South Dakota and A Bucket List....

It's February and it's cold in  New Jersey. Not that I mind that much. One of the reasons I love the great Garden State is because you truly do get a good sampling of all four seasons.  In other words, just enough cold and snow until I've had enough!

The cold however, has gotten me into summer vacation planning mode.  One of my bucket list items is to see Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. Needless to say, it's an amazing artistic feat that I would assume produces both an outpouring of awe and patriotism.  I also want to get there because I think it would be amazing to visit a state that is so different from my own.

Beautiful Mount Rushmore
in Keystone, South Dakota

South Dakota spreads out over 77,184 square miles making it rank 17th among all states in total area. New Jersey ranks 46th with less than 9,000 total square miles. Of course, when it comes to population, the roles are reversed.  According to 2010 Census data, 814,180 total residents live in South Dakota, causing it to be one of the top five least populated states.  This offers South Dakotans a mere 10.7 people to deal with per square mile.  New Jersey on the other hand, is called home to 8,971,894 people, ranking 11th in total population.....and we're all crammed into a lot less space - 1,195.5 people per square mile to be exact.  When I complain about traffic, now you can understand why.

There are times when I travel outside of New Jersey to Connecticut or the eastern part of Pennsylvania and realize the difference about how much more open and spacious things feel.  I can't even imagine what it would be like to live in a place like South Dakota where the land is so big and the people so few.  I share a driveway with my neighbor and I love it.  I love seeing her outside talking on the phone on her porch and saying hello.  I love that we bring in each other's garbage cans or that we can wave to each other through our windows.  I'm not sure if that proximity is available in states like South Dakota where the land is just much more vast.  One way is not better or worse, it's just different.  I'd love to experience that difference first hand which I'm sure is the reason that a visit to South Dakota is on my bucket list.  Of course Mount Rushmore is a great bonus, but getting a chance to see what life is like in a state so different from my own is just plain fascinating to me.

To my surprise, good old Highland Park, NJ has once again delivered. What a treasure trove of license plates this small town offers!  Highland Park is also the place where I stumbled across Hawaii earlier this year.  To my South Dakota traveler  - what brought you out here? Was it similar to my desire to see your home state? To see a place that seems so different from what you know? Or is it something completely different? Whatever your reason, we'd be happy to hear it here at Far From Home. In the mean time, safe travels!  Maybe our paths will cross again when my summer vacation comes to fruition!

South Dakota Visits New Jersey