It was a short drive from Mitchell, South Dakota to Blue Mounds State Park near Luverne, Minnesota. I got there early enough in the day to get settled in and to enjoy the park.
That campsites were in a manicured, garden-like setting The sites weren’t exactly private, but they weren’t crammed together. This was the view from my door.
The park was created during the Great Depression to provide jobs and water recreation. Dams were created in Mound Creek and a beach house and picnic grounds were created by the WPA. Mound Springs Recreational Reserve opening in 1937.
The land is one of Minnesota’s prairie remnants.The soil was too thin and boulder strewn for farming, although it was used for grazing. According to my Preferred Source, in the 1950s, trees were planted in the campground and around the lakes and the campground.
There is a buffalo herd that was begun in 1961. They say there are over 100 buffalo in the park, but this was the only one I could find. If you look carefully, you might find one on the photo I took.
If you can’t find it in my photo, this photo from my Preferred Source should do.
By Rigadoun – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2113308
Blue Mounds State Park was named after an escarpment of Precambrian Sioux Quartzite bedrock. It looks pink to me, but it is said to have appeared blueish in the distance to early settlers.
At one time, the rock was quarried. From the late 1880s to the 1890s, the rock was used to construct area buildings.
This is a heap of scrap rock from cutting and shaping the blocks. By the early 1900s , the quarry was abandoned when masonry brick, which cost less and was easier to produce and handle, replaced the quartzite stone.
After my tour of the park, it was time to head back to my campsite and get ready for the next day.
I have to admit that I didn’t really know what a corn palace was.
Was it built with corn? Decorated with corn? I didn’t know, but I was planning on finding out!
The next day, I got hitched up and moseyed about three hours down I-90.
When I got to the Missouri River, I found the most wonderful rest stop.
It was a great view of the river.
But what really made it outstanding was the enormous statue.
The statue is entitled “Dignity of Earth and Sky” and is a tribute that states the Native cultures are alive and standing with dignity.
According to the rest stop’s website, it was sculpted by South Dakotan Dale Lamphere. He used three Native American models, ages 14, 29 and 55 to inspire the face of Dignity. The dress was fashioned to resemble dresses from the 1850s. She is holding a star quilt with 100 blue stainless steel diamond that flutter in the wind. It is lit by LED lighting and is visible from I-90 day and night.
The statue was installed in 2016, which was just the year before my visit. It looked marvelous. I hope it continues to age well.
If you are near the Missouri River, you should expect to find some mention of Lewis and Clark and the Expedition of the Corps of Discovery.
According to the plaque nearby, this marker commemorates the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The geographic position of this marker has been established using the satellite-based Global Positioning System. This marker is part of the National Spatial Reference System, which is the standard used for positioning, mapping, and navigation in the United States.
Kind of amazing to think about how much navigation has changed in the 200 years since Lewis and Clark passed this way.
Just in case you were wondering, the position of this marker is at 43 degrees, 47 minutes, 13.66 seconds north latitude and 99 degrees, 20 minutes, 18.16 seconds west longitude. It is 1718 feet above mean sea level.
If you are crossing South Dakota on I-90, this is a wonderful rest stop. In fact, they also have a small museum with a full-sized model of one of the boats that Lewis and Clark used. It is an outstanding rest stop.
You can get out and stretch your legs.
Or not.
I continued on my way and finally reached Mitchell. I got set up in some little nondescript campground that was just off the Interstate and headed toward the World’s Only Corn Palace.
I found a spot to park near this oddly specific warning sign.
I found it! In spite of all the road work going on.
So, what is the Corn Palace? It is a multi-purpose arena/facility that is decorated with crop art. A new design is constructed each year. According to my preferred source, the Corn Palace is a venue for concerts, sports evens, exhibits and other community events. Each year the Corn Palace is celebrated with a citywide festival.
Mitchell is all about the corn. I thought the corn motif on the base of the streetlight was a nice touch.
