Day 25 Wall, SD

The picture above is of two old codgers to be found in the backyard of Wall Drug. The little town of Wall is located about 90 miles east of Rapid City and more than 200 miles west of Sioux Falls. On our trip west we stopped briefly after our tour on the scenic road through the Badlands for much the same reasons that early travelers did- for a cold drink and relief from the long road and heat. 

The apparently true legend is that Dorothy and Ted Husted bought a pharmacy in Wall and were going broke until Dorothy came up with the idea of luring customers off the highway by offering free ice water on signs widely spaced along the highway. It worked and the custom persists to this day with signs along the highway hundreds of miles away. In addition to Wall Drug, which covers two city blocks, the main street is home to a dozen or so gift shops, restaurants and bars.   

In addition to the fun visit to the local stores, today is intended as a day to rest and reflect. We are staying in a pretty little Days Inn in Wall.  The only fault I can find with the place is that we are on the second floor and the property lacks an elevator (and we have a lot of bags to carry). I suppose that I could have asked for the first floor. But the room is clean, in excellent repair, and comfortable.  Of course this hotel costs about half what the Hampton Inn costs.  Part of that is due to geographic considerations and others due to the fact that the square footage is smaller here, and space equals cost.   I am going to need to do some systematic research on getting value from hotels and motels before I set out again.

One result of our reflection is that Gloria and I realize that we have been bitten by the travel bug.  We miss our family, friends, and our home, but we can’t imagine going for very long without being on the road again.  Maybe day trips or overnights using our express club or honors club points amassed on this trip will fulfill our needs.  There are enough fun places to visit in New England, New York, and nearby Canadian Cities (e.g. Montreal, Nova Scotia) to fill our appetites without breaking the bank.  Balancing travel with running our little rental business, renovating our home, keeping aging bodies healthy, and continuing our efforts as novelists is going to take some time management.

Sioux Falls, tomorrow's destination, is reputed to have quite a few attractions.  We will let you know what we find along the way.