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| Protect the Sacred |
Rapid City, you surprised me. I expected something small-town and folksy with plenty of nods to your gold mining, Old West history. I didn't know I'd stumble upon a hip, urban graffiti scene nestled in a city that's a gateway to the Black Hills of South Dakota, Mount Rushmore and the Badlands.
We were walking back to our hotel after dinner on a summer evening. Behind us, families sat around a big screen showing a Disney Princess movie in Main Street Square. In the gathering dusk, a brightly colored picture spray painted on a wall caught my eye. Looking down between the buildings. I noticed figures here and there silhouetted against the lights. They stood still, gazing up at whatever was on the walls. I was curious but too cautious to drag the kids with me to discover what was down that dimly lit alley.
The next morning, I pulled aside the hotel room curtain to see if I could get a better look at what had caught those people's interest.
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| The view from my room in the Hotel Alex Johnson |
All the way down the block, it seemed that every reachable surface, even the trash dumpsters, were decorated with street art. I definitely wanted a closer look. And I think that the fact that I was in wholesome Rapid City instead of a more worldly metropolitan like New York City made me comfortable that I wasn't setting myself up for a mugging.
Here are some of my favorites.
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| Pizza Bandits |
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| By Kazilla, world renowned female street artist |
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| Lakota Warrior |
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| Blue Owl |
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| The Sacred, pop culture, and the weird. Virgin Mary, Homer Simpson and who knows what |
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| Van Gogh quote |
Although, it seems that not all property owners wanted to be part of this piece of public art.
I do like that the persons said Thanks with 2 exclamation points. That seemed to fit in with the friendly, welcoming vibe of Rapid City.
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| Lots of room for self-expression |
Prefer something more traditional? Check out Rapid City's official public art project, City of Presidents. Life-size bronze statues of American presidents stand around the downtown area.
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| Slapping palms with John Adams, 2nd president of the USA |
IF YOU GO:
- This is a service area for businesses. I walked through it early in the morning before they opened, but I'm sure that mid-day has lots of delivery trucks zooming down it. Keep an eye out so you don't get run over.
- Art Alley is located in an alley in downtown Rapid City, South Dakota. It connects 6th Street and 7th Street between Main Street and Saint Joseph Street.
Do you like searching for Street Art when you travel?
It’s Your Turn, Link Up Your Newest Travel Inspiration!
I've joined up as one of the co-hosts of Weekend Travel Inspiration.
- Link one of your inspirational travel photos or stories to this post by adding your info.
- Copy and paste our badge and a link to this page.
- Visit some of the other wonderful travel bloggers, read their posts, and leave a comment. It would be great if you could comment on 2-3 posts.
- Tweet it and include this hashtag. #wkendtravelinspiration .
- Follow all the hosts of Weekend Travel Inspiration who are working hard to spread the word on what wonderful work travel bloggers are doing.
- Don’t forget to check out my amazing co-hosts and their pages: Reflections Enroute, The Crowded Planet, ContentedTraveller, Albom Adventures, Safari 254, and FamiliesGo.
What inspires you to travel?
Link up your travel inspiration using the blue button below. Remember to link back to the collection on your blog.
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(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)
I've also joined with the following linkups. Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.
- Travel Photo Thursday on Budget Travelers Sandbox
- Weekend Wanderlust on A Brit and a Southerner, Casual Traveler, Justin + Lauren, A Southern Gypsy and Outbound Adventurer
