Jim Thorpe Pennsylvania

Visited the town of Jim Thorpe, PA, named in honor of the Native American athlete. A picturesque coal and railroad town, famous for hanging the Irish terrorist Molly Maguires in 1877. Pix are us enjoying a moment on the verandah at the Inn and the Main Street.

The Corn Palace

In Mitchell, SD, we visited the Corn Palace - this theatr and concert venue that is decorated with murals and wall coverings made exclusively of corn ( the big local crop) and changed annually since the 1920s.  We arrived also in time for the Corn Fair, the annual celebration down the Main Street of Mitchell.  In some ways it was like being transported back to the America John remembers from the 1950s ... Complete with theDweebs performing music. In other ways it was sad because it seemed to us that the people in the streets - mostly scruffy young people and older people who looked like they worked the land - were missing something; perhaps just getting by. Hard to pinpoint.  We'll talk more about this.

Americana

As we moved across South Dakota we encountered two bits of Americana worth noting: Wall Drug and the Corn Palace of Mitchell, SD.  Wall Drug is this kitschy collection of stores grouped around a drugstore in the very little town of Wall, SD.  We had seen signs for it for days, across Montana and Wyoming so we had to stop.  Evidently it is famous in the west for all the signs ... And has been since the 1930s.  Well, we have visited Wall Drug and now can die happy...

Corn Palace next...

Two Marvels; One that inspires

Yesterday we visited two miracles of public art- Mt Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial.  Everyone knows Mt Rushmore, and it was interesting to finally see it up close.  It was completed in less than 20 years, mostly with Federal government money.  Crazy Horse, dozens of times larger, has been under construction since 1948, may be finished in another 50-60 years, and has never got a dime from the taxpayers.  Much more to the stories than that ... Principally about the two egotistical geniuses who were the artists. But Crazy Horse inspires...we will bring our grand children if we ever have any.  Mt Rushmore is a tourist attraction. 

Dead in Deadwood

Visited Deadwood, South Dakota for an overnight at Cadillac Jack's Casino.  According to the web, Deadwood has had a gambling-funded renaissance in the past 25 years.  Maybe we were there at the wrong time of year, but we found Bourbon St without the buzz; lots of slot machines, t-shirt shops, but little energy. Most interesting spot in town was the cemetery where Wild Bill Hickok and his groupie, Calamity Jane are buried. The cemetery charges admission - a first for us - but it is beautifully kept.  A bucket list site we won't have to return to...

Devils Tower

Yesterday we saw Devils Tower near Sundance, Wyoming, before overnighting in Deadwood , S Dakota.  The tower is truly amazing, just as shown in the Close Encounters movie in 1978.  We walked around it twice on the close-in trail and then a longer one - about 5 mi total.  There were two sets of climbers on the face. Huge boulders scattered around the base but not to worry... There have been no big pieces eroded away since it was established as National Monument in 1906!!

Little Big Horn Battlefield

The pix say it best... After seeing movies and reading books about Custer's Lasst Stand all our lives, we finally understand what happened and why.  The Park Rangers take a very nuanced view of the battle ... Everybody thought they were fighting for the right things.  In any case, we are convinced that the only way to really understand what happened in all four battles - yes there were four or maybe five different fights spread out over two hours, with Reno's defense lasting another two days - you have to drive the four miles along  Battle Ridge and see the ground.  Amazing... Worth a visit.