The theme of the murals when I visited in 2017 was “Rock of Ages” and they portrayed various music stars through the years.
Some were not easy to identify.
Other murals were iconic. Here’s The King!
And Willie Nelson.
I’m pretty sure that the one on the left is John Travolta in his iconic white suit in Saturday Night Fever. I’m not sure about the one on the right side.
I’m not sure about these, either, but they are definitely musical.
This one also fits in with the theme.
If I had gotten there earlier in the day, there might have been someone to ask.
But, in keeping with my usual timing, the building was locked up tighter than a drum.
In addition to asking about the subjects of the murals, I wanted to know when they changed them and if the birds (and possibly rodents) affected the murals. I did notice this bird perched on it.
If you look closely, you can see where kernels are missing from the corn.
Speaking of kernels, the name of the Mitchell High School baseball team is the Kernels! I love it!
In checking on information to write this post, I came across a list of the themes of the murals. The year I visited, it was “Rock of Ages”. This year the theme is “South Dakota Weather.” I would love to see what those murals look like.
I bid my farewells to the mascot for the World’s Only Corn Palace and headed back to Flo for my last night in South Dakota.
My HISTORY Here! app told me of an interesting site near the exit of Badlands National Park.
The Prairie Homestead was billed as a “rare intact sod home”. It was build in 1906 by pioneers Mr and Mrs. Ed Brown during the last wave of western expansion.
There was a sign on the visitor center that celebrated the Homestead Act of 1862. Signed into law in May 1862, the Homestead Act opened up settlement in the western United States, allowing any American, including freed slaves, to put in a claim for up to 160 free acres of federal land. By the end of the Civil War, 15,000 homestead claims had been established, and more followed in the postwar years.
There is a Homestead National Monument of America in Beatrice, Nebraska. I guess I’ll have to put that on my “next time” list. If you are interested in the effects of the Homestead Act of 1862, you might want to put it on your list, too.
According to the app, South Dakota was one of the last areas of the United States to be homesteaded. Dugouts and sod homes like this one were once common on the prairie.
I had first become acquainted with “soddies” in the Little House on the Prairie books, and I had long wanted to see a real one.
This was about as real as you could get. My word, these must have been hearty souls to try to make a go of it in these conditions. Or maybe they were desperate. In any event, life wasn’t easy.
This was one of the interior walls.
I remember reading somewhere that some sod houses had plaster on the inside and eventually were covered in clapboard and painted. I’ll bet the R value of the sod made the houses economical to heat.
They built right into the hillside and added on as more materials became available. Bear in mind that this is 1906. Young folks might think that was a long time ago, but when I was a kid, I still would find pennies from that era in my change.
This was before the advent of the Lincoln penny, which was issued in 1909, the centennial of his birth.
The outbuildings were built the same way. This is a chicken coop.
I did manage to snap a somewhat decent photo of these white prairie dogs.
They had the usual assortment of old tools and artifacts scattered about. The sign my this piece of equipment said that it was an “agricultural boiler”. It was typically shared by neighbors to render hogs, scald chickens or wash heavy bedding. It is rather elegantly decorated for such a utilitarian item.
They had a few goats there, but they seemed to be taking a break from their goating duties.
It boggles my mind that from the time Mr. and Mrs. Ed Brown built their sod house in 1906, we experienced World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict and were deep into a cold war with the Soviet Union by the time I was born in 1955.
It was a fearful time to grow up. I remember going into the basement of the school to practice what we would do in case of an attack during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was quite a scary time.
Of course, as long as there is a buck to be made, someone will try to come up with a way to make it.
I always appreciate an interesting representation of data. Would you look at the relative sizes of the missile stockpile between the USA and the USSR. Think of all the human poverty that could have been abolished with the money that went into creating this arsenal.
I am not sure how to take this plaque that is displayed at the entrance to the museum. Are they saying that the nuclear arms race was a good thing because it enabled us to “fight” without spilling a drop of blood?
There were a number of displays, and if you are interesting in this period, you would find them interesting. They weren’t easily accessible for photography.
