Day 29...Home of the Wall Drug store...South Dakota

First order of the day was to see the Corn Palace. There is more to Corn Palace than just a tourist trap. They redecorate it every year and have been doing it since 1900. Every year it has a different theme. The picture is from corn palace of 1907. It has all natural grasses, grains and corns. The Swastika , shown here, is actually an old Hindu/Native American/Asian symbol . It was used by many civilisations to represent good will, wellness and life.


Corn Palace from 1907
We drove west to Badlands National Park.
Badlands National Park is just that. Most of it looks like huge termite hills and the rain made some of the clay flow down , making rivers of clay and water. It was rainy and cold and muddy so we just drove though the park, no hiking. Even the harsh surroundings, support deers, rabbits and we even saw big horn sheep.



Onward to another tourist attraction with a twist. This is supposed to be the biggest drug store in America and it is BIG. It was started by a young pharmacist trying to make a living. After five years and not much business, his wife came up with an idea. " Let's put advertisements on the highway saying we have free ice water". Very soon few thirsty people came and few more and now the grand daughter in law runs the place and they pretty much own the whole town. It is fun , has lots of old American memorabilia and local folk lores.


This poster is one of many funny things there.

We are in Custer now. It is a small frontier town with old world feeling. People came here looking for gold and land and had usual fights with American Indians and almost wiped out Native Americans as well as the Bisons. Bisons are back to healthy population ( thanks to endangered species act) and Native Americans are big into Casinos.

Good night and keep in touch.

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