American Road Trip 1979 on Kodachrome

Some more Badlands pictures. The colours changed with the light.

#USA21-16 Badlands National Park, South Dakota, 30 May 1979

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In our 1988 family trip to America, we started in Hawaii, then went on to Anaheim, Las Vegas, Chicago, San Francisco, New York, and I think even Canada. I say, 'I think' because I hardly have any records of the trip apart from some sparse family photos, and I appear to have lost whatever journal entries I made for that trip. In the last 10 years, I found a trip itinerary from the travel agent as well as some brochures we collected, but I dearly wish I'd been more diligent about recording it all.

I took part in the Universal Studios 'zero gravity' special effects stunt, and we saw the Miami Vice and Conan The Barbarian shows. We also went to Disneyland, where we saw the 360 theatre projection of American Journeys, as well as the Star Wars ride Star Tours. Strangely, I remember being in line to take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty, but not being actually there.

From the photos, it seems that Dad took our Nikon L35AF with date back, and his Pentax ME with M SMC 50mm f1.4. I took a few photos with the Nikon, as I recall. But I have nothing like @lynnb 's superb travel diary and comprehensive photographic record!
 
lynnb said:
Thanks Murray. That Brazil trip sounds wonderful. Have the Agfachrome CT18 slides kept well? Many of my family's old slides on that emulsion have turned deep purple.

Portugal is another place I'd like to visit.
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Hi Lynn,

I would have to dig around a bit to find those slides. On the other hand, I have CT18 slides from 1972, a year older, with no perceptible degradation. It might help that I live in a dry climate.

- Murray
 
Lynn, there was a lot for you to see around Rapid City. As you got closer, after the Badlands, there's a Strategic Air Command (SAC) US Air Force base on the right, where I served the final couple of years (1965-66) of my service time. I also had a part-time job at Jack's Camera Shop on Rapid City's main street ("Saint Joe"). On your way to Mt Rushmore you passed a hill upon which were full-size replicas of dinosaurs. Then further on, on the right, you'd have seen the Reptile Gardens; maybe you stopped there. There is a road from Rushmore northward through the touristy western town of Deadwood; maybe you passed through, as there's connection from there back to Interstate 90. Coincidentally I again live along I-90, but in Washington state. I've been enjoying your travel pics!

By the way, it was Gutzon Borglum who carved the faces on Mt Rushmore, finished by his son Lincoln Borglum who was a regular customer at Jack's Camera.
 
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Thanks Doug. Our tour was pretty hectic.. from my diary, 31 May 1979:

"Woke early.. drove through rest of Badlands park, a few photo stops, became unpopular by spending time taking pictures. To Wall, stop at Wall Drug... few photos of main street, a tribute to American opportunism! Whole town trades on Wall Drug's popularity all through advertising free ice water. Back on freeway, land flatter, dry, beef cattle, vast... low cloud, past Ellsworth AFB to Rapid City K-Mart for alcohol, $74.95 Polaroid autofocus, took a few photos out the window (I didn't buy the camera and can't remember this). Country changes to hills and trees, the Black Hills, becoming more mountainous to (road) tunnel at Mt Rushmore, we rush our visit to view the presidents leaving as it starts to rain, hail. We drive past pigtail bridge and tunnel, on to Custer for fuel and coffee (no time to walk around), then through Black Hills diminishing to Wyoming, sleet, hail, dramatic rainstorms and beautifully coloured landscape (no stopping for photos but I took a few through the van windows). Old buildings (farms) some derelict. On through Sundance (Close Encounters Cafe) on country road to Devil's Tower.. we pass Dog Town (prairie dogs) to camp, then I hike to base of Tower via Dog Town to see and photograph rock climbers high on the Tower. BBQ dinner and dramatic sunset with the GREEN tower (capitalized in my diary) glowing in the sunset. Unforgettable and eerily dramatic.

(passed by a nice place, Game Lodge Resort in Custer State Park, near Mt Rushmore, brief look at Legion Lake Resort - very pretty small lake)."

I can't remember the dinosaurs or Deadwood.
 
Ah, you went south to Custer and wouldn't have passed near Deadwood or Horse Thief Lake! See any buffalo near Custer? The tunnel at the top of the pigtail bridges has a nice view - if you stand in the middle of the road in the tunnel and don't get run over it lines up with the Rushmore faces nicely framed by the tunnel.
 
Doug said:
Ah, you went south to Custer and wouldn't have passed near Deadwood or Horse Thief Lake! See any buffalo near Custer? The tunnel at the top of the pigtail bridges has a nice view - if you stand in the middle of the road in the tunnel and don't get run over it lines up with the Rushmore faces nicely framed by the tunnel.
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Photo of buffalo and that tunnel view coming up next 😁
 
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