Tour of South Dakota

In 2017, I was real desperate to work just one job and not be both a firefighter and fire marshal; back to back. So, I applied for a job with the State of South Dakota Fire Marshal’s Office.

On a whim, I took vacation and asked my wife to drive up there. I felt like they weren’t going to take me serious because I lived in north Georgia. When we got to Pierre, I went to the office and introduced myself as a candidate and everyone was nice.

After that, we drove to through the majestic Badlands National Park and on to the Rapid City area. The next day, we toured Custer State Park and observed the rock formations and the buffalo herd. Then, we proceeded to the Crazy Horse Memorial which is still under construction, is a little pricey, but had the best museum. All American Indian tribes had exhibits on display and the weapons, headdresses, carvings, and beadwork were impressive. After my 3 y/o threw his shoe in a 200 y/o canoe and I whipped him in front of a bus full of Japanese tourists, we headed to Mount Rushmore.

With my poor exacerbated son in tow we toured Rushmore in the late afternoon. Fifteen minutes in, I got the call that began with “unfortunately.” I ordered a Moosehead, toasted the mountain, and tried not cry in front of my wife.

It was a great trip, I saw things that were just unbelievable and breathtaking.

After, we got back, the job remained open, I applied and interviewed again when FM Paul Merriman stated that he didn’t think I could handle the winters up there, even though my cover letter stated that I had lived in both Tacoma, WA and Nashville, TN.

To make the trip even more memorable, I met up with a childhood friend from Alabama in Sioux Falls, SD.

Two years later, I ran into the investigator I was to replace, Cliff Dahl, who told me that Mr. Merriman was the worst boss he ever had.

Thank God I didn’t get that job! We would have never been able to afford to live up there, anyway...unanswered prayers, right. Probably TMI, right; but that is the whole story of the trip to the Free State of South Dakota.

BADLANDS SITE-https://www.nps.gov/badl/index.htm
CUSTER SITE-https://gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/custer-state-park/
CRAZY HORSE SITE-https://crazyhorsememorial.org/
RUSHMORE SITE-https://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm

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