Wall-Days Inn

10th of July Celebration

by DesertRat

If you can time it right, try to be in Wall on the 10th of July, which is an annual event that only peripherally has anything to do with the local tourist trade. This is an authentic SD celebration with a parade that starts about 10:00 a.m., a "carnival" (a roving fun fair), barbequed beef lunch in the Legion Hall, and a rodeo in the afternoon, and a dance, also in the Legion Hall, at night. Don't expect anything fancy; it's not. However, it will certainly give you an insight into how the locals live, work, and celebrate. The local high school uses the opportunity to stage class reunions that day, too, so you'll see "floats" in the parade with members of graduating classes going back to the 40s or even before. This is a bit of Americana that you won't likely run into if you're not aware of it.

Wall

by christerw

"Wall drug store"

The Wall Drug Store got its start during the Depression years by offering Free Ice Water to thirsty travelers. Famous from their signs all over the US.
76,000 square foot American Experience includes the
Backyard with its Branding Iron Arcade, animated T-Rex,
panning & mining experience for fossils and gemstones,
Train Station Water Show & fun picture-taking props in a picnic area.
Gourmet coffee shop! Pizza Parlor!

Hitchiking to Wall Drug

by DSwede

Can anyone tell me where I took this photo from? The prize has yet to be determined...
Distance is noted as 12,100km (7518 miles). [calculated by http://www.indo.com/distance/]

"Free Ice?!"

Most visitors will remember that they give out free ice water, but few know why. The history goes that when Wall Drug was first started in the rural area business was hard, particularly in the depression. As a lure to attract customers, they used one of the most sought after and cherished items of the time, ice, by giving it free.

People would drive for hundreds of miles to stock their pantries and fill their gas tanks with the lure of ice. With people covering all that distance, one can easily see how over time Wall Drug gained it reputation particularly of billboards in next state.

As time went, many people started sending their photos from all corners of the world, all with a reference to Wall Drug. Many of them are on display in the halls and restaurants of Wall Drug.

The second picture is from P’yongyang, North Korea. [9627km / 5982mi] (I checked this distance before making my sign)

WFTR's new Wall Page

by WFTR

Wall is a little town on I-90 with a big marketing budget. For miles along the interstate in both directions, one can see signs advertising the famous Wall Drug. I'm sure that it can be a madhouse in the summer tourist season, but during the fall, it's not a bad little place to start or end a trip to Badlands National Park.