We made our way into Sioux Falls, SD on our way to Mt. Rushmore. You know that, right? It’s the one with Uncle Sam, the guy that invented the five-dollar bill, John Handcock and that other guy. We (well, Shefali) stumbled on to some epic graffiti while in town – it’s even rated on tripadvisor. In typical Midwestern style, the people were super friendly and the food was hearty and plentiful. We got a tip from some cool people we met at a bar that if we hit only one place before skipping town, it had to be Bob’s Carryout. Oh man, this place. Everyone there had us feeling like regulars from the second we sat down – even their regulars. And they broast (deep fry while pressure cooking) which is probably just something you have to experience to understand. Best way to start your day. The owner even let me come back and see all the cool equipment in the kitchen (no health code violations, I washed my hands first and resisted all urges to deep fry my surroundings), and then before we left gave us loads of places to hit up on our way out. True Midwestern hospitality all the way. When we actually did get to Rushmore the shutdown was pretty recently over and a lot of it was still cordoned off, so it seemed like we couldn’t get any closer than the road. No worries though, that just makes it easier to “keep it movin’.” We drove a huge stretch west through Wyoming and beyond, and you owe it to yourself to at least check out the pictures ([2]) if not go there yourself. It is sprawling and gorgeous. We cut through Seattle and it dawned on us that we just drove cross-country. I know it sounds small but neither of us had ever done that before, and certainly not for lack of interest. In fact, I think both our minds wandered to the thought that a year ago we were so trapped, just tethered to a 200-mile corridor on the east coast. And now, yeah we’re practically handcuffed together, but hey at least we get to drive somewhere new. And in the same direction for a change.
[1] http://www.flickr.com/photos/97388931@N08/sets/72157638184452915/
[2] http://www.flickr.com/photos/97388931@N08/sets/72157638198539546/