Guest Blog: Traveling in ND by Jan Rayl

Snow makes my mind think of summer vacation and warm places. At present North and South Dakota are in the snow belt in the summer they are awesome! If you are looking for a great family vacation I highly recommend the Dakotas. They are steeped in the western tradition of wide open spaces. I especially recommend; both North and South Dakota Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and general driving around the states. I have a personal goal to see all fifty states.

 While you are wandering in the Dakotas Wall Drug is a must stop for the weary traveler. There is so much to see and do at Wall Drug! That is me on the Jackalope, we have to enjoy our inner child! There are places that just beckon the traveler to stop, some for days and some for moments. Wall and Scenic are two towns that beckoned me to stop on my travels through the Dakotas.

First Scenic, SD I had never heard of this town but stumbled upon it on my way out of the Badlands of SD. The town of Scenic is in the middle of nowhere at a major crossroads coming out of the Badlands. Twila Merill is the Mayor and Owner of the Town of Scenic. You can own the town as it is for sale for $799,999 (when I first went there it was for sale for $3 million). Having been on the market now for two years the price has been reduced. It is a quaint town with lots of character. It is a pit stop when traveling in SD. The town was built in the early 900’s and has numerous western buildings that offer photo opportunities. The name Scenic fits this town; it is more about what you can see than about what you can do. There are restrooms, a country store, and dry goods where you can get some refreshments for the ride to Wall.

Wall Drug was actually a destination on my trip as I had been told about Wall Drug from many people over many years. Wall, SD is a bit more of a “tourist trap” with a really cool drug store, Wall Drug. I live in the East and I call Wall Drug the “South of the Boarder of the Mid-West.” There are kids play areas, OK so this kid did get on the jackalope for a photo op. Wall Drug claims “the world’s largest drug store.” It does go on forever and there are many things to see and shop for. There is also Navajo Indian Fry Bread, a personal favorite. There are numerous cubby holes that have a wide variety of quaint shops. Some shops are a pharmacy, ice cream shop, souvenirs shops, jewelry store, and some just plain junk. There are also old west photos, displays and historical wax displays.