Observations from the road
Reports say Chingawassa Days was another hit. The weather was a little uncertain Friday evening but by Saturday, skies had cleared and all events went as planned.
Congratulations, steering committee and other volunteers, on another successful event.
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We took a few days off this past week and took a trip through South Dakota's Badlands and Black Hills.
Traveling along I-80 in western Nebraska gives one plenty of time to think.
Interstate travel is great for getting quickly from Point A to Point B. It's anonymous and each exit looks pretty much the same. If you really want to see America, take the two-lane highways that meander through the countryside and towns so small they aren't even on the map. Now that's America.
Wall, S.D., is a town with a population of 800, yet it has one of the biggest tourist attractions in South Dakota. It's mind-boggling to think that the success of that attraction — Wall Drug — was built on a simple premise that people will stop for free ice water.
In 1931, Ted and Dorothy Hustead purchased the drugstore in the small South Dakota town. Business was bad and they agreed to give themselves five years to make it or break it.
As the five-year mark drew near, Dorothy Hustead had the idea that giving away free ice water to thirsty travelers might draw people to the store. She was right, and the rest, as they say, is history. Now the drugstore encompasses an area larger than a city block and draws more than 20,000 visitors on a good summer day.
— SUSAN MARSHALL, editor of the Peabody Gazette-Bulletin, sees the value of tourism. In an editorial this past week, she said "we need to band together along U.S.-50 and create a corridor of history relevant to the westward expansion of our country."
She's right. History sells and with it, there are dozens of ways to expand the vision and build ancillary businesses.
Do you think Wall Drug is the only business in Wall, S.D.? Of course not, there are motels, cafes, gas stations, and other gift shops. All of them generate revenue for the economy of that small town.
Dorothy Hustead's vision and Susan Marshall's idea of building on what we have is exactly the kind of outside-the-box thinking we need here.
We need to take a step back, see what Marion has to offer, then expand on those offerings.
For example, we have two lakes. What we don't have are marinas, jet ski rentals, or boat and/or camper sales and service.
On the other hand, if we're not interested in being the destination, let's figure out how to be a stop along the way.
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It's vacation time in the U.S. and that was evident this past week by the scores of bored adolescents with iPods attached, listlessly following parents to yet another national monument or museum.
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We took a detour through Wyoming on the way home (no, we weren't lost). Wyoming is the least populated state in the nation. It's also one of the most beautiful — full of wide-open spaces, mountains, and canyons.
Because it is so sparsely populated, the antelope and prairie dogs pretty much have the run of the land. After commenting on about the 999th antelope, it ceased to be a novelty. Apparently, antelope are as common as houseflies in Wyoming.
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The trip was long — nearly 2,000 miles, however, it's good to be home where the most dangerous thing on the road is a wayward squirrel running toward Central Park.
— DONNA BERNHARDT
