Date: 2006-10-29 04:09 Subject: Hey Buffalo Bob, what did you rob? Security: Public Tags: americana, north dakota, personal, photos, south dakota, travel

The world's largest buffalo is in Jamestown, ND. ( We visited it. )

At the same site, this rather odd little frontier museum on the south edge of town, ( they had a kiddie playscape )

As a final note I'm thinking Buffalo Bob up there might be interested in chewing some cud with ( this sweet young thing. )

(Some photos by M.)

Date: 2006-10-29 04:03 Subject: A few more miscellaneous images of SoDak and NoDak Security: Public Tags: americana, north dakota, personal, photos, south dakota, travel

( Various random bits )

Date: 2006-10-28 20:16 Subject: The strangest little town in South Dakota Security: Public Tags: americana, funny, north dakota, personal, photos, south dakota, travel, weird

Lots of things happened today. The Land of Oz was closed in Aberdeen, SD, much to my disappointment but to the relief of garyomaha and M. The World's Largest Buffalo was in fact available to us in Jamestown, ND, about which photographic evidence later. Lots of dead farmhouses, old cars, weird signs, odd sightings, but the strangest thing was the town of Tulare, SD.

As you might gather from the Google Maps view, Tulare's barely more than a wide spot in the road. I was driving M.'s car as we passed through, and noticed the sign which advertised a Prehistoric Rock on Main Street. Given that virtually all rocks are by definition prehistoric, I was quite interested to see what set this one apart.

We drove about a block and a half, spotting it on the left between Railway Avenue and Second Avenue. Making at u-turn at the intersection of Main and Second (right by city hall, where the rock was), we got distracted by the signboard in the middle of the intersection, ( which appeared to be the community newspaper and bulletin board. )

It was right in the middle of the intersection, and rather charming, actually.

Back to the rock...it is apparently a piece of petroglyph. I can't possibly judge whether this is genuine or not, but this article suggests it is. ( The boulder sits in a little shrine in front of city hall, right out in the open. )

If the story is true, it's sad and creepy by modern standards. If the rock is fake, then it's sad and creepy in another way. They seem quite proud of it, though. In short, a sweet, cute little town with a threadbare economy in a dusty landscape. Strange, in a comfortingly American way.