Saturday, August 22, 1998
8:10 AM: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
The girls and I are just about ready to head down to breakfast; we just opened the drapes to let in the morning sun, and it looks like it's going to be a nice day. We still have a few hundred miles to drive, I think, so we're off.
8:50 AM
Continental breakfast safely tucked in our tummies, we're getting settled back in the car for the next leg of our drive. It's mostly cloudy now, but hopefully the skies will clear.
Last night, after dinner in Blue Earth, Minnesota, we drove for another few hours, listening to my Billy Joel box set, while Delina and I stargaed. As long as there was no one else on the road around us, we actually saw hundreds (maybe thousands) of stars. We picked out the Little Dipper, I think, but I don't know my constellations well enough to pick out anything else. It's too bad, really; the last time I saw so many stars was at the drive-in in Burlington, Iowa, when I was thirteen or so.
10:47 AM: Surrounded by corn in SD
We just had our first rest stop of the day; I bought a few postcards of horses and a baby "kitty" (a lion cub) for the little girl who lives across the alley from us, and the girls bought drinks and snacks.
The sun is out now, but there's not much in the way of scenery. Later today, we'll drive through the edge of the Badlands, and of course later this afternoon, we'll see Rushmore itself. Hopefully I'll remember my camera, and be able to finish off my three-month-old roll of film.
We're on the last disc of my Billy Joel set, which is more talking than music, so I'm just going to listen and watch the world go by.
12:25 PM / 11:25 AM: Time Warp
It's now an hour ago, sorta. I didn't realize South Dakota straddled two time zones. We're less than 200 miles now from Rushmore, and well into the hillier part of the state. Now and then, there's a field of brilliant yellow Sunflowers, ready to be harvested (I would assume); there's also corn and milo and a few cows scattered between the bare hills. I'm so used to central Missouri and all its trees, but here they are scattered in small stands, or just single trees. There are a few wildflowers here and there along the road, but not many of those, either.
I remember when Mom and I were preparing for our move from California to Missouri; we originally palnned to rent our own truck and move our stuff by ourselves. I wanted to go, and keep a journal of our trek through the countryside. Alas, it didn't work out that way; Mom hired movers to take care of transporting our car and belongings, and she flew with her two cats. I had another month of classes at Cerritos College, so I stayed with Delina and company, as Michelle and I were taking classes together. I flew back to Missouri with my cat (whom Mom had intended to abandon!) in mid-December, after my finals.
The next summer, though, the girls "kidnapped" me and took me on their trip t hrough Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennesee, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. I got to see plenty of countryside then, especially the road between Nashville and Knoxville, TN, since we drove it about four times!
Willa's laughing at the "curvy road" signs. Whoever's bright idea it was, they've obvioiusly never seen a truly curvy road. Maybe they should try West Virginia. Or I know a great little place in Tennesee.... couldn't tell you how to get there though.
Gillian's goingn to start teasing me again, I know... we were chatting online a couple weeks back, and she was addressing me as "O great world traveler" or something like that. *chuckle* Rushmore is on the far side of South Dakota... I wonder if the girls could be convinced to take a peek into Wyoming...? *wink*
2:36 PM, MDT: Badlands National Park
The Reasons I'm Loved:
- Handicapped placard gets great parking (usually) at fairs, theme parks, mall of america...
- Permanent disability gets myself and companions in same car into any national park free of charge
- Computer wizardess
- Short stature makes me a good armrest
Willa and I are staying in the air-conditioned car, while the girls explore bits and pieces of the Badlands. I got out for the first two stops, but it's too darn hot, and I can see just fine from the car. I've had heat stroke or heat exhaustion twice in my life, and that's two times too many!
7:15 PM, MDT: EconoLodge, Keystone South Dakota
Willa and I are now ensconced in our motel room, watching "The American President" on TBS. Kind of appropriate, considering where we are, hmm?
The girls have gone to the Rushmore Caverns to take the tour (they're into spelunking), and are supposed to stop at Subway on their way back, and bring us dinner. After that, we'll head up to the monument and see the lighting at 9 tonight.
I've seen this movie about three times now -- all on this visit with the girls -- but I still think it's cute. Still, it also makes me think about what's going on in the real world right now... bombings, retaliation, the whole Monica thing... it's a little unsettling at times. More than a little, really.
All my life, I think the most earthshaking political event I remember is when Reagan was shot. Granted, that was upstetting, but by the time I found out, the shooting was over and Reagan was okay. Now, there's talk of impeachment, resignations, reactions to our military retaliation...
I think people my age in the U.S. have grown up in pretty "safe" times, politically: no civil wars, world wars, nothing as controversial as Viet Nam. But is that relatively safe time coming to an end? Only time will tell, but I have the feeling that the waters are beginning to get rough again.
What will the turn of the millenium bring? Somehow, I think things are going to get worse (crime, terrorism, national/political uncertainty) before they get better. I wrote back in January, after the State of the Union address, that I thought the president was actually doing a pretty good job. I didn't think the Monica scandal would ever grow to its current proportions. My one question is, why didn't he just 'fess up at the start. Dumb move. I guess we just hold on and hope for the best.
Aaaaaaanyway... I've never been big on politics, government, history... so I'll just shut up on that subject.
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