The Great Ganesha

Car Breakdown
So, I must confess, last night was not as peachy as I made it sound. It ended with smoke coming out of the car’s hood. After the usual panicking and water-pouring, everything cooled down, the smoke settled and so did our hearts. Although the car worked fine, the power steering didn’t. So we took it in to the mechanic this morning and found out that the A/C compressor had actually loosened because of rusty bolts, causing the serpentine belt to slide off, resulting in the compressor itself overheating and then all sorts of hell breaking loose. It took a few hours and more than a few dollars to fix.

Not So Bad
On the bright side, the car broke down in the biggest town in almost a 100 mile radius, and only after we were a few miles from our hotel. It could have been a lot worse. And, the town people are really nice. The guy at the pizza place where we got our dinner came out to take a look, gave his advice and some water for the car. The people at the dealership finished the job in half the time they said they would. Now, this is a first for me. I have never, repeat never, had this happen to me. Plus, they also gave us a loaner for the time the car was in the shop. It wasn’t exactly a Rolls Royce, as you can see below, but it worked and got us around town, ok. Given that “town” was probably a mile and a half from end to end certainly helped. On the whole, we got a good break, got to drive around town and got to relax a bit. So, all things considered, one might even consider this a blessing in disguise.

South Dakota
So we set off at around noon after everything was hunky dory (carwise, I mean) and the plan was to try and get as far as possible. Nothing eventful really happened – we crossed the border into SD pretty much as planned. And the good thing is that we were speeding all the way at the, now usual, 85 mph. The next stop was the Badlands National Park. Of course, we don’t forget to smell the flowers along the way. In this case, they were sunflowers. And they didn’t smell at all. But who’s keeping track, anyhow?

We also crossed the Lewis and Clark Memorial Bridge in South Dakota, which goes across the Missouri River. This made for the second major river crossing of the trip so, of course, we had to stop and take a picture to immortalize this precious moment in our lives.

The Badlands
We made it there by late afternoon and let me tell you this, folks: The place is beautiful. It was once a sea bed a few million years ago and fossils of sea creatures are still found there. But it is like an oasis in the desert. After seeing nothing but flat, burned out farmland for, literally, hundreds of miles, the whole park’s beauty was really accentuated. It’s difficult to describe in words, so here are some pictures. Even they don’t do it justice, but it’s the next best thing to being there, I suppose. I highly recommend a trip, if you haven’t already been there.

Here’s a panoramic view of a part of it.

And here’s my car in front of the badlands (isn’t she cute?).

Here’s a biker dude in front of some rocks.

Bikers were an integral part of the first half of our trip, because of a huge bike rally in Sturgis, SD which is around half an hour from Rapid City, SD. And Rapid City is the city that’s closest to Mt. Rushmore, and is also where we were headed. Most of the time, these bikers look scary all dressed in leather, with tattoos and piercings. But I have to say they were always polite in all our interactions (holding doors open for us, saying their pleases and thank yous, etc.). This guy was nice enough to give a little salute for my shot. So, of course, I had to include it in for you guys.

And if you happen to be one of those grumpy types who isn’t already taken aback by the sheer beauty of the park, there’s more. As you get towards the end of the park, you get to see the different colored rocks there. Again, words will not do justice and photos come a close second. So, I recommend to get there, but here’s a three-step program for visual wonder:

Step 1: You start with your basic purples, yellows and browns.

Step 2: Next, add some grays in, for good measure.

Step 3: And finally, take a closer look.

You follow this three-step plan, and I’ll guarantee you won’t walk away disappointed!

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and this was no different. It was a tearful goodbye. So I’ll end the day with a cheesy “looking back as we look ahead” kind of sentimental shot for the parting. The sign says ‘Leaving Badlands National Park’. Sniff!

Wall Drug
We drove by the famous Wall Drug which is a store, well, more like a mall, in Wall, SD. Of course, had to take a pic.

I really don’t know what the hype is, but I have to say the marketing was pretty brilliant. Starting around a hundred miles or so before the store, they put up several little signs (practically one at every milepost) with all kinds of publicity slogans. In those burnt-out fields, the only thing you notice are these signs. At first, you’re curious, but around fifty or sixty miles down the line you’re hypnotized by the repeating signs into absolutely having to know what it is. It’s nothing more than a store, of course, but we got suckered in to driving by it. Didn’t stop there, though.

Wall, on the other hand, I think is a town of as many residents as there are employees of Wall Drug. It’s also supposed to be ‘The Window to the West’. Building castles in the air with that slogan, methinks.

They even have a Chamber of Commerce (if you can see the billboard). Go ahead, check them out.

Rapid City
We got in to Rapid City by evening, but all the hotels were full of our biker friends. They didn’t seem too nice at that point, let me tell you. Nonetheless, we managed to get a room at a decent hotel. Fairly clean, too. Can’t complain.

Tomorrow: In the morning, we see Rushmore and then make it to Yellowstone by day’s end.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!