Traveling From Chicago to SD
The billboard that created an American phenomenon. “Free Ice Water at Wall Drug”. They now have 333 billboards from Montana to Minnesota, and 20,000 visitors per day at the height of tourist season at Wall Drug, Wall, South Dakota.
Our trip from Chicago, IL. to Sioux Falls SD. is unremarkable besides the fact that we are leaving a blizzard behind us. We drive through Wisconsin, cross the Mississippi River and travel through all of Minnesota on Route 90. There are 10,000 windmills in Minnesota, by the way, I counted. Once in Sioux Falls, we have a great dinner at Minerva's in downtown Sioux Falls before staying at the Clubhouse Inn and Suites. Our spacious room makes Jack happy, as he can run up and down the stairs and get some energy worked out. He is not a big fan of the car, but he tolerates it. PS the room is huge but economically priced.
Jack and I check out the view behind our very large room at the Clubhouse Inn and Suites, Sioux Falls, SD.
The next morning we load up (again) and head to Bozeman, Montana. This is our longest driving day -- 12 hours without counting pit stops -- but we will make one stop for sure. Wall Drug.
The signs for Wall Drug start somewhere near the Minnesota border. 325 miles to Wall Drug. They continue forever. We have passed Wall Drug several times, but not today. We are stopping. Here is a small montage of the hand-painted Wall Drug billboards along the way for your viewing pleasure.
A small sampling of the many billboards leading up to Wall Drug. Forgive the picture quality, these were taken out of a dirty car window moving at 80 mph.
Once we arrive in Wall, South Dakota we realize the evil genius behind this whole thing. It is a tourist trap of the highest degree! Basically, a gentleman named Ted Hustead purchased the drug store in 1931. Business was slow until his wife, Dorothy, decided to put up a billboard advertising free ice water to the tourists visiting the newly-opened Mount Rushmore nearby. The rest, as they say, is history. The town is a cross between teeny weeny western Disney and a bad movie set. Don't get me wrong, it has its charm. 10 - 12 little shops and restaurants flank the star attraction, Wall Drug. It is built to absorb busload of people, and does so in the summer months, entertaining up to 20,000 people per day in peak season. Wall Drug itself has a plethora of shops selling everything from bumper stickers to Western Art, 5 cent coffee, free ice water, homemade donuts, pie, bison burgers, western books, leather goods, a chapel, and oh yeah, a drug store.
Authentic western art, along with donuts, the dining hall and the many shops and novelties inside Wall Drug.
Believe it or not, we dropped some coin at Wall Drug. A wooden vase, a Western-themed painting, a rodeo poster and three Christmas ornaments. No 5 cent coffee and no free ice water. Even though it was off-season there were still people milling through, but we basically had the place to ourselves. It was pretty cool, and now Wall Drug has been checked off my list. Back in the car, off to Bozeman, Montana, subject for a future post. Keep following!