Map

This is just an overview of the route we plan on taking. None of these roads are exact, and this is not the route we have already gone.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Service here is minimal!

Sooo its been a while since we've been able to really blog. We miss it!! Sorry bout the delays, but heres what we've been up to::
We took a journey to the center of the nation! Proof is in the photos, but our internet won't upload them because we are in bumble-blank South Dakota so you get no actual proof here. But! We can tell you abouttrhe trip. First, we went to the visitors center of the town who holds the distinction of being the "center of the Nation," Belle Fourche (for you English-men and women, thats pronounced "bell foosh"). They gave us all sorts of information, maps and let us know that we would not be tresspassing. So off we went! We drove 13 miles down the street and took a left turn onto a gravel/dirt road. The speed limit was 55, but Stefanie wanted to do 20. After 10 minutes, she sped up to 50. As we watched our side and rear view mirrors, all we saw was dust/dirt flying up creating clouds behind us, and we could hech other because the rocks were coming up and smacking into the back of the car. Sooooo glad we were driving a rental. After 7.8 miels of that fun, we pulled aside to a small sign. It once was an arrow sign which had been removed from a street somewhere (though were, we don't know) and someone put bullets through it (perhaps to prevent the sign from flying in the wind). The side which we could easily see was paint in, yep, red and blue and read "THE TRUE CENTER OF THE NATION." The background was white. Stefanie allowed Sarah to enter the property first, which required holding barbed wire so Sarah could climb through. Once through, Sarah held it for Stefanie. (You should always listen to your visitor center employees - when they say its not a good idea to go alone, they mean it. Who would have held open the barbed wire???) So off we went! Trekked through about 50 yards of grass that was nearly to our waist, with about o, a gagillion grasshoppers hopping around like they owned the place. There were some other random bugs flying but we could not identify them. After 50 yards there it was, a square of concrete about 2 feet around, with a plaque. The plaque was circular with a diamater of approximately 2.5 inches. Next to it stood an American flag, flapping in the wind. A few photos later, we trekked back through the grass to the barbed wire, climbed through, go in the car and returned to the gravel/dirt road for another 7.8 miles.
Beyond that, we saw Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wall Drug, swam in the pool, sat in the hot tub, roasted marshmallows, made a smore or two...or three... or four... we lost count, met a LOT of bikers (initially, the hot weather followed us, we dropped that off somewhere in Texas and picked up some rain, and we later swapped that for bikers - 800,000 of them), drove around Rocky Mountains on the Trail Ridge Road (after spending 40 minutes driving around the wrong mountain), searched for the worlds largest log chair (which we never found), searched for a giant can of tomato soup (we were hungry, but alas had to settle for a sandwich) and did not search for but found the largest KOA in the nation - and it was huge and it was wonderful (and only had like, 100,000 bikers).
Tonight we are in Belvidere, South Dakota which you may have heard of because it is the home to the most famous 1880's town! Tomorrow, we will have breakfast there and then head further east. Sadly, we do need to go home at some point.
Stay tuned for photos! So far, we've taken 4000+...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

South Dakota sounds like fun. Going to the corn palace in Mitchell? Badlands? Did u like Rapid city and the windy, hilly roads on the Black Hills? Taking any time in the Wisconcin Dells? Take u're time. U don't need to be back until Labor Day - that's in November, as I recall.
Fthr

The Franks said...

Just left Corn Palace, see newest post. Enjoyed Black Hills, motorcycle rally, lots of bikers. Labor Day, we heard, was moved this year in preparation for our extending this vacation. Heard its been moved to January. :)