Road Trip Day 24 - Rapid City to Aberdeen South Dakota

All half square triangles!

Sign to not touch quilts
or be "tied & basted"

Itty Bitty ideas

Day 24 of the Epic Road Trip - June 5, 2015.  I thought I might go back from Rapid City the 27 miles to Mount Rushmore to see it not in the clouds.  Turns out that the clouds were still there and even lower so I did not even try.  Instead, the search started for quilt stores in Rapid City.  Turns out that the Black Hills Quilt Guild was holding its annual quilt show starting today at the local Convention Center.  Serendipity again!!  Oh my!  22 vendors all in one place.  Over 500 quilts hanging.  It was a fabulous show and really friendly people.  The Guild there has around 350 members!  I loved that they gave each person entering a disposable plastic glove to use.  No "white glove" ladies!  Very nice show and well done!

Wall Drug

The next stop heading east on Interstate 90 was to be Wall Drug Store.  Wow, is that a tourist trap!  Tons of people all wanting their free ice water and a donut.  It was National Donut Day June 5.  I've been collecting playing cards throughout the trip and found another deck with Wall Drug all over them.  And a really nifty Coca Cola lunch pail that will be great for my sewing notions when I travel.

Another item I have been collecting along the way are crushed pennies for Sara.  I always have 2 quarters and a penny in my pocket in case I come across a machine.

Found one there at Wall Drug.  This was crushed penny number 4 for Sara's collection.

From Wall, SD, I headed north and east toward Aberdeen just to see what South Dakota looks like off the 80 mph highway.  There are miles and miles of wheat fields!  As far as the eye could see, wheat fields.  Absolutely fabulous demonstration of the agricultural dominance of states like South Dakota.  The city of Pierre is the state capitol.  The people here call it "pear".  It is not a large city - only 13,000 population but it sits next to the great Missouri River, which may explain why it is the capitol.  I really love seeing the tiny little towns along the way with populations of 12 or 84 or 256 and wonder what it would be like to live in such a small community.

I noticed that along the way the historical markers mentioned that this was the Lewis and Clark Expedition Route.  So on this trip I have been on the Santa Fe Trail and the Oregon Trail and now the Lewis and Clark Trail.  Imagine that!

Tomorrow I will visit the Dakota Prairie Museum here in Aberdeen before heading toward Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa.  I think I am now officially homeward bound as I should be back to Bloomington sometime on Monday - Day 27 of the Epic Road Trip for 2015.