Coolest Small Town in America

COOKE CITY, MONTANA - population 80, elevation 7,500 ft. Current temperature - 43°. And yes - it really is the coolest small town in America for 2012, as so named by Town and Country Magazine! It rightfully earns its title.

To get to this picturesque town, you must travel over the mountains, with terribly curvy roads, mind you. I was sick the entire day of traveling. -_- So I haven't much to say about the mountain commandeering.

As you approach, all you see is a small cluster of buildings rise from the forest. Cooke City consists of one road that goes straight through the town. All the buildings are made of log. A few ATVs zip around. There is one motel and several cabins. The snow covered mountains jut up on both sides, protecting the town - or maybe suffocating it? All you know is - very few people get to experience this.

The local grocery store is registered on the National Historic Buildings List. It was built in 1876.

There are a few restaurants. We ate at the local hotspot - Miner's Saloon. It had that feeling - the atmosphere - of a small town joint you only see in movies. They hold town meetings there and distribute the weekly Cooke City Newsletter. I picked up issue number 658.

The town itself is just... amazing. It's so unique. It makes me want to open up a B&B somewhere remote like this. I love it.

Mt.Rushmore & Devil's Tower

BLACK HILLS, SD & DEVIL'S TOWER, WY - First stop this morning was Mt.Rushmore, and it was extraordinary. Driving up the road that wound through the Black Hills was a great suspense builder, and that first glance at the presidents' sculptures had me hooked. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of pride - of patriotism - at the site. This was something that we, as Americans, regardless of color, gender, etc., could all relate to, could all be amazed with, and it was just... spectacular.

The history behind it consumed me completely. Just to hear about all it took to complete the massive work of art left me speechless.

Inside the gift shop, were handmade dreamcatchers Lakota people crafted. I bought a medicine wheel that will grant good luck wherever it is placed. :)

Also in the gift shop, I was approached by a fellow Weird Al Yankovic fan. I was wearing my Weird Al shirt, and this guy hobbles over to me and says "I just had to tell you that I love your shirt." Then, he promptly lifted up his hoodie, where he too wore a Weird Al shirt (Amish Paradise). Aside from the (exceptional) oddness of it, it was kinda cool. XD

Next stop was Crazy Horse National Monument. -_- Long story short - don't waste your money. Look at it from the road and you'll save $30.

Our final stop today was to Devil's Tower. Sadly, we did not see aliens. We did, however, see a magnificent natural formation. We spent hours hiking around and enjoying the sites. Very cool, and definitely worth the parking fee!!

The weird looks I get from people as I sit on the ground and hoist my feet in the air is priceless. Love it~

The Badlands

BADLANDS, SD - beautiful, breathtaking, amazing. It's really awe inspiring, and that's the honest-to-goodness truth. It's like - you can feel the magic as you walk along the cracked, bleached ground, as you touch the million-year-old rock formations...

The Native Americans say the Badlands are the bones of ancient storm spirits. They come alive at special times only, and battle like they did in ancient times.

The weather was actually pretty chilly this morning - enough for me to wear my jacket. Further into the day, it warmed up nicely. :)

About the "one foot in the picture" thing - have you any idea how difficult it is sit on the ground and raise both feet high enough to take a picture? Taking the picture is another thing entirely...

When I shot the first picture, I was perched on a tiny ledge with my foot over the edge. O_O

The Corn Palace

Mitchell, SD - The world's only CORN PALACE! First constructed in 1892, it is now rebuilt every year. The outside is covered entirely in corn (hence the name...). It's really not as grand as it seems. (it was basically just a giant gift shop inside) But still, I can cross it off my corn husk bucket list ~

Ready to GO!

As you can see, I'm all packed and ready to go. My sister - not so much. She forgot to leave clothes out, so she had to dig through (and pile out) her suitcase on top of mine!

Shummer Shchool

Oh summer school - the bane of my existence. ;) Okay, so not really. It's been pretty fun, see. During breaks from class, we all hunkered down in Garrett Daaahling's car.

Saturday is the official kickoff for my big trip! So expect real blog postings soon. ^-^

Until then... :D