As the lefthand photo demonstrates, some of the animatronic displays are kind of scary. Selecting from the hundreds of postcards and literally thousands of knicknacks, it's hard to believe that this was once a tiny drug store in a prairie town of 326 people. Welsh Motel and Sands Motor Inn Nearby, at the Sands Motor Inn , I notice a certain continuity to life in a twilight motel. Haggard looking dudes sling lumpy pillows over sagging shoulders. Moms and dads lug kids from crowded minivans and cramped compacts.
Loners peak through crushed curtains as the sun sinks through amber clouds.
Even in the middle of nowhere, humanity finds itself stuck to familiar rituals. Naturally, we cruise south toward the Black Hills National Forest to see Mount Rushmore. 25 miles south of Rapid City, Mount Rushmore is certainly worth the drive. The towering statue of the Native American hero has been under construction since 1948 and promises to be the site of a university, medical school and airport. That's kind of cool when you think about it.