I hung up the phone, stowed it in my pack, and kept walking.

Homemade Pie. Wall Drug

Fast Food. Wall Drug

Homemade Ice Cream. Wall Drug

Wall Drug as seen on CMT

5 cents Hot Coffee. Wall Drug

Western Wear. Wall Drug

Something to Crow About. Wall Drug

Homemade Donuts. Wall Drug

Free Coffee and Donuts for Honeymooners

That night I slept behind one of the Wall Drug signs—an advertisement for five-cent coffee. The road was flat and smooth, which made walking easy, but there were no services. Ted Hustead’s father-in-law was right, this place was as “Godforsaken” as you’ll find on the planet. Fortunately I was prepared. I had asked about this stretch at the grocery store back in Rapid City and was told that there was nothing until Wall. I had packed several liters of water, which, in spite of the weight, I drank sparingly.

This led me to wonder: where was Pamela getting water?

Chapter Six

C H A P T E R

Six

My stalker has forced my hand.

Alan Christoffersen’s diary

I didn’t sleep well that night. The ground felt harder than usual, if that was possible. My water was warm and free ice water at Wall Drug was sounding pretty good. Dorothy Hustead was a smart lady.

At breakfast I noticed that a field mouse had gotten into my pack and chewed off the corner of a peanut butter Clif Bar. I broke off the spoiled corner, then ate the rest of the bar, along with some bread and my last can of fruit cocktail. I packed up my sleeping bag then started off, my back aching a little. I was ready for a real bed.

After two miles the landscape opened to a valley—a welcome relief from the tedium of endless plains. The signs were still there.

New Dinosaur. Wall Drug

Camping Supplies. Wall Drug

Great Hot Coffee 5 Cents. Wall Drug

After such a psychological assault, could anyone possibly not stop at Wall Drug? This was clearly an instance where, like the California Raisins or Pepto-Bismol, the advertising became greater than the product.

After five miles I passed the town of Wasta. Strange name. I have no idea what it means.

Wasta wasn’t much of a town, really, but it was the first I’d seen since Rapid City. The highway crossed the Cheyenne River, which was the first body of water I’d seen in a while. A half hour past the river, I came to a rest area, where I stopped to use the bathroom. I took some extra toilet paper because I was running low. I filled up my water bottles with fresh water.