Cabela's; Pukwana, SD; Great Plains; Badlands, SD; Wall Drug Store;

Checked out Cabela’s down the block which is like our Bass Pro Shop?   There is a huge mountain display of stuffed animals along with bear, coyotes, deer heads all over the place.   Got a three legged stool on sale for $9.99 to replace the one I lost in Ireland.   A good selection of dried foods, but I only got the dried ice cream which I love and dehydrated veggie soup.

What’s with a large herd of only black cows and all the calves were white?   

At a rest stop just past Pukwana, SD, is an overlook of Camp Pleasant and the Missouri River where Lewis and Clark passed time.   Also inside is a nice display on their voyage.  Finally leaving the Central Lowlands to just past the river where the landscape changes to gentle land bumps and then miles and miles of miles on the Great Plains at 75 mph…swoosh!  It is hard to imagine that in 1903 the first speed limit in Sioux Falls was 7 mph.

This trip main objective is to see natural beauty of the West.   Believe me it is hard to pass up some of the hundreds of sign shouting stop here; We have the only one in the world; There is nothing else like this; See the mystery of the ages;  One of the eight modern wonders of the world……and so much more.

"Dances with Wolves" props

This one got me however.  An 1880 town of the old West using original buildings.   But it may have been Kevin Cosner’s backing and cute pic on the bill boards.  I did need the stop!  Enjoyed the pictures and movie props from “Dances with Wolves.”    

1880's old west town

 Entertainment in the saloon, spur gouges on the bordello stairs, costumes to rent, and lunch in a three car 1950’s diner.

Badlands, SD, Took a lot of time here to see all the amazing views, informational movies and displays.   Still early in the afternoon when I arrived so the bright sunlight seemed to blend layers together.    When I drove out of the area at 6 p.m. I could definitely notice the lowering sun made each layer of the rocks more pronounced.   After leaving the visitors areas the view went on the miles with prairie on one side and the Badlands on the other side.

Next stop at the Wall Drug Store for a short look around before they closed.  This place is huge with something for everyone….surprise water spouts from the ground, animals to climb one, stuffed animals, many shops, animated cowboy singers, panning for gold, and on and on all indoors.   This entire block is set up as a western town.   And here I set up my privacy windows to spend the night in their parking lot until they opened the next morning.

The Wall Drug Store in Wall, SD