Big Heads - No Beds

Entering South Dakota on our way to the Big Heads, otherwise known as Mt. Rushmore to most the country except us, we were viewing the flat somewhat boring prairie countryside. This was the first time either one of us had been in South Dakota. We had been through a harrowing time in Chicago the day before thanks to the fact that they wanted to keep stopping us and making us wait up to 30 minutes every few miles to collect a small toll. We wasted more time and gas than the toll they were collecting. Why, oh why, couldn't they be like Ohio and collect one toll at the end. Better yet, why couldn't they be like my state of Michigan and let you go through without a toll? I have often thought that my state should set a toll for those people from the toll states so we could get some of the money back! We had wanted to make it to Minnesota but ended up just crossing into Wisconsin. But, I digress.
We were traveling on I-90 when we came to a sign telling about a scenic view as we came to the Missouri River. We looked at each other as to say yeah,right! We came over a hill and all of the sudden it was like someone had flicked a switch! What a change !
By the time we got to the heads, it was almost dusk. Not being one to linger, Rebbel gave her customary once over and was ready to hit the road. If you ever watched Vacation and saw Chevy Chase at the Grand Canyon, then you know the kind.
We got something to eat at a tourist restaurant in a nearby town and was ready to find a place to sleep. We hardly ever make reservations because we never plan to be in a certain town by a certain time. Now this was the fourth of July weekend and it really never occurred to us that it might be a bad time to find a motel room near the Big Heads, it was! We stopped at two or three motels and they were all saying the same thing. There are no rooms for over 100 miles.
We were so tired at that point that we really thought we were going to spend the night in the car. The last motel we stopped at had said that he would call and check at a place called the Iron Horse Inn. We aren't bikers, so all types of images popped into my head, but from where we were this place seemed like heaven. It looked like it was new. We were escorted to our room by a fellow in a golf cart, and all went well.The guy behind the desk was bragging about being tipped a six pack the day before.
The next day, we came upon the best breakfast sandwich we had ever experienced at a Maverick Gas Station at the Sturgis exit of all places.
South Dakota license plates may say; Great Faces, Great Places, but for us it will always be the land of Big Heads and No Beds! except for the Iron Horse Inn in Whitehead.





Whitehead,South Dakota
home of the Ironhorse Inn