Welcome to Minnesota.

The first object of any interest should you cross into Minnesota from South Dakota on Highway 34 is the Pipestone National Monument. It was "...established by Congress in 1937 to protect the historic pipestone quarries ... considered sacred by many American Indians."
It's relatively interesting on a purely geoligical level, given the uniqueness of the stone, but the fact that it's the place from where all Indian peace pipe raw materials are quarried raises it to an entirely different level.
There is much else of interest to commend the park to you and so I do. However, the main thrust of this blog is to discuss the interesting entry fees. An individual is allowed into the park for US$3 which is perfectly reasonable. One man and his bike and an hour of semi-spiritual wandering for the price of a Quarter Pounder with Cheese. It's a bargain. Should you arrive in a people carrier with 5 adults and 2 children immediately after one man and his bike, all of you will be allowed in for US$5. Errr.
To elaborate, should you have chosen as a group, to have a spot of lunch in Historic Downtown Pipestone and strolled to the monument, you would have had to pay US$15 but because you drove, it's a fiver. I checked, the US$5 fee is the entrance fee for the car and anyone in it. If you don't come by car, it's US$3 each.
Petrol over here is at an all time high, at around US$4 per gallon. Not a lot compared to European rates but, as I said, an all-time high in the U.S.. Car drivers, therefore, have quite enough expense on their plates and I'm not here to demand that they should pay through the nose to enter U.S. National Parks. What I'm not sure I understand is why those that choose to arrive by a mode of transport that doesn't have a combustion engine and four wheels are essentially subsidising those that do. I wish I'd asked what a couple arriving on a Motorcycle would've paid. Up to now, the entry fees into U.S. National Parks for one man and his bike have been reasonable when compared to carloads. For example, there's no entry fee into Mount Rushmore National Park although there is a parking fee.
Just so you understand, this isn't a Family fee. If it were, I wouldn't be whinging. This is a carload of anybody. A Rugby team, a Frat house, a Bucks party.
How on earth did anyone arrive at this tariff. According to those responsible for charging it, "..I don't know but now you mention it..I guess we just don't get many that don't come by car". Further interrogation was futile, although immensely good fun. Anyway yours truly has been known to refuse to enter 'Tourist Attraction' when they've taken the piss with entrance fees before. Despite levels of lividity not experienced since that waitress in Portland helped herself to the tip, Pipestone was enjoyed immensely. Have a look at the soothing waterfall pictured.
Now, to all of you car drivers out there, this isn't personal. To those of you responsible for setting the fees at Pipestone National Monument, please take this as personal as you, you retards. What on earth do you think you're doing. For a start, it's a geological site which means that you want to keep anything that's capable of damaging it as far away as possible. That means encouraging people to turn up not surrounded by a couple of tons of steel and variable momentum. In addition, the spiritual nature demands the kind of respect usually afforded by silence, not revving engines and the slamming of doors. Furthermore, you cretins, as the National Park Service, you should be aware that the 'Park' referred to in your name is the type of park that usually discourages cars i.e. trees, grass, children, not the type of park referred to in such phrases as 'Car park'.
Oh, and there is one other thing, you buffoons, how much are you going to charge one person who turns up in car? Well?