Rushmore. The park was mostly forests. It was pretty to drive through. Very windy, almost made me car sick. And I was driving the whole time. Stopped by the Mickelson Trail and saw the old huts where gold miners settled. Pretty neat, but the scenery was what stole the limelight. Took a few pictures and moved on. Stopped at the Crazy Horse Memorial. It wasn’t finished, and they wanted to charge $10/adult. Really? Made a u-turn and zoomed in on my camera to take a picture just like I did with the cubs. I later found out that there hasn’t been much accomplished in the past 20 years on this. Not surprised. But more on lack of accomplishments later…

Finally got to Mt Rushmore, but it’s dark. Watched the overly patriotic light show and went searching for a campsite. There was one not too far from where the monument was, and it was free! Set up camp thought about what wiki said about Mt Rushmore. Fun facts, it’s not finished. It was originally supposed to be from the waste up and they only got the heads done. It wasn’t dedicated until 1991 be Bush Senior. However, I am impressed that it only took $1 million and 12 years to get as far as they did. Better record than Crazy Horse. Yay government.

Concentrating on living in the moment, I looked up at the stars. It was a clear night. I looked up in wonder, feeling incredibly small. Then a thought came to mind. How did I ever end up camping underneath Mt Rushmore? Here I am. And here I will stay for the night.

7/27/11

Badlands, SD

Never made it to Mt Rushmore. There was plenty of driving though. Or at least it felt like it. I was getting sick of the signs for Wall Drug. They were all over the place, for miles and miles. And the ridiculous amount of hay bails. They were everywhere too. I was dying to stop anywhere. And anywhere showed up. It came in the form of Corn Palace. Now usually, you’d see advertisements for “the largest” or “the greatest” or even “the first”. But this one was unique, very unique indeed. It was the ONLY corn palace in the world. I couldn’t cheat myself out of this one. Figured it would be a quick stop, and it was. It was just an older building that had murals made of corn on the outside. Free admission, so why not go in for a few? I learned how it was made and the history and what-not. Pretty interesting, but I couldn’t help but wonder why a city would spend over $130,000 per year and over 100 acres of corn to do this. Maybe back in the day where festivals were grand and a big deal, but nowadays… maybe 

Moving along, I found another stop. 1880’s Town. I figured I’d at least stretch my legs. I was hesitant to go in through the town considering I had just been at an 1800’s museum the previous day. The lady talked me into it. First went upstairs to see all the props from Dances With Wolves. Then I realized that I don’t remember anything about that movie, so I continued on to the rest of the town. Building by building, I was awestruck. These were original buildings, set up like an old western town. Jails, doctor’s office, bank, school, churches, fire house, saloons, and probably other buildings that don’t come to mind at this point. And yes, the saloons had swinging doors. And yes, I went in there walking like a cowboy and stated “I’m looking for the man that shot my pa” in an old country accent. I like to amuse myself. Going around this town almost made me feel like that I was actually living there. It almost satisfied my curiosity of what it would be like to live back then. I don’t want to. It would still be interesting to experience it for a week or two. But I decided I like my modern conveniences such as running water. What was supposed to be a few minutes break turned into a couple of hours of pretending I was in 1880. No complaints, just moved towards Mt Rushmore.

Ok, Rushmore, for real now. Nope. Ran across the Badlands. They are bad. They crumbled quite easily. It wouldn’t surprise me if their image changed every year. Looking out at them, it reminded me of a portrait that was printed on an inkjet printer with the cartridge running out. It was still beautiful. It reminded me of the Grand Canyon in ways. I tried to take endless pictures to capture what it was that I saw and felt. But it didn’t work. It never does. And if I can’t do it with pictures, I certainly can’t do it with words. However, driving through, I had become numb to them, or perhaps just numb to the newness of them. Maybe I was just upset knowing I had to leave and that I would never be able to convey those moments and do it justice. I attempted climbing these fragile structures, only to look down on the other side and be reminded that I was afraid of heights. At least they were beautiful scary heights.

It was getting dark and Mt Rushmore was still two hours away. I decided it was best to camp close by and get an early start tomorrow. A shower sounded nice too. Luckily, the camp nearby had running water. And fortunately enough, it was a few blocks away from Wall Drug. I won’t lie, I was extremely curious why this place was so “famous”. Googled it. It was interesting enough for me to stop by and check it out tomorrow. They claim they have free ice water and five cent coffee. We’ll see about that.

07/26/11

Sioux Falls, SD

The rest stop had a teepee. I later found out most of the rest stops in South Dakota had them. That was cool. My mini project was to take pictures of the Kroeschell van in random places. I figured this would be a good place. Little did I know what was ahead of me. I took the picture and thought of who might guess where I’m at. I thought perhaps my boss, Rich, since his son lives in the Dakotas.

I feel like there’s nothing to be said about the falls. It’s waterfalls. One of nature’s natural powers. Maybe it’s just water that intrigues me. Not sure. There was an old mill there from way back when. When I first saw it, I thought it was ruins from an old fort or something. It just happens to be an old mill, as a lot of mills are built by waterfalls. However this one did not succeed. I did like the story of different owners and abandoning plans because it’s lack of profitability. The ruins had a bittersweet feel to them. A part of me wishes that it could have made it, and another part of me saw true economics.

