Historic Hot Springs

Nope, Hot Springs is not hot water and volcanic-emitted minerals and mud, it is a small town on the south of Rapid City, South Dakota. It is also where the mammoth bones and other millions of years-old fossils were found.
But I'm getting ahead of myself, first stop is this cute, tiny little town of Hot Springs. Really it is nothing more than a square mile of buildings, small stores, hospital and a university. This little city brings out a european flavor to it, and it reminds me of a small town I visited somewhere in Europe I just can't remember where.

There are probably more tourists here than towns folk but a couple of store owners we met were really very accommodating and (talkative! hahaha). There's only about 2 or 3 restaurants - mexican, american and what do you know, chinese! So for those who don't want to miss out on their lunch stop, remember there's only 3 of 'em here, which brings me to several more road trips:

1. Stock up on water, a couple of sandwiches and light snacks- you'll never know if you will be stopping by restaurants you fancy or not. Better be safe than sorry.
2. Make sure you have gums, candies and finger foods at the front seat. Long drive tend to make drivers very sleepy. Candies and gums are saviours.
3. Check out local souvenir shops just for the thrill of meeting people. Who knows you might find a couple of good stuffs, too.
4. GPS is very handy but still grab one of those local maps at Tourist Centers, GPS sometimes don't have the up-to-date 411 on very small towns like Hot Springs, and you'll have to rely on your good-old navigational skills. It's exciting to go back to the basics from time to time.
5. Seize the day! You may get lost and lose your bearing, but hey, that's what life is ---generally speaking. So have fun anyway?!