| Our journey through America's midwest continued as | | | | art. |
| we crossed the border into South Dakota. While this | | | | 3. 1880 Cowboy Town: Buffalo Ridge, South Dakota |
| state may be most famous as the home of the Mount | | | | While it may not have actually been constructed in |
| Rushmore National Memorial, we discovered a whole | | | | 1880, Cowboy Town now looks like it was made a lot |
| bunch of other fantastic attractions to visit; some | | | | longer before, with its unique collection of battered |
| wonderful and some just plain wacky. So come and | | | | buildings and paint peeled sets. If staged gun fights, live |
| join us in our adventure and discover what all the fuss | | | | hangings and pilgrim shrines are your thing, this is |
| about South Dakota is actually about. | | | | definitely the attraction for you. |
| 1. Devil's Gulch - Jesse James Jumped Here: | | | | 4. Dinosaur Park: Rapid City, South Dakota |
| Garretson, South Dakota | | | | It's no Jurassic Park but hey, it comes pretty close. |
| While not many natural attractions generally make the | | | | While the adults might not think much of the green |
| cut of being weird and wacky, Devil's Gulch makes a | | | | (somewhat unrealistic) structures, the kids are sure to |
| fair attempt at it. | | | | love them. The park is home to 5 dinosaurs in total; the |
| Allegedly the very spot where Jesse James, famous | | | | Apatosaurus, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Tyrannosaurus |
| American outlaw, fell to his untimely death, Devil's Gulch | | | | Rex and Brontosaurus. Each is a mouthful to say and |
| inspires a certain amount of awe and will have you | | | | an eyeful to take in. |
| hanging on for dear life at the very thought of crossing | | | | 5. Petrified Wood Park: Lemmon, South Dakota |
| the gorge. | | | | As far as strange things go, this one comes pretty |
| 2. Porter Sculpture Park: Montrose, South Dakota | | | | close to the top of the list. The park is slightly eerie in |
| Big things on the side of the road are something | | | | its resemblance of a petrified forest, with strong |
| America does particularly well. Wayne Porter is no | | | | evidence of many years of hard labor apparent. |
| exception to this rule and will make this clear from the | | | | A hundred conical structures are spread throughout |
| moment you first lay eyes upon his monolithic | | | | the park, with some standing up to 20-feet tall. The |
| structures. Marvel at the Egyptian cow head, the pink | | | | museum itself is also pretty fascinating and gives you |
| Chinese dragon, the Grim Reaper and the Screaming | | | | the chance to take a piece of the park home with you. |
| Man and you'll soon realize this isn't just weird: this is | | | | |