Wow… I haven’t updated this thing in a very long time. I have been home from the States for over a month, and Steph is currently over here visiting me. Still, I realised that I should finish it – if only as a document of the period. So, here goes…
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We woke up early and drove down to Plankinton to meet up with Altman. Plankinton is pretty:
Altman’s parents took us out for a hearty breakfast before we hit the road, at Al’s I-90 Diner…
…and then we set off. South Dakota is spectacular:
You know you’re in the midwest when…
We made a pit-stop in the Pioneer Auto Show in Murdo. It’s basically just a classic car museum, but it’s also a little rough around the edges which just adds to the charm. We’d seen signs on the interstate for a number of miles, advertising their star attraction. Here it is:
SO HAPPY!! That’s actually the only surviving General Lee from the original Dukes of Hazzard series, and being allowed to sit in it was just fantastic. It also has this fitted…
[YOUTUBE LINK]
Life goal achieved! Here’s a few more shots from the place:
Their secondary star attraction is a motorcycle which was made for Elvis…
…although unfortunately, their Elvis mannequin leaves a lot to be desired:
They also have a lot of those “face in the whole” things… do they have a name? Either way:
There is a world-famous attraction in South Dakota known as Wall Drug (no, I’d never heard of it either). As I understand it, it started as a drug store in the small town of Wall, and grew and grew. It was famous for offering “free ice water” and also for a ridiculous number of roadside advertising billboards… you see them hundreds of miles beforehand on I-90. You can see them in other parts of the United States. There’s apparently a sign on the other side of the world that says “12,000 miles to Wall Drug.” I’m surprised I’ve never seen one, actually, if the photo gallery of Wall Drug signs around the world is anything to go by:
There’s also a pretty consistent dinosaur theme.
Also, more of these:
And as well as the FREE ICE WATER for which they are famous, there is 5c coffee:
As we rocked into Rapid City, the skyline was beautiful…
We drove out to Bev and Bob’s (Steph’s aunt and uncle, where we were staying) and enjoyed ice cold beer in the hot tub under the stars.
Life was, and is, good.
The Adventures of a Welshman in America 