R and J in the USA

As soon as you are within 40 miles of Wall, South Dakota, you will be seeing signs on the highway alerting you with some bit of charm and cartoonishness, that you are getting close to Wall Drug. It made itself known as a must-stop venue all the way back in the 1800s when it first opened up and lured in passersby with the offer of free ice-water. All these years later, they are still offering free ice water…though, that being something one can get at nearly any establishment open to the public this day and age, that isn’t the main appeal. 

Now, Wall Drug has become your one stop shop for anything roadside – whether it is coffee and donuts, postcards or a little good old fashion entertainment and fun. Funnily enough, the smallest part of Wall Drug, is their little drugstore. 

One of the features to delight and entertain travelers are in the hallway between the departments. On each wall of the hallway, there are a series of benches, peopled with some permanent bench -sitters of days gone by.

One had an old-timer with a long white beard, and solid knee high boots – looking like a miner. He was one of the permanent residents. There was a woman sitting next to him – a real one – resting after a bit of shopping with her American flag decorated shopping bag resting at her feet and her hand comfortably placed on the old-timer’s fiberglass knee. If it’s not clear, already, the old-timer is a sculpture, not a real live human – but the two of the looked as cozy as can be. 

Ryan asked the woman, ”Mind if I take your picture?”

She said, “Okay, so long as you don’t mind having an old lady on your camera.”

Ryan smiled and replied, “You just look so comfortable with him with your hand on his knee.“

She responded with familiarity to her fiberglass fella “Well, we go back a long ways.”

Guess that’s two old-timers!

A few benches down there was a scantily clad lady permanently postured on the bench.

Nearby there was a 20 year old guy. Ryan overheard his grandmother say to him, “Why don’t you sit next down next to her and I’ll get a picture.”

He responded with 20-year-old charm, “She hasn’t earned a picture with me yet.”

Nice one, guy. Nice one.

We did find one other road-weary and Wall Drug-overcooked patron getting a little comfort from a weathered and wise card-playing granny that knows her stuff. 

Julie, in her overshopped stupor, leaned over to the woman, thankful for the company and the comfort and reminded her the lesson she learned over decades growing up in a card-playing household, “Breast your cards, dear.”

Good times, from Wall to wall.