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Half-Price Tickets for KU Students! STUDENT SENIOR
Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company Friday, October 1-7:30 p.m.
"...this company remains a must for any dance lover..." The New York Times
This 85-member company blends brilliant ballet technique with folk dance, showcasing the beauty and tradition of Ukraine.
VILIANICHE
@ Clear Word
VIP Sponsor
"An infectiously joyful celebration of music and dance." The New York Times
Flamenco
Carlota Santana
Vivo
Thursday, October 7
7:30 p.m.
Spanish, Arabic, Judaic and Gypsy influences relate "dance stories" that deal with universal themes of pride, sorrow love and death.
MorganStanley VIP Sponsor
Cypress String Quartet Sunday, October 10-2:00 p.m.
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yesterday, weren't you? Is your car broken down or something? Can't you leave?" I tell her yes, I was here yesterday, no, thank you, I am not broken down, and yes, I can leave whenever I want. That's not good enough for her: "But no one stays in this town for more than a day." She's right; I'm the only person here who actually planned a trip around a drugstore in South Dakota.
a trip around a dragon.
After dinner at the A&M Café in the Badlands, I stroll into the Badlands Bar and make friends with the bartender. The place fills up quickly with locals knocking back Buds and singing along to Kid Rock and country tunes. Tina, a 40-year-old blonde woman in a ragged Minnesota Vikings T-shirt, faded jeans and worn jelly shoes takes a seat and buys me a shot of Wild Turkey without asking. Then another. And another. I retire to the bathroom for a much-needed break and return to discover that the bartender has introduced me to all eight people sitting at the bar as Gene. It's not worth correcting them, and I owe Tina a shot. This friendly reciprocation is a sign to Tina that I'm interested, and she continues with Wild Turkey freebies. She's trying to get me drunk, and it's working.
I make another desperate dash to the bathroom when a short, bearded man intercepts me with a few words of warning: "That Tina's trouble, Gene, you don't wanna mess with her." Not an epiphany, but helpful nonetheless. Returning once again, Tina has already lined up two more shots, putting the now hazy count at six. I
accept, but draw the line when her hand begins to gently stroke my leg. A quick nod to the bartender, cackling behind his Jack and Coke, and I'm out safely, stumbling home.
Day Three
It's Sunday, and a fresh set of wide-eyed tourists is already filling up Main Street. Eager to leave, I gulp two last cups of nickel coffee and my tires meet the hot highway pavement by 11 a.m.
once was. South, the towering pines of the Black Hills recede into rolling grasslands, then prairie land and bounding plateaus molded over millions of lifetimes once again in northern Nebraska. The next nine hours will be a distorted half-dream of single-lane state highways and bumpy interstates. The western sun sets for the last time in my rearview mirror, oranges melt into pinks, slowly dulling until the only light is a blanket of stars glimmering beyond a moonless sky.
Just about everyone leaving Wall heads west through the Black Hills National Forest. I-90 meets Sturgis on the north end of the forest. Just to the south is Deadwood, a place where 1800s outlaws sought safe refuge that is now five blocks of casinos and no longer the Wild Western place it once was.
moodless sky. Alone but not lonely for over 14 hours and nearly 1,000 miles, my head is void of all coherent thought as the plains of western Kansas transform into the rolling hills of eastern Kansas in the warm night. As I walk through the lush 70 and reach the
exit l-70 and reach the familiar streets of Lawrence once again, a gaudy green bumper sticker graces the rear of my car, a rolling advertisement shared by millions who came before and millions who will come after, all begging the same question: Have you dug Wall Drug?
Wannadig Wall?
The Badlands and the Black Hills surrounding Wall are amazing national parks and forests everyone should see, and aside from a stretch through eastern South Dakota and I-70 in eastern Kansas, the drive is actually quite enjoyable. The tourist season has passed, so the area is much less crowded, but still be careful of slow-going RVs and the occasional gang of rowdy bikers. Wall is a great place to stay for a night, maybe two if you're spending a day in the Badlands, but trust me, people get suspicious when they see you the third day in a row.
Drive time: Wall can be reached in a day, about 12 hours, but allow yourself at least three nights total for the trip.
total for my trip.
Gaa: My little Honda got there and back on
about $110 in gas, so plan accordingly. In
round, in
about $11 in gas, so plan your Sleep: Arrow Campground in Wall is$ 14/night/film. I was the only camper until the last night, so privacy is no issue. The shower was a little seedy, but at least wet. Sleepy Hollow Campground is $17/night/film.
Campground is $1/hourless.
Attractions: Everyone goes through Wall Drug. Badlands National Park is incredible, and the$ 10 pass park is good for seven days and worth every last dime. In the Black Hills is Mount Rushmore, $9 to get in, and Crazy Horse,$ 9 to get in, both worth a few hours.
get in, both with Worthing
Watch out for: Middle-aged, small-town
women with a penchant for bad whisky. They
love college boys and aren't afraid to show it.
12
ENJOY!
Jayplay 9.23.04