Goat!

Miles Traveled: 460 (Fairmont, Minnesota to Rapid City, South Dakota on Tuesday, May 28)

As we began our day I wasn't sure what to expect.  I really haven't been on a road trip of this caliber, ever.  However, once we got going and the plains of Minnesota and South Dakota sprawled out on either side of Interstate 90, I had a peace spread over me.  The scenery was gorgeous and my travel companions were top notch.

Adam has traveled this route before and he explained that once you crossed the Missouri River the terrain changed immensely.  With this tidbit of information I kept one eye on the mile markers as we approached the mighty river and the other eye on my latest level of Candy Crush.  The river seems to come out of no where.  As you are driving around a curve you see the river below and it looks as if you are going to drive straight into its depths.  And by the way, Adam was right, the country side on the west side of the Missouri River in South Dakota opened into more than the typical midwest view.  There were rolling hills, flat plains, and buttes in every direction.

Antelope in Custer State Park, South Dakota

At this point in our journey we began our Antelope counting game.  When one is spotted, usually in the plains, you yell, "Goat!"  I started the game off spotting three shortly after we crossed the river.  We are keeping track of how many we see as we drive.  At this point we are at 27.

I-90 is quite a stretch of highway.  And as you are driving west you start to notice an abundant amount of signs for Wall Drug.  Curiosity got the better of me, so I Googled this attraction to see what it was all about. This South Dakota landmark was founded in 1931 when a man and his wife opened a solitary drug store.  Business was poor and the owners decided to offer free water to passerbys in an attempt to attract some business.  Little did they know that they would eventually be the founders to a popular tourist attraction that does over 10 million in sales annually.

When the exit for Wall Drug neared we decided it was an opportune time to take a break and stretch our legs.  As we neared the parking facility we drove over a dip in the road.  As we moved forward Adam noticed that our rear storage rack had fallen off.  We quickly pulled over to assess the damage.  Thankfully nothing was damaged.  It seems that the pin used to hold the rack in place hadn't been installed properly and the rack just slipped out of the hitch on the van.  We were lucky that it didn't come lose on the highway where someone could have been injured.

With our cargo rack re-installed and our curiosity about Wall drug satiated we moved forward to Ellsworth Airforce Base, our home for the next two nights.  As we drove into the gates the sky couldn't decide if it would rain or shine and because of it's uncertainty Jack was able to spot a beautiful rainbow for us to enjoy.

I also had the pleasure to experience evening colors or the first time on an active military institution.  While waiting in the car for Adam to check us in, a bugle sounded over the loud speakers.  The airmen in our line of vision all stood at attention and honored the flag as the National Anthem began to play.  Jack and I joined in by placing our hands on our hearts, as well.  It was an inspiring moment, one that I am glad I was able to share with my son.