In the state of South Dakota we managed stop and soak in some cheesy america at the Corn Palace and Wall Drug in one day, the excitement of Contiki. I know you're jealous.
I had never heard of the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD of course since going there I have heard it mentioned a few times on TV. I have to say I'm still not 100% sure how to describe the Corn Palace. There is a museum, which we didn't visit and then there was a market inside, that's where I bought popcorn flavored lollie pops. I don't suggest them, even my popcorn loving newphews didn't like them. But the cool thing here was the designs they made with corn: fantastic, artistic, inspirational! They really were cool, but I'm not sure they're worth going out of your way to see. But if you need a break from driving, it's better then just stopping at a Walmart, McDonalds, etc. 
Wall Drug started out as a simple drug store, when business was slow they posted a sign on the highway offering "free ice water". It is now a cheesey american tourist trap, but a fun one. Wall Drug actually takes up an entire block and has a restaurant, shops, and childrens play areas. It's actually a fun place where you can spend a few hours, excercise your cranky kids and do some shopping. We made this our lunch stop and we all had bison burgers, they were actually very tasty considering they were made in a fast food type environment. I would say it was a step up from a McDonalds as they were each cooked to order. I think there was also a regular restaurant, but we didn't have time for that. As a bunch of adults who had been stuck on a bus we wanted to eat, shop and explore. The shopping varied from touristy T-shirts, and magnets to full cowboy/cowgirls outfits to fudge and everything in between. And of course they still have free ice water.
