Moving across So Dakota

Today we are trying to get through So.Dakota across Hwy 90. It's almost as vast as going across Texas! Nice weather, a little rain, not too hot.

We saw Rushmore yesterday, and it's awesome. Almost the same feeling when I first saw Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls. Except this monument is not natural. But it's truly a work of art.
We met some RV friends who had wandered from Gillette, WY to Rice Ranch, an RV park in SD. We actually found about 6 couples who were camping there. we all went to the local Elks for dinner and chatting. We stopped for the night at a local walmart and pulled out by 6am and drove today still more across SD. We stopped a lot at many historical and beautiful sites. Drove around the Badlands loop and saw the movie at the Visitor Center. We got a tour of the MinuteMan missile National Historical site. it's rarely open to the public and this was their last day for public tours. It was interesting to see how the military protected us and our country against nuclear attack. Then we went to see the silo and the missile down below. We viewed it from the top, looking down through glass enclosure. it's 80 ft down and is about 60 ft. tall. This is the first national park in the world dedicated to commemorating the events of the Cold War. The missile could send a nuclear weapon to the Soviet Union in 30 minutes of deployment. I'll put a picture in the log.
We loved the Badlands. The so called emptiness of the plains is full of traces of ancient life. There is a rich plant life here, and wildlife abounds. It's just so vast that it seems void of life at first look. The Lakota Indians flourished for over 100 years here until the battle of Wounded Knee in 1890. We also visited a museum that gave the history of the Indian tribes in SD.
We arrived very early in Wall, SD thinking that the famous Wall Drug Store would not be open yet. It was thriving with people at 7am. It's a fun "tourist trap" to visit. Besides lots of souvenirs, there is a lot of history on it's many walls and rooms.
Tomorrow we will get through SD after stopping at the fun attraction called the Corn Palace. I'll write about it later.
We have about 600 miles to go to get to John's in AR. I hope the girls are ready to go RVn with Grandma Sue and Papa Ken. Pack your bags girls.