Monday, August 4, 2008

Where in the World...



Are we??

Who can figure out which state in the Continental U.S. we are in?

This is a contest. But as I am a cheapskate, on the road, and am figuring this out as I go along, I don't have anything to give away. So for the prize, for the first one to figure out where we are, I'll e-mail you some scenic views from our vacation (holiday).

Tonights clue is the picture up on top. If someone doesn't figure it out in 24 hours, I'll edit this post and add another clue.

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The first guess. The first guess!

OK, Do'C got it on the first try. We actually spent the first night of our vacation in Iowa, but with apologies to any Iowans out there, I didn't take any pics that first night (though the kids and I did find a family of toads outside the motel while Liz was checking in).

Our second night was spent in South Dakota (we didn't stay in Sturgis, we actually stayed a few miles down the road in Spearfish). But that didn't matter, as the annual Bike Rally in Sturgis draws 500,000 (!) people on their bikes (mainly Harley Davidson's) to South Dakota. Our first inkling that our vacation coincided with Bike Week was in trying to make reservations. Liz found that most motels (single rooms in 2 star nothing special places) were going for $300/night!!! I was like "What!! We're not talking New York City, this is South Dakota!" We soon found the reason, and eventually found a room for just over $200/night, which still hurt.

There have been Harleys everywhere!


And amazingly, the kids don't see anything abnormal with this. Today we saw the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD (it's a building that is covered in-you guessed it-corn! Quite a-maize-ing, actually),


As well as stopped at Wall Drug for "Free Ice Water!" as well as ice cream.


Tonight we've moved on. For a second prize (reward same as the first) this new location has unique geologic phenomena found in only 4 other places in the world. For the prize, name the place, AND the 4 other countries where these phenomena are found.

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Next clue.

Although there are a few scattered in other places, the 4 other countries that have significant concentrations of these geological phenomena that are located in the park we are visiting are Russia, New Zealand, Iceland, and Chile.


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Ding, ding, ding, ding!

We have our second winner! Niksmom is right. We saw Old Faithful erupt today (twice), as a matter of fact.

16 comments:

Do'C said...

South Dakota.

Sturgis for bike week? That'd be cool. Black Hills or Badlands area? Also nice.

Have fun!

kristina said...

Minnesota?

justa guess! happy vacation, i like the idea of a contest without a prize!

Anonymous said...

I was gonna say Sturgis, too!!! :-)

isles said...

Well, if you started in Iowa and then went to South Dakota, your trajectory is pointing toward...Montana? Or North Dakota, but that's pretty unusual as a vacation destination. (Though not unworthy!)

No guess on the geology question, but hope you are enjoying your tour of the upper Midwest!

Anonymous said...

Somewhere other than Maine! When we went to see Thomas the Tank Engine yesterday, there was a motorcycle rally in the next town, and hundreds of bikers showed up!

Have fun on your vacation!

Niksmom said...

Oh sure, start with the *easy* one! ;-) Um, I'll have to get back to you on the second clue...

BTW, thanks for your lovely compliment on my writing. MUCH appreciated! Happy trails...

Alyric said...

Thyis is a nice idea! I'll bethe invisible gimp on the bike and learn a little US geography:)

Maddy said...

Bournmouth! This is grossly unfair, I protest! Have a blast guys.
Cheers

Niksmom said...

Ooh, ooh, I know!!!! You're going to Yellowstone, home of Old Faithful, yes??? Went there on my x-country move in 1998...got caught in a freak snow storm on Memorial Day weekend!

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh! I have no idea! It looks like a great time though. Enjoy!

Unknown said...

My sister and brother-in-law encountered the motorcycle-fest in SD on their move cross-country from Seattle to Rochester, where he was about to start his PhD studies in English. They arrived dead tired in mid-South Dakota having driven all day with 3 crazed cats... and couldn't find any lodging anywhere until they got almost to Minnesota.

Daisy said...

Oh, sure. I step away from the internet for a day and you hold a contest! Twice!
My parents used to go to Sturgis almost every summer. They were Suzuki riders, but the rally is classic for all travelers on two wheels.

Niksmom said...

Hey, Joe, this is pretty fun! Where are you off to next??

Club 166 said...

We've got a couple of more days here, than we're going back home via Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. If we have time we'll also see Chief Crazy Horse and the Little Big Horn.

Today was spent mostly around the Yellowstone River and the falls. Very pretty.

Joe

Anonymous said...

If your kids like dinosaurs, stop in Hill City, SD after you see Mt. Rushmore-we were there last year, and it was the best collection I've seen in years. Also, my kids enjoyed the Mammouth Site in Hot Springs, SD.

Ruth in STL

Club 166 said...

For Do'C and Niksmom,

Your prize (?) is located here in the batch labeled Yellowstone and South Dakota-2008.

For the general public, the Creative Commons License is "Non-commercial, attribution, share alike". For you two, as "winners" of my first contest, your license on these photos is unrestricted, meaning you can do whatever you like with these photos (including selling them to unsuspecting suckers). Thanks again for playing!

Joe