Badlands

Day 9  

The car is actually a storage unit

First order of business-buy George a helmet at Rapid City Harley. It is legal to ride without a helmet in many states, South Dakota being one. However, if you like your brains you choose to wear one. George has needed a new helmet for many years. He has looked everywhere, but has been unable to locate one that is big enough for his head. So, after his helmet abandoned him yesterday he knew it was D-Day. There were few people at Harley when we arrived. Most of the vendors had shut down and were packed up to leave. So much money was spent in the past week that every one's pockets were filled. It was reportedly the best rally ever. A Harley salesman told us that their goal was to sell 600 bikes this week. As of this morning they had sold 585.

George was helped by a wonderful woman at the Harley store. She had one 4X helmet in the store and it was a new 2016 model. Of course it was too tight, but options were limited. A 4X! There are a lot of big bubbas on the road. Really big, bald heads on top of those big bodies. I can't imagine where they get helmets that fit.

Our ride today was to the Badlands. We get to the park and after a while figure out that we are not in the inner loop of Badlands. A road sign indicated to get to the actual Badlands we would have to ride down 9 miles of a dusty, gravel road. Off we went. Badlands National Park is 244,000 acres. There are amazing geological deposits and rich fossil beds. The park has reintroduced the black-footed ferret, the most endangered mammal in North America.

Outlaws used to live and hide in the Badlands and many Westerns were set in the park. It is an extraordinary experience to see the colors in the buttes, pinnacles, and spires.

Of course we had to visit Wall Drug for food and ice cream. Wall Drug was started by Ted and Dorothy Hustead in 1931. He was a pharmacist and she was a teacher and they moved to Wall, SD looking for a small town with a Catholic church, where they could open a pharmacy. It was during the depression and for the first 5 years they were struggling to make ends meet. When Mount Rushmore opened up cars started driving by and Dorothy suggested they offer free ice water. That was the beginning of the Wall Drug empire. Free ice water.

Dee flirting with a new friend

We are beginning to count down the days to Doris' departure. She flies out on Tuesday and George, John, and I will start the journey home. It really feels as though we have been on the road for a very long time. Tomorrow more sight seeing. Rushmore and Crazy Horse.

More tomorrow,

Jenson