chikinhammr

I hit the road North on I-29 out of Saint Joseph, Missouri this morning at 2:30 am. Twelve hours later and one tourist trap later, I'm bedding down for the evening in Rapid City, South Dakota. I stopped for lunch at Wall Drug in Wall, SD. Basically, their schtick is putting up signs on the Interstate every 30 yard for 6000 miles advertising "free ice water." When I got there, I discovered a 30's era Western themed drug store and mini-mall complex with every souvenir t-shirt and trinket imaginable along with tons of Western wear and so-called collectibles. I snapped a few photos of the cowboy statues posed seated on the benches, and the cattle heads mounted high on the walls and bought a tasty but overpriced cheeseburger and Diet Coke in a souvenir plastic cup. The place has been around in some form since 1932, and I figured I needed to give them $10 for a meal to keep the joint going til 2032. If you ever want to check the place out, it's good for a giggle or two, It's conveniently located 4 blocks north of I-90 at exit 109 or 110. Take your pick and follow the ubiquitous signs to the cash dumpster -er- Wall Drug.

Early Sunday morning I will go to (through) my Church, the State of Montana. I don't know if there is a God or not, but Montana is the best evidence yet of the possibility. Montana is simply a gorgeous expanse of several million square miles. And, the bonus is there is a video poker casino on every corner (not my thing,) and strip clubs every 100 miles with truck parking. I figure I'll shut down in Missoula or St. Regis tomorrow afternoon and head to Canada Monday after a brief stop in Tacoma to see if the IRS goons have stopped raping my paycheck yet.

I'm in the mood for pizza. Good pizza, not any Pizza Hut, Domino's, Papa John's horse shit. I mean real, hand crafted, hand tossed pizza with real mozzarella and gourmet ingredients that smell like Italy. Now, I'm just torturing myself. It's bed time.