Day 12: Wednesday, September 26 – Badlands to Custer, SD

  • Left beautiful Badlands.  At checkout, Glenda was inspired to purchase 2 50-cent plastic bison for healing and courage…plus we were hoping to see a real one soon.  A crowd gathered at the desk for this photo shoot: complete with Badlands mouse pad as a back drop!

  • Rapid City, SD and the streets are lined with bronze presidents. Can you guess who they are?

Ronald Reagan

Jimmy Carter

Jefferson

Andrew Johnson

Millard Filmore

William Henry Harrison

  •  And more presidents – Mount Rushmore – what a sight! We learned its story and how the whole thing was carved (90% using dynamite), the funding, who worked on it, everything. We loved it! Natch, our visit included the ritual commemorative stamping of the passport.

Stamping

NJ – 3rd State Admitted to the Union – Yay!

Teddy

George’s nostrils

Abe

Tom’s nostrils

  • On to Wind Cave. Much to Glenda’s chagrin, we were too late to get our stamps however all was not lost. The animal viewing and identification was fantastic. Pronghorn antelope, steers, turkeys, prairie dogs, and a herd of buffalo.


 Jersey Junction

To make up for our previous failures today we bring you two Jersey Junctions.  Up first our Badlands breakfast waitress-never been to New Jersey but what came to her mind first?  She said “the Jersey drawl” and she proceeded to give us a taste of the “Jersey drawl” including Joizee, cawfee. “even though i’m from Podunk, I know my accents!!”.  Her Jersey accent was spot on.  Further probed, she admitted to hearing about Jersey shore the show, not the beaches–is she Snooki or Snickers??

Jersey Junction 2: Dinner at the local bar/restaurant in Custer, SD.  We met a young couple from MN.  First things first, they drank bloody marys with pickles instead of celery and salt on the rim like margaritas.  Do we do that in Jersey?  Neither of them had ever been to NJ but they too mentioned Jersey Shore..the show…not the beaches..ugh!!  How can we counter that perception??  Glenda pulled a good one out of her facts hat – Jersey is the home of M&M’s (first made in Newark, NJ).  Our couple was impressed as they had been munching on them as they drove across South Dakota.  Yay red M&M’s!!

 

Theme of the Day: Presidents!!

Up next: Wyoming

 

3 thoughts on “Day 12: Wednesday, September 26 – Badlands to Custer, SD

  1. Claire Morris

    Terrific wildlife sightings! Will you go back tomorrow morning to get the stamp? Your passports are gonna be AWESOME.

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