Day 6 - Mitchell to Wall, SD

Our first site today was the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD.  It sounds so hokey, but it was worth the stop.  It is a gymnsium/auditorium used by the local high school, and the outside and inside are decorated with murals made entirely of corn cobs.  It is definitely a touristy place with lots of buses and souvenir shops.

South Dakota is rolling fields of corn, cows, and crops until you cross the Missouri River.  Then it is FLAT fields of corn, cows, and crops. I-90 was an excellent road with a speed limit of 75.  I was happy (sigh)...

The Missouri River is grand but not as scenic as the Mississippi.  We stopped at the Welcome Center overlooking the river and ate lunch.  The wind just about took us and our food away.  The sign warning of poisonous snakes kept me from wandering off the paved walkway!

The grand finale of the day was driving through Badlands National Park!  Now we are finally getting to the good stuff!!  I can't think of accurate words to describe the Badlands: awe-inspiring, amazing, beautiful, incredible.  The pictures don't do it justice.  Some of the formations look like God was making huge sand castles in the middle of the prairie grasses.  There weren't a lot of people driving around, so some of the overlooks were totally quiet and peaceful.  I'm so glad we were able to see this!

Tonight we are staying in Wall, SD, home of world famous Wall Drug.  We'll take that in tomorrow.  We are in Mountain time now, so we're 2 hours behind.  It is 9PM here and I am soon going to bed.  This vacation is tiring me out!!

Bill's PS: since 1891, Corn Pallace is redecorated each summerr using corn, grain and grasses as pixels.  This town about the size of Hopewell, uses the palace as venue for sports and sports nationally recognized entertainers.

 Here is a photo that shows Beth and me in the Bad Lands setting.