July 4, 2012 -- Akaska, SD to Badlands National Park (with a little help from Santa)

Our overnight stop in Akaska showed us just how much South Dakotans love their rockets' red glare for Independence Day. It was only July 3rd, but you would never have known it: there was a parade, a barbecue, and LOTS of fireworks, from dark until about 11:00 p.m. Not just firecrackers either ... we're talking real, jump-out-of-your-skin explosives.

In spite of the noise we did end up having a good night's sleep, which prepared us for our first RV tire change. Yep, we wore a hole right through the tread of one of our trailer tires. Figuring that driving on the tire into a place called The Badlands would be pushing our luck just a little too much for comfort, we dragged out the lug wrench and pulled the cover off the spare. Tire pressure? Check. Lug wrench the right size? Check. Jack operational? Check! It was easier than we thought, although Theresa did struggle for a couple minutes lifting the spare onto the lug nuts.

Enter Santa Claus.


No, really!

Okay, not exactly this guy, but he looked pretty much just like this, and when we thanked him for his kindness, he said, “Santa Claus got to be good for something.” The guy never told us his actual name. In the time we talked with him we did learn that he is a retired farmer from Iowa and spends his summers in South Dakota; also that he is going to play Santa Claus in next year's July 4th parade. He will be perfect. Thanks, Santa!