Archive entry of American Nomad from August 21st 2009:
My mom and I awoke this morning to clear blue firmament over endless prairies and bluffs. Frankly we are a little on edge about the money coming, as we haven't eaten anything in 36 hours except a bag of Reese's pieces. The Sage Creek Campground is a great spot, but I wish we had brought more water. There is no ground water or faucet water on site, which makes it hard to brush your teeth or stay cool from the heat.
After waking up, my mom and I went on an hour long walk in the campground vicinity. We first stopped by the prairie dog town. I seriously could watch prairie dogs for hours on end and NEVER get bored! They are so cute and you can tell they have a great Camaraderie within each town. Prairie Dogs are very social animals and chirp or bark to communicate. Like humans, they kiss and hug as signs of affection and look out for one another. They are quick in movement as they scurry to visit a fellow dog or burrow underground.
Lewis and Clark first mentioned the prairie dog in their journals (although other fur trappers and Native Americans had discovered them before). The Corps was so fascinated by them that they spent an ENTIRE day trying to capture one. Finally after flooding a burrow they succeeded. Lewis and Clark thought the prairie dog was so remarkable that they insisted on carrying a live specimen during their travels until they reached Ft. Mandan. They then sent the first prairie dog specimen back to Pres. Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. The prairie dog survived the journey and when it did die was stuffed and put on display in an east coast museum to pay homage to the American prairie and as a tool for scientist to study the life form.
L&C nicknamed the creature "prairie dog" as the animal's squeal resembles a dog's bark. In actuality, prairie dogs have no relationship to dogs, but rather rodents.
While on our hike we also crossed paths with the same Bison we'd seen the day before. Bison look docile, but I'm here to say that they are extremely agile and can be dangerous. It is important to stay at least 25 yards from any Buffalo you encounter otherwise you may risk being gored. I'll delve into this in a later entry as we reach Custer SP and YNP - who are both known for their bison populations.
We headed out of the campsite by ten. The money is typically deposited into our account by one o'clock. We had used up a lot of gas reaching the campground and could only pray we made it to Wall. As we drove down the gravel road our gauge kept getting lower. It didn't help when I made a wrong turn onto a dirt road, leading outside the park. In the end however we were able to reach Wall, albeit with only a drop of gas left in the tank.
I'll admit we began to worry about our monetary situation as we had no gas money to reach the campground again if the money didn't come. Still we tried to kept a positive attitude and put our trust in God as we eked out the next several hours.
Wall is a charming gateway town located just off I-90 and seven miles west of the Badlands NP. The town's key attraction is Wall Drug, which over the years has become famous for their "Free Water." Wall Drug was founded in 1931 in the midst of the Depression. The area was hard hit as natural disasters and a poor economy left many clinging to life. Out of this however a young couple, bound in faith and spirit purchased a drug store in downtown Wall. It was slow going at first for Dorothy and Ted Hustead who were having a hard time maintain a profit.
One hot summer day as Dorothy watched the automobiles pass down the nearby highway bound for the Black Hills and Yellowstone National Park, she got an idea. The Husteads decided advertise the fact they had free water in their store. They figured it would be a way to draw travelers off Route 16A into their pharmacy. Once inside they would most likely purchase candy or medicine or many of the other items in the storefront.
The idea worked and today Wall Drug averages several thousands visitors on any given summer day. The storefront has grown to include an entire block of stores an attractions. And although I usually don't like gimmicky shops and roadside attractions - Wall is one of the coolest spots I've ever been. It is filled with a variety of shops from an excellent bookstores, outdoor outfitters, and shopping - GREAT shopping (they have beautiful Durango boots and Brighton purses). The food isn't bad either and yes there are plenty of cups for free water everywhere!
My mom and I found a booth in the Cowboy dining room adjoining the grill. Oak booths and tastefully rustic decor added atmosphere to the dining area.
In addition to free water, Wall also has an excellent brew of coffee for only 5 cents! And I'm hear to say that 5 cent coffee saved our lives! Until the money came my mom and I sipped on coffee and read up on Wall's history. We also enjoyed walking through gift shops, picking out postcards to purchase once we had money on the card.
Wall Drug also has a charming chapel, which is filled with stain glass windows and traditional church pews. The Hustead family is Catholic and made sure to create a space in which you can truly worship God. We said a prayer that the money would come and we wouldn't be stranded with a drop of gas and no food for another twenty-four hours.
By the grace of God the money did come. We instantly returned to the grilled and ordered a lunch cheeseburgers and fries. We then indulged in ice-cream for dessert. I opted for a chocolate milk shake and my mom settled on a scrumptious hot fudge sundae.
After eating lunch and purchasing a few souvenirs such as a Wall Drug tee shirt and a book of postcards my mom and I opted to head west another seventy miles towards Rapid City and Keystone South Dakota, the home of the famed Mt. Rushmore...
More on our Mt. Rushmore experience in an upcoming entry
* If you're interested in learning more about Wall Drug and it's history I recommend visiting their website. I've posted a link below.
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