I don't know how far their reach has extended, but living in the West you see bumper stickers that say "Where in the hell is Wall Drug?" or something to that effect. On our trip to South Dakota we have found out that it is in Wall, S.D. It's on the edge of the Badlands, which Frank Lloyd Wright waxes poetically about regarding the eerie shapes and desolate moonscape-like white rock outcroppings. What amazed me about the area is that there are lush prairie grasses on the soil on top of these sterile looking shapes.

Anyway, Wall Drug is on the edge and its claim to fame was that it became successful by offering free ice water to travelers. It promoted the offer by using Burma Shave type billboard ads that progressively carried on a one-sided conversation with you about Wall Drug until you arrived at the destination.

It's gigantic now, taking up a whole block in a town where that's about all there is, except for a few restaurants and maybe under 10 other businesses. The drug store has a cafeteria itself that sits over 500 people.

The ice water for us was lukewarm, the day was hot, the place was crowded and I think they were having a hard time keeping up.

Many of the workers are from abroad, their name tags said from places like Russia. We noticed that too at Mt. Rushmore, the concession workers are from Switzerland and Germany. I asked a young woman from Russia at Wall Drug if they had any really soft sweater/jackets for children. She said no, not in her part of the store. The whole store is partitioned off into smaller stores, a courtyard and indoor road/aisles, so you can get to the whole block area by going from one store to another. I then asked her if there were any other parts of the stores that had clothes and she said we close at 9:00. A very good valid try.

Emma had wanted an extremely expensive soft, fluffy sweater/jacket at Custer State Park or maybe it was the gift shop at the Visitor Center at the Badlands. The price was so high we told her to wait, we'd check Wall Drug later. When we got there we searched and searched for something her size. Finally at one last store area, down under the hanging clothes that were too big for Emma, off a hanger just stuffed down there, was a small, exactly Emma's size, soft fleecey sweater, black with subtle pink trim, with South Dakota printed over the heart area. It had started out at $24.00, but if you bent back the price tag that was folded over, it was reduced to $12.99. It was perfect. She loves it and it has a nice zipper, like the first one she wanted, for good flexibility in Colorado's ever changing weather.

Anyway these shots were all taken from inside Wall Drug. I was up on the jackalope too, but I think I won't include that photo.

Oh yes. Our friend Bruce had requested any boob shots from our vacation. The shot above of the lady with Dave is the only boob shot we got. There were a lot of dummy type people scattered around the store where you could take your picture with them, if so inclined. One old guy was sitting next to a plaster bargirl and his wife was taking a picture of him holding her plaster breast and kissing her. That would have been a better shot for Bruce, but I didn't get the camera at the ready in time. It was a sight.

Oh, and now I know why those bumper stickers show up, they give them out free with each purchase.