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Wall Drug Store, often called simply "Wall Drug," is a tourist attraction located in the city of Wall, South Dakota. It is a shopping mall consisting of a drug store, gift shop, restaurants and various other stores. Unlike a traditional shopping mall, all the stores at Wall Drug operate under a single entity instead of being individually run stores. The New York Times has described Wall Drug as "a sprawling tourist attraction of international renown that takes in more than $10 million a year and draws some two million annual visitors to a remote town." This is the second time that the two RV Gypsies stopped at Wall Drug.
Wall Drug earns much of its fame from its self-promotion. Billboards advertising the establishment can be seen for hundreds of miles throughout South Dakota and the neighboring states. By 1981 Wall Drug was claiming it was giving away 20,000 cups of water per day during the peak tourist season, lasting from Memorial Day until Labor Day, and during the hottest days of the summer.
Most of Wall Drug's advertisement billboards can be found on an approximately 650-mile-long stretch of Interstate 90 from Minnesota to Billings, Montana. Wall Drug spends an estimated $400,000 on billboards every year.
The two RV Gypsies photographed several Wall Drug billboards and they
can be seen by choosing the first item in the menu at the bottom of
this page - site 12. |
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Below: The Wall Drug Dinosaur - 80 feet tall |
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Below: Karen Duquette on the Wall Drug Jackalope |
The jackalope is part-antelope, part-jackrabbit - an antlered species of rabbit, unfortunately rumored to be extinct, though occasional sightings of this rare creature continue to occur, suggesting that pockets of jackalope populations continue to persist in its native home, the American West. The Jackalope is an aggressive species, willing to use its antlers to fight. Thus, it is also sometimes called the "warrior rabbit."
Jackalopes possess an uncanny ability to mimic human sounds. In the old West, when cowboys would gather by their campfires to sing at night, Jackalopes would frequently be heard singing back, mimicking the voices of the cowboys. Jackalopes become especially vocal before thunderstorms, perhaps because they mate only when lightning flashes (or so it is theorized). When chased, the jackalope will use its vocal abilities to elude capture. For instance, when chased by people it will call out phrases such as, "There he goes, over there," in order to throw pursuers off its track.
The best way to catch a jackalope is to lure it with whiskey, as they have a particular fondness for this drink. Once intoxicated, the animal becomes slower and easier to hunt. |
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Below: A piano
playing monkey, a statue and more unique stuff at Wall Drug. |
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Below: T-Rex got animated and growled. Karen Duquette took a video, and it
will be posted on this website soon. Movies and short videos can be
seen by choosing 'VIDEOS" from the main navigational buttons shown
at the bottom of most pages. |
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On the way here,
the two RV Gypsies saw a Wall Drug sign stating that veterans get a
free cup of coffee and a donut. So the two RV Gypsies inquired about
it in the restaurant and the lady handed Lee Duquette a donut and then
started to walk away. Karen Duquette then had to state that she was
also a Veteran. Duh! WOMEN ARE VETERANS TOO!
Karen seldom eats donuts, but it was free, freshly made and tasty. |
AFTER you have seen all of the above sites in South Dakota,
