pictures: south dakota to chicago

Attempting to cook breakfast in high winds. In the background, our teepee.


In the foreground, the model of the finished Crazy Horse memorial. In the background, actual progress to date. (See that little spot of sky that will eventually be between Crazy Horse's arm and his horse's mane? You could put a 10-story building in there.)


Looking presidential.


Badlands sunset.


Adorable Badlands critters.


Clark Griswold Awards I: Wall Drug.


Clark Griswold Awards II: The Corn Palace, in transition from its 2008 to 2009 version.


Clark Griswold Awards III: The Jolly Green Giant in Blue Earth, MN. We're between his legs, to give you a sense of scale.



The crew at Monoma Terrace, a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building in downtown Madison. We got an impromptu tour from a talkative Gambian (not to be confused with Zambian) man who worked at the parking garage. Seeing my Alaska license plate he announced, somewhat improbably, that Sarah Palin is his "shining star." To my chagrin, in the days since then I've realized he has lots of company.


Me with the Chicago Powers clan by "the bean" in Millennium Park.