(The KC Matchgirl was never a fan of Maria Muldaur's 1974 hit, but the song does get stuck in your head when you think of the word "oasis".)
But if you get up early, like at 7 AM early, you and your camel can stock up on anything and everything you need for those lonely stretches of interstate travel. Whether you need sliced cheese, frozen peas, spray for fleas, band-aids for your knees, chains for keys (keychains), there's all that and much more at the mall-like complex that is Al's Oasis.
The Oasis Inn is just one of the many components of this family-owned business, just off I-90 at the Chamberlain/Oacoma exit, not far from the Missouri River. As such, the Oasis Inn offers some unusual ammenities, such as protected boat parking, a fish & game cleaning area, and a freezer for storing game. At the other end of the spectrum, they offer "fancy suites", whirlpool and sauna, and free movies. And for seasoned travelers they promote a "traveling men's rate" and truck & bus parking.
The rest of the oasis complex includes a restaurant, deli, banking, and a campground. What started as a small-town grocery store by Albert Mueller, a German immigrant, in 1919 mushroomed as a beacon for travelers as the highways and interstates expanded through South Dakota. By 1989 a new 10,000 sq. ft. complex was built, only to be expanded another 17,000 sq. ft. in 2013.
And just to remind you this oasis is in South Dakota, Al's now has the over-sized fiberglass bison for your photo opportunities, with or without your camel.
Note: The Oasis Inn & Al's Oasis is located at 1000 E. Highway 16, Oacoma, SD. This matchbook dates to the late 1980's, early 1990's.
