Miles Driven on June 19: 216
Lodging for June 19: Penny Motel/HI Black Hills, 818 Upper Main Street,
(605) 578-1842
Today was a good day. I checked out of the Badlands Inn around 9:00 a.m., and, after stopping to get gas and clean the bugs off my windshield, I headed for the Badlands park. I was really impressed by the scenery, a cross between the surface of the Moon and a midwestern prairie, that I drove all the way to Wall (20 miles) to buy more film, and drove back 10 miles to take more pictures. I also had a picture taken on the edge of a cliff. If only I had wings...I met a man from Germany who was on a tour bus going from New York to Alaska. Peter is right; Germans are everywhere. Then I went back to Wall for a visit to the famous Wall Drug. That place was frightening. It's hard to explain how or why; it was just huge and overhyped and cartoonish in quality. But the homemade donut wasn't bad and the free ice water was good.
After Wall/Badlands I drove to Rapid City. Got some pointers on where to go from the Visitor's Center. Almost got a ticket for running a yellow light, but I talked my way out of it by saying "we do that all the time in Maryland". Found a 99 Cent store and stocked up on snacks. Then I went to Mount Rushmore. Eh. Better to see it from the road coming around the bend than to pay $8 to park at the visitor's center. Though it was helpful reading about the construction of each president's face at the visitor's center, it wasn't worth $8. Crazy Horse was much better. Overall the drive through the Black Hills was scenic but unimpressive. Too many tourist traps like "world's biggest cave" or "story of the man who built Mt. Rushmore."
Deadwood was a pleasant surprise. First of all, it turned out the guy who runs the front desk at the hostel used to live in my hometown in L.A.! Second, the room is very nice for only $12 a night. Third, Main Street (especially Saloon #10 where Wild Bill Hickok was shot) still feels like the 1890s. The casinos seem natural there. It's tempting to spend another day here. One of my hostelmates was a girl from Seattle who is driving home from Virginia. We drank at Saloon #10 ($2.50 for a draft beer, $2.50 for a screwdriver, $1 for a shot of liquor). Watched the Lakers win the championship. Yes, a very good day.
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