Goldenrod

Well, would you look at that… Its the end of June. How the Hell did that happen?! Actually, no. I know exactly how that happened. I spent most of June (and the end of May)  on the road. Here, there, over there, way way over there and back again. I bought a new car at the end of March. It occurred to me today that I have put over 12,000 miles on the poor thing since then. I’ve been to Colorado, Montana and all-the-hell over South Dakota. To be quite honest, all I know for sure is that I have barely seen anything yet. Each trip I’ve taken has been lightning fast-cram-as-much-in-as-you-can trips. They’ve been just enough to wet my appetite to travel.

So this weekend wrapped it up for a while. (I hope… my bank account hopes) I made my 3rd trip to Sioux Falls this a month. All of the trouble and trips revolved around a show I had at the Eastbank Gallery. It was a rocky experience but one I am glad I did. I met lots of neat people and got the excuse to see the State. This weekend my dog Tuesday and I were on a mission to go fetch up my work and bring it home. Due to the fact that I90 is stupid, I decided we should wander our way there, and wonder we did. We were met with a rather sizable detour which forced the wondering even more north up to Faith and Eagle Butte and back down the Missouri River; country I don’t think I have ever been to, and certainly not with any sort of appreciation for the beauty of it all. I tell you what, it took me nine hours to get from Rapid City to Sioux Falls (a trip that should take no more than 5) and If I’d gladly let it take me a lifetime if I had an endless allowance of time.

In the past, when asked for advice, or words of wisdom (like I have any) I’ve been known to proclaim to up-coming photographers “always take the shot, you’ll regret not taking all of them” …but these past two days I had no choice but to let go of a countless number of them. Each turn, each direction, each new moment provided something worth capturing but there simply wasn’t enough me to get it all. I did manage to grab a few here and there, and I believe I covered about as much ground driving in reverse as I did driving forward, trying to grab the ones I just couldn’t let slide.

At any rate,  despite its reputation, South Dakota is a remarkably beautiful state… one you can easily lose yourself in; or at least allow yourself to wonder aimlessly around for a while.

…. oh, and if you get the chance, pay the $7 and ride the pontoon from Split Rock Campground to Jesse James’ hide out cave. You wont regret it.