You need some good transportation to get you from one place to another. Adam and I have been taking turns driving in his Honda Pilot. Yesterday (day 2 of the trip) we headed out of Iowa and into South Dakota. The thing about South Dakota is that its beautiful. Starting out, we were in the plains, and it was hot. Then we entered the Badlands, and it was hot and windy. Then we got to the Black Hills where it was cool and the roads are wind-y. Along the way, we passed a hearse. It wasn't being used as a hearse, but rather, a black station wagon. Later, we passed the same hearse, the occupants outside the vehicle, talking to the tow truck operator. Looks like their road trip hit a (wait for it...) dead end.
2. Destinations:
Day two was another tremendous success. We did the usual South Dakota tourist things. We went first to the Mitchell Corn Palace.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Corn Palace, its basically a big building with corn stapled to it. But its also so much more. Its basically the only reason Mitchell is on the map. Every year, they redecorate the Palace. They use 9 colors of corn, approximately 600,000 pieces and over a ton of nails staples and wires. This year's theme was "America's Destinations." The Corn Palace and Mt. Rushmore figured prominently. Our next stop was at a random rest stop right before we entered the Badlands.
It turns out Lewis and Clark stopped there some time before we did. The view was spectacular, the Missouri River in a valley below us, the hills suddenly bringing South Dakota to life. As any traveler who has headed out west knows, there's really only one place to stop to get free ice water and 5 cent coffee. That would be Wall Drug. 
Located in Wall, SD, roadtrippers see signs for literally thousands of miles. There are signs in Saudi Arabia and Kenya. Stopping in is more than a rest stop, its a destination of its own right. I put on a cowboy hat, picked up a couple of six-shooters and watched as the cowboy band gave us some entertainment. We went to the shooting range and for 50 cents, blew off some steam. 
We hopped back in the car, and soon enough, the terrain became treacherous. As you may know, I'm not the biggest fan of driving. It was rad once I stopped gripping the wheel with a death grip. We drove through the Black Hills until we got to Keystone and up to Mt. Rushmore. Admission is free to the park, but parking is $10 for an annual pass. Personally, I know I'm going to get a lot of use out of that annual pass. We waited for the nightly lighting ceremony as patriotic music played and a documentary about the monument narrated by James Earl Jones (voice of America, if you ask me) was shown. Finally, we joined in singing the national anthem and overcome with patriotism, we tingled with anticipation as the lights slowly came up over enormous presidential heads.
3. Food:
Essentially, packing a bunch of food that you can use to make travelling lunches is a great idea. At the camp site, I made some sandwiches for Adam and me, and we headed on our way. The night before, we had eaten hot dogs and smores. For breakfast, we ate junk food. On the road we ate trail mix, jerky and Cheese-its. We drank coffee, water and Adam bought some Sturgis beer. At Wall Drug, I had pie and Adam had a buffalo burger and homemade donut. Ensuring that you're not hungry is good since I know that when I have low blood sugar, I get crabby
4. Some Jams or a Book on Tape:
Adam put on Bob Dylan and I put on the Existentialism series my dad gave me. Its important that the sounds hold your interest and also that they match the terrain.
5. A place to stay for the night:
As we learned last night, this is important to think about slightly in advance. For instance, after you're leaving Mt. Rushmore at 10:30 at night, isn't ideal. Looking for a campsite in the Black Hills at 11:30 is dangerous. There are a ton of deer, the roads are super windey and there are no good lights. Trying to stay near a big tourist trap means that you're going to up in a shit-tastic campground. Having me drive you through the Black Hills to find a campsite in a national park could cost you your life. As the signs posted all throughout the Black Hills point out, "Don't Die." Yes, everywhere someone has gone off the road and died, there's a sign that says "X Marks the Spot! THINK!" and on the back, it says "DON'T DIE." Morbid, but effective. We finally pulled into Pactola Park, drove around for a bit and found a spot. It was around midnight. We put up the tent in record time and went to bed. What can I say? I was kind of annoyed with Adam and his poor planning and the fact that he is literally the worst navigator on earth. Literally, the worst.
I complain, but honestly, it was a great day. :)
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