Are You Kidding Me?

 

The Hawley Family ~ 1970 ~ Mt. Rushmore

I don't remember much about my first trip to South Dakota, but I do remember my mom's boss sunglasses, my pink tennies and Mt. Rushmore. 

I'm not sure why we look so underwhelmed in those old photos. South Dakota was one stop of many on a family cross-country road trip to Ohio in 1970. My brave parents towed along a teenager, a tween, a seven year old, a gramma, a station wagon and a tent. There were KOA stops by night (3 guys in the tent / 3 gals in the station wagon) and Stuckey's stops by day to buy postcards or a state charm for my bracelet.  

Obviously by photo #2, it must have been time to climb into the car for a few more days of driving towards home.  I must be thinking with dread after many miles and days sitting between two stinky brothers "Are you kidding me?"  Bob doesn't look thrilled either.

Fast forward 54 years for a return to the Black Hills without stinky brothers.  I highly recommend it.

You might like South Dakota if you like rocks - rocks that sparkle with mica, rocks with faces carved in them, rocks that sprout trees, rocks with holes, rocks that stand like needles pointing to the sky.  

You might like South Dakota if you like animals - prairie dogs, antelope, deer, donkeys, mountain goats, elk, bald eagles.     And buffalo that roam freely and cause the occasional buffalo jam.

You might like South Dakota if you like to hike.  We climbed to places called Poet's Table, Cathedral Spires, Sunday Gulch and campsite 007 just to name a few.  We tracked 28 miles in 8 days. 

You might like South Dakota if you have dear friends willing to share their RV for 9 nights, know where to find the buffalo jams, make you dutch oven pizza and multiple meals with bacon, stare at the stars, and drive you to places like Deadwood, Sturgis, Crazy Horse, and the tippy top of Mt. Coolidge for a 360 degree view from the fire observation tower.

Rob and Deb (and Smoky, too) - you are the best hosts ever.

Finally, you might like South Dakota if you want to abide in God's creativity and His expanse ......You might find yourself standing in His spaces whispering to yourself in awe more than once: "Are you kidding me?"