There was a thunderstorm that night. I ended up taking a short video of the lightening above before it rained. Seeing as it was dark and would more than likely be extremely wet, I decided against a campground for $20 and went to the cheapest hotel around for $60. It was worth it. I took a shower like no one’s business. Can it stop being so humid please? Nature needs to stop being so bipolar. California is looking better and better these days. I digress.

Tomorrow morning continues west toward Mount Rushmore. 

07/25/11

Iowa

Corn. That is all.

I actually had a great time in Iowa. I got to visit a friend that I haven’t seen in a long time. And I finally got to meet the man that stole her heart. And I approve. Not that it matters.

The thing I liked about driving through Iowa (other than the scenery of endless corn) was the billboards. They were placed in the fields, a good 200 yards or so away from the road.

Once at my friend, Kelly’s, we started talking about what to do. I mentioned going on a hike. It turned out to be a beautiful hike, but a very humid one. And me being the thinker, wore jeans. I guess I was excited to go, too excited. It was a lovely humid hike through the woods though. A good change of scenery from the corn.

I had the most delicious Taco in Ankeny. A place called Tasty Taco. I can tell you that the name is in no way deceiving. Now that I think about it, the place we had dinner was quite good too. The Machine Shed. An old barn in Des Moines turned into a restaurant. Our waiter looked like he just out off the farm. And the chicken pot pie was delish! Good food, good people, what else would you need? The only think I feel like I should have done in Iowa is try the corn. Maybe next time.

Driving out of Iowa was more of the same. There were a lot of windmills along the way. Never will I call them eyesores again. The windmill farms had a sort of charm about them. Seeing a blade on back of a truck really put into perspective just how big they really are. Just beautiful.

Attempting to get out of Iowa quickly (don’t know why because South Dakota is just more of the same), a museum sign caught my eye that I wanted to see. I figured it would be a nice break. Filled up on gas… oh yeah, gas. I feel cheated. I drove into the gas station thinking that it was an awesome deal. $3.65/gallon for Plus. Woo! No, not “Woo!” Apparently, the regular was ten cents more. This is because it did not contain ethanol in it. If I got the same gas mileage out of ethanol, I’d be all for it. But I don’t. And I’ll be anyone it took more energy and petroleum to produce this ethanol than I would be spending in my car. Anyway…

I asked the lady behind the counter how to get to the museum. It was flooded, so the museum was closed. Seeing the disappointed look on my face, she suggested driving in that direction anyway to see the floods, and if there was time, to check out the 1800’s museum by the visitor’s center heading in the other direction.

The floods were a sight to see. It amazed me how certain parts of the country are fighting for water and here they were running from it. How sometimes rain can be a curse instead of a blessing. Little stuff that put things into perspective for me.

The 1800’s museum at the visitor center was awesome. Maybe I just love old things and would like to see what life would have been like back then. Perhaps simpler in ways, and more complex in others. Things I ponder as I drive into the sunset.

07/24/11-07/25/11

San Diego, CA

Can we say tourist? Yep, that's exactly what we were. There's nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to get a better feel of San Diego.

I went with my sister, her family, and my mom. I don't care for plane rides any more. Take-off and landing are always cool, but the 4-5 hours in between just makes me feel sick, especially if there's turbulence, and I feel like there always is. 

For those of you that know me, you know that I am by no means a morning person. Thanks to the jet lag, I became a morning person. I was tired by 10pm and up by 6:30am. Who knew? But that worked out well for the type of trip we were going to have, a family vacation. And the weather there was perfect. Always, all day and every day. Mid-70s, sunny, green, beautiful. The flowers flourished like it was a cartoon. It was unreal. 

The first day we went to Sea World. I've forgotten just how cool dolphins are. Sea World was great, even if we spent most of the day waiting in line for one thing or another. Do I need to say more about Sea World? I think it's kind of a given. The next day we headed to the zoo. We took the bus tour that covered 70% of the zoo. It truly is an amazing zoo. I have no doubt why it's the #1 zoo in the country. Unfortunately, our time there was short. Although I feel if we would have spent the entire day there it still would have felt short. I saw the Meerkats and that's probably all that matters. We did take the bus tour that covered 70% of the zoo, and it was worth the sunburn. The other days we took it easy, pools, beaches, Belmont Park. Yes, definitely a family vacation. And although my family may think I didn't have fun, I had a blast. It's them I have to thank for that. 

I would like to come back to San Diego for a different experience. Perhaps there will be a San Diego, CA - Part II. But for now, we're moving on... 


07/08/11-07/12/11

Ready, set...

Wear sunscreen. 

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now…

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Well, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindsides you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you. Sing. Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts. Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours. Floss.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long and in the end, it’s only with yourself. Remember compliments you received, forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. The most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone. Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75^th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either. You’re choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it. It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own. Dance. Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them. Do not read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They’re your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. TRAVEL. Accept certain inalienable truths. Prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old. And when you do, you’ll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders. Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you’re 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth. But trust me on the sunscreen. 

Keeping this in mind (or at least trying to) as I begin the rest of my life. Here we go!