USA 2009 - South Dakota

From Adel, Iowa, to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 430 km

Departure at 7.30 am We continue towards Madison County, known for a series of covered bridges. Of these, however, only one remains; the others were destroyed by acts of vandalism. It was the location of the film of the same name by Clint Eastwood, "The Bridges of Madison County". We remember a beautiful line spoken by Robert (Clint Eastwood): "The old times were good times; the important thing is to have lived them," and another by Francesca (Meryl Streep): "In four days he gave me a whole life, a universe; he reassembled the fragments of my being into a whole…I never stopped thinking about him…even if I did not consciously remember him, I felt him close to me, he was always there." We stop with the whole group because photos are a must. Nearby we visit the birthplace of John Wayne with a small museum, closed today.

Unfortunately the photos taken today will be lost in the camera/PC transfer; some were kindly given to me by no. 3. We resume the journey along a road amidst endless fields with farmsteads very far from one another, a pleasant view; then we get back on the two-lane highway, a bit run-down; anyone who thought they would find 6- or 8-lane roads with a perfect surface was disappointed; our highways are better than these. The three diesel campers with their small tanks need constant refuelling; we stop at a petrol station for a fill-up; the others on petrol will do so in the afternoon. It had been decided to also stock up the fridge, in view of tomorrow's public holiday; at the first supermarket a nasty surprise: it is reserved for members only; we had to drive more kilometres to find another one suitable for us.

Further on we found a huge one where there was everything and more; besides stocking the fridge, we found a suitcase that contained another four like Russian dolls; needless to say it was made in China; here almost everything is made in China; we complain about Chinese products that have invaded our markets, but here it is worse. This suitcase will serve us to make up for the excess weight we had on arrival; we will divide everything over four suitcases, since the airlines allow it. Before entering the campsite, a visit to the Sioux Falls, after those of Niagara they make you laugh a bit, but they are not bad; there is a power station and a nice park. Thinking of the km travelled to reach this site, perhaps it was not worth it.

At the campsite they made us wait quite a long time to settle us in; after a tiring day everyone wanted to park and take a refreshing shower; in the end we managed it. Sioux Falls Campsite – N 43 26 27 W96 42 30.

From Sioux Falls to Badlands, both in South Dakota, 450 km

Departure at 7.30 am. We continue on fairly good two-lane roads; during the coffee break we fill up with petrol. After lunch, a visit to the abandoned town, 1880 Town (N 43 54 03 W 101 05 59), a sort of film set of the Old West but with real houses, real trains of the era and original furnishings. Very interesting and original. At the same place, petrol fill-up. Shortly before the campsite we entered Badlands National Park, very characteristic mountains that resemble those of Cappadocia in Turkey. The Badlands, for the Lakota Indians, were "mako sica". The first pioneers called them "the bad lands to cross". For the settlers, simply "badlands". Everyone agrees in defining this corner of South Dakota as a very treacherous land. Moreover, the maze of badlands was impossible to cross, because of the very steep slopes and the cutting edges of the peaks.

There was no water, but only pools immersed in a whitish mud; there was no shade, but only rocks that reflected the sunlight, to the point of turning the land into a furnace. A hell. Having settled, this evening quickly, in the campsite, after loading and unloading the grey and clear waters, Tina wanted me to make a cake; tomorrow is our wedding anniversary; right now, as I write, the dessert is baking in the oven, which has been yet another problem with this camper: the automatic ignition does not work; for the upper burners we got around it by buying a lighter, but with the oven it was more complicated because it was not clear where to light it, but…. Super Renato discovered where, managing to make it work properly; now let's hope we do not burn the cake. Badlands White Rivel Koa Campsite – N 43 41 31 W 101 55 57

From Badlands, South Dakota, to Devil's Tower, Wyoming, 360 km

Departure at 7.30 am. The visit to the Badlands continues, with stops at the designated panoramic sites; here photos are used in abundance; the panoramas are beautiful; these mountains, each different from the other, range before our lenses. Lunch stop at Mount Rushmore (N 43 52 31 W 103 27 16); in front of us, Great Faces, Great Places. Great faces, great places. So reads the motto of South Dakota. One cannot say it is not apt. The faces are there, and quite big too: those of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt – 18 metres high – have been gazing at the panorama since 1941. We must say, however, that the impression received is of a more modest size than it really is. The fact is that, from the point where we are, very low down and at a distance of a quarter of a kilometre, the perspective is a little misleading.

In reality Mount Rushmore is enormous and the real size of the sculptures is remarkable. It is about 16:00 when we arrive at Deadwood, a town that until 1870 lived under the influence of the first part of its name. Then, after the discovery of gold in the Black Hills, Deadwood became one of the liveliest and most famous places in the West. Calamity Jane had been born there. Here is the Tatanka Museum (N 44 23 55 – W 103 42 48), which we visit. It gathers the whole history of the bison, from the beginning, when in 1820 the mass killing of these animals began to make money from the sale of hides. Some people noticed

Conclusion

So much effort and so much hard work for this trip that gave us emotions difficult to describe. Every day was unique, unmissable, extraordinary, thanks also to the commitment and the will of all our adventure companions. What do we remember most? Hard to say. Every place, in its own way, was wonderful. This trip will be memorable.

Our thoughts go, in order, to the impetuous charm of Niagara Falls; to the badlands of the Badlands; to the faces of the Presidents carved into the mountain; to the magnificent Devils Tower, to the thrilling Old Faithful and to the whole of Yellowstone Park (even though we didn't see Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo), to Monument Valley, and its delicate arches and its spires; to the light filtered through Antelope Canyon; to the legendary Lake Powell with the Glen Canyon Dam; to the superb, the great, the beautiful, the breathtaking Grand Canyon; to the lights, the sounds of Las Vegas; to the scorching hot Badwater in Death Valley; to the very old and very big General Sherman and to the unexpected snowfall at Sequoia National Park; to the wonderful Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline seen from romantic Sausalito; and finally, to the great big New York, its skyscrapers, Central Park, th

e Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty (seen from afar). There would have been so many other things to tell that we haven't included in this text. Others that we could have mentioned but that are found in all the tourist guides. Still others, like the most intimate feelings and emotions....that can never be described but that will remain prisoners forever in us. Now it really is all over. It's time to go home, see friends again, continue our usual life, while waiting for another wonderful trip to savor together.