Said the Buffalo to His Mother (or was it Brother?)

we're in wyoming! after a fabulous and full few days in south dakota we have made it slightly further west (for now) and are comfortably resting in a gorgeous hotel right outside yellowstone (ABN has told me many times, this is my one fancy night...and fancy indeed - terry cloth bath robes, body butter, hdtv, high speed internet connection - he's in trouble if he thinks i'm getting up early to head back to a state park....). we're about to go grab dinner (my stomach is growling) but before we do...i quick update:

• corn palace - way overrated, just like everyone said. but i insisted on finding out for myself...guess what? i found out.
• wall drug - can't wait to go back next time i find myself driving through south dakota. it was everything a ginormous, catch all drug store should be (and possibly more). we bought post cards and magnets and drank our fair share of free ice water (possibly more). i decided to hold off on the cowboy boots since i can't really picture myself strutting my stuff down the streets of SF in those bad boys...but did really really really want some moccasins...if i still have the craving i can pick them up in jackson hole.
  
• mt rushmore - pretty cool to actually see, from afar, we decided not to pay the entrance fee. if you have paid the entrance, i am curious to know what you get in addition to what you can see (and capture on camera from the parking lot)...no judgement that you paid and we didn't...i'm just curious.
• crazy horse - totally crazy! i can't believe they've been working on it for so long and i can't believe how big it's going to be (to give you an idea, all of mount rushmore will fit in the face of crazy horse...it's bigger than the pyramids!). i do judge that this project is taking so long...i mean clearly i don't know what goes into sculpting granite, but maybe they have set their sights too high...
• custer state park - loved it (and i am being absolutely totally and completely serious!). we arrived just as the sun was beginning its descent (probably around 6 and it wasn't dark til after 9). we stayed on a campground where we rented (for $45!) a one room, brand new, totally clean log cabin. there was a picnic table and fire pit in our "space" and as ABN built a fire i set out shabbat dinner (peanut butter, banana, pita, chips and salsa, cherries, red wine) while using our ipod speakers...shabbat indeed! we ended the night by reading and making smores and then lying on the picnic table and looking at a sky full of stars.....it was incredible.

this morning we took a scenic drive through the state park, and saw many animals including buffalo (so many buffalo) and deer and elk (difference?) and prairie dogs...gross....

after last night we decided it would be really nice to slow down a bit (i think we were both sad that we needed to leave custer...we could have really used a day or two to walk around). so we are in the process of rearranging the second half our trip...i'll be in touch when we know more. for now...i think the mexican restaurant down the street is calling my name!