Wall Drug

Paul and I have a scale for touristy things. It's the Pigeon Forge Scale. Have you ever been to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee? It's the 10 out of 10...the ultimate in kitschy schlocky wall-to-wall tourist crap. There's just miles and miles of "must-see" hokey for-profit "museums" and hillbilly-themed stores and putt-putt and laser tag. And if you're trying to go to the Great Smoky Mountains, you used to have to drive through it and it would take forever! (Luckily they built a bypass).
Anyway, in general, we always rate things on the Pigeon Forge Scale and try to stay at a 3 or lower. There are times when you have to get a little bit above that, and we did do that in a couple of places. Keyhole, SD, which is the closest town to Mt. Rushmore is probably a 5 or 6 (but it's small, so it doesn't approach the existential 10).

Wall Drug and Wall, SD are an 8, although they're significantly smaller and you can get out of the danger zone relatively quickly. I went as a kid, and it was definitely much less crowded this trip than it was then. Getting a parking place right in front was easy-peasy...and there was no line in the cafe. The food was fairly bland and forgettable. But a little bit of kitsch is alright...and fun....you just can't OD on it.