Yesterday

Okay, let's try this again. The quick version, or as quick as I get.

Turns out its a longer drive from the happening burg of Fairmont, Minnesota (seriously, look it up) to Interior, South Dakota than I thought. I got a late start and headed out to Mitchell, SD home of the Corn Palace. That's right, Corn Palace. As in a Palace made of Corn. I told this to Mia, my six year old friend, and she asked why they didn't just make the building out of wood. Turns out they did, the first time around and it burned to the ground. Did they have popcorn?

Anyway, they were in the process of changing the murals on the sides of the Corny Palace. Inside they have permanent corn murals showing white men stealing land from the Lakota, a Bison peeing on the ground (apparently thats how corn started here), and a Lakota meeting a white man for coffee. Oh, how I wish I was joking.

Turns out Mitchell is a cute little town. So I hung around and shopped in the giant antique mall. Bad move. All of South Dakota has one highway. One highway that they are currently repairing all of. It was a slow, slow drive to Interior. On the few parts where traffic was actually on opposite sides of the road I kept pace with an SUV full of kids doing, well, let's just say, FAST. That was fun. Lots of fun. We both stopped for gas, and I talked to the woman driving the car, she made me say hi to her husband, who didn't believe a young woman by herself was driving that fast. Ha!

Well it was a good thing I did because I get to Interior and pull over to find lodging for the night, as I have each night. And, for the first time, a problem. I call the Cedar Pass Lodge, which is located inside The Badlands, full. Their partner, The Badlands Inn, full. So they send me to the Circle 10. Fine, except that it is an RV park. Too bad I'm not driving an RV. Oh wait, they have a building; its a Teepee. Now I might've slept in a Teepee but I didn't even have sleeping bag!

So I sucked it up and drove the rest of the way to Wall, SD. So now you'll get pics from this day and the day before.