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These diary entries were written on the road, September 20 & 21, 2025.
September 20, 2025
We left Sturgis, South Dakota yesterday morning, and headed to Wall, South Dakota, then the Badlands. It’s hard to believe we’ve been on the road for 16 days!
What’s the draw in Wall, you ask? Well, it’s a place called Wall Drug Store and it was once a stopping off place for people in the 1930s and beyond who were traversing the country. They’d stop at Wall Drug Store to get free ice water, or a coffee for 5 cents.
Wall Drug Store still offers free ice water and 5-cent coffee.
But it’s really another tourist trap. Tons of stores, and Wall Drug Store itself being a huge, huge store that takes up like four blocks. It’s all souvenirs and yes, drug store items. There is a cafe as well.
The entire place is dog-friendly, except for the cafe. So, we stopped in, used the restroom, and took some pictures. They have these funny statues in the “backyard” section of the store. An outside patio that has restrooms and a huge statue of a Jackalope that you can climb up on. Which Brad did. I took pictures of him on the Jackalope. Then, two other tourists wanted a picture of the both of them on the Jackalope, so I took some pictures of them with their phone. It was hilarious!
There are taxidermied animals all over the place, just like Cabela’s has around its stores. So, that always grosses me out, but it was pretty funny when Charlie saw the bison (buffalo) and got into some big-time sniffing. Brad had his picture taken with the bison, and so did Charlie.
After Wall Drug, we went to Badlands National Park. I took way too many pictures. This place looks like a different planet. It’s right smack-dab in the middle of the United States. You have to see it. Just like the Grand Canyon must be seen, the Badlands also must be seen. There’s nothing like it anywhere else.
The highest quality photo of the entire trip was taken in the Badlands — a bighorn sheep was standing right next to our car as we waited in traffic (yes, traffic!). Brad grabbed my camera and snapped the picture.
At Badlands National Park, I tried in vain once again to get Bark Ranger tags for the pooches. Nope! So, we have a couple tags, and that’s all we’re going to get because we are heading HOME more than a week early. Which is fine with me. I didn’t want to be away from home for a whole month in the first place.
I had originally booked Tux, the cat, into the kitty resort from September 4 through 30th. Brad said it wasn’t enough time, so I changed the pickup date to October 5th. I really in my heart didn’t want to be away from home or the cat for that long. But I agreed to give it a try and be a good sport for a change.
The pet resort worked with me to change the reservation for Tux for a third time, and they aren’t charging me (their usual policy is to charge the full reservation cost even if you pick up early). Very nice of them! I was one of their first customers when they opened several years ago, and have spent a boatload of money housing my pets there during various trips. It pays to be a valued customer. Plus, they love my pets!
Well, it wasn’t me who decided to go home early instead of traveling for another week. It was Brad! Which was just fine with me.
We spent the night in Iowa (yay, another state to color in on my map!), and we’re going to Davenport tomorrow to see where Brad went to college. Then, we are going to “mosey” home over the next few days.
I’m insisting on seeing Kentucky, Knoxville, TN and Asheville, NC on the way. Not long stops, I just want to check off these places on my list. Now I’m the one dragging my feet!
Tomorrow we’ll be somewhere between Iowa and Kentucky. No more National Park visits that I am aware of.
See you then!
September 21, 2025
We left Iowa, but not before stopping in Davenport to see where Brad went to school. That’s all we did: We “saw” it! I took a couple photos. We tried to find the house he lived in but couldn’t figure that out. The place reminded me of Worcester. There were so many similarities it was kind of freaking me out.
After that, we drove and drove. We went into Illinois, my birthplace, but it was southern Illinois which I don’t think I had ever seen before, unless my parents took me there when I was an infant. So, that was neat to see a different part of Illinois. I have been to the Chicago area where we used to live a zillion times. The other part of Illinois is not at all like Chicago, FYI.
Next was Indiana where we stayed overnight. I’ve been to Indiana more times than I can count, so it was literally just a place to sleep for the night. I don’t even remember the hotel.
This was not much of a sightseeing day. We are really in “let’s go home” mode now. One more hotel after this and we’ll be heading HOME!
I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has been reading these posts (and anything I write for that matter). On this Thanksgiving, I am so happy to see all the new Subscribers and comments.
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