Day 6 - Dinosaurs and Presidents

We got an early start this morning, only to find another dusting of snow on the ground.  There was a lot of grumbling as we thought about our day's plans in the (continuing) cold, blustery weather.  After all, this was supposed to be our spring road trip, not an extended winter wonderland.  First stop:  Dinosaur Park.  There is a link to it on the right side of our blog, but essentially, it was a Works Progress Administration project with Rapid City, SD to create jobs and further capitalize on the tourism traffic coming in from nearby Mt. Rushmore.  The park was built in the 1930s.  

Taking photos was a struggle because our hands were freezing.

The architect of the brontosaurus here in the Dinosaur Park also constructed a similar one to advertise the famous roadside attraction, Wall Drug, a short drive away from here.

When we couldn't stand the cold any longer, we headed south for Mt. Rushmore.  Thankfully, there was a breakfast cafe on-site with a view of the monument.  The cafe's cashier told us she hailed from State College, which greatly excited us.  We took it all in over our "Monumental Breakfast" (eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage, and biscuit).  We wanted to savor the heat and warmth as long as possible before walking the trail around the grounds.  Unfortunately, the trail was closed, but we spent some time in the exhibition hall, learning about Borglum's vision.  Gutzon Borglum designed and sculpted Mt. Rushmore, but died before he finished carving the former presidents' full torsos.

Selfie-taking was increasingly difficult with the snow falling into our eyes.

Originally, Jefferson was supposed to be on the other side of Washington, but the rock was unsuitable for carving.  Also, did you know that Jefferson was a ginger?

On the walk back to our car, we spotted a Penn State jacket and took the opportunity to yell, "We Are!"  The man and woman chuckled at our enthusiasm (this just goes to show that the Nittany Nation is everywhere!).  

Farther south from Mt. Rushmore, we had intended to tour Wind Cave, as a contingency plan for bad weather.  However, due to the infrequent tours during the off-season, we missed our window of opportunity and decided we could easily spend the extra time at Wall Drug.

Wall Drug started out as any ordinary small drug store, but thanks to an ambitious owner, the store's proximity to several national historic landmarks, and some creative advertising, it quickly became a destination all by itself.

Wall Drug is a maze of wonders, including: souvenir shops, art galleries, a cafe and dining room, an ice cream parlor, a book store, a pottery shop, a mining experience, an arcade and shooting range, old time photos, a chapel, and much more.  The smell of Wall Drug was oddly reminiscent of Kristina's grandparents' house -- old wood and delicious food cooking in the oven -- and was very welcoming on this cold and rainy day.

This theatrical T-rex exhibit was quite something too.

He 'feeds' every twelve minutes.

This jackalope reminded us of our Rt 66 trip and the "Here It Is!" rabbit at the Jack Rabbit Trading post (blog entry here). 

After eating lunch at Wall Drug's cafe, we drove on towards the Badlands.  The weather just wouldn't let up, so hiking was out for the day.  

These large deposits looked like delicate mounds of dirt and mud that could topple or collapse at any moment, but they are actually geological deposits from an ancient river bed.

We spent some time at the visitors center learning about the Native American tribes and early settlers to this harsh and unforgiving area, as well as the several now-extinct species of animals that once populated it.  

Feeling fairly successful in spite of the weather, we drove on toward the eastern border of South Dakota, into Central Time.  Cabela's flagship store is across the street from our hotel, and coincidentally, so was the Whiskey Creek Wood Grill, which we had chosen for dinner.  Tomorrow is predicted to be much warmer and drier, and we couldn't be happier.