There is also a missile silo you can visit – Delta-01. (I borrowed this photo from the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.)
I didn’t try to book a tour. They warn you that you have to be able to climb up two 15-foot ladders in case of a power failure. I didn’t like the idea of that, so I decided to pass on the opportunity.
I did spot a sign for the Delta-09 site, and decided to see what I could see.
According to their website, from 1963 until the early 1990s, the missile silo at Delta-09 contained a fully operational Minuteman Missile, bearing a 1.2 megaton nuclear warhead. The Delta-09 missile silo was one of 150 spread across western South Dakota. In total there were 1,000 Minuteman’s deployed from the 1960’s into the early 1990’s.
There wasn’t a lot to see. But, still, it was quite a significant place. I am glad that it is now a historical site.
By then, I had just about exhausted the things to do in and around Wall and it was time to move on.
Next stop: Mitchell, South Dakota and the World’s Only Corn Palace!
I spent a couple of days exploring Badlands National Park.
Again, little Miss Literal could never wrap her head around why there would be a park dedicated to “Badlands”. But, just driving through, you are struck by the splendor of the land and the natural forces that shape our world.
The colors, shapes and textures are amazing.
They seemed to stretch out as far as the eye could see.
Yet, you only needed to shift your gaze to see the prairie that also stretched far into the horizon.
I guess what you choose to look at is what you see.
For instance, some people chose to see popcorn when they looked at this formation.
According to the information at the site, this is made up of “bentonite”. It is a clay that includes volcanic ash. When wet, the grains cans expand up to 20 times, creating an extremely slick surface.
Around every turn in the road, new vistas popped into view.
While the landforms were dramatic, the skies gave them a run for their money.
Some people chose to hike to the tops of formations. I was not one of those people.
Taking extreme closeups of plants was more my speed.
It’s a wonder what you can capture with an ordinary smart phone.
There is a lot of color out there to be found.
There is also wildlife.
Wherever the goats decide to put in an appearance, cars pull over for the visitors to look and snap photos. Incidentally, if you look carefully, you can see the radio collar some of them wear to keep track of the herd.
Some seem to know just where to go to pose. I’m surprised they haven’t designated one of the herd to go around and collect donations.
One of the most amazing sites I saw at the park wasn’t the land, the plants or even the goats. It was a friend from Kalamazoo!
I was walking around, looking for good shots of the goats when I heard someone call out, “Kim!”
I turned around and it was Toni, a former co-worker from Discover Kalamazoo. She and her husband, Dave, were on their way to Alaska. We chatted a bit, took advantage of the photo op and then we were off in our separate directions.
The grasslands are dotted with these prairie dog towns. Sometimes you see them pop up, but mostly they are hard to photograph.
Judging by this path, however, there are some animals that try to get closer. I imagine this path was worn down by people, but they are also of interest to badgers, coyote, foxes and bobcats. I’m sure at least some of those animals are found in the park. Golden eagles and hawks are also interested in prairie dogs, who rely on their excellent vision and hearing to avoid these predators. They also let each other know about danger with their warning calls, which is said to be similar to a dog’s bark. I didn’t hear hear them, though.
Everywhere you look there is something interesting. Wait, what does that sign say?
Hmm. That is about all the warning I need to keep my on the path.
I did manage to get this close to an edge. I had someone take my photo.
It was better than the selfie I tried to take by myself.
The first day I visited, the wind was fierce.
There was all sorts of interesting information in the Visitor Center.
For instance, did you know that a square-yard chunk of grass sod can contain twenty-five miles of roots, rootlets and root hairs. According to the information in the visitor center, below ground, the root systems can be twice the length of the plant above ground. These roots lock in precious soil, catching fine dirt, called loess, and trapping decayed organic materials that feed the earth.
Roots also store energy to produce new plant tissue. Since the growing center of a grass is at the base of the leaf where it joins the stem, growth can continue if the leaf is cut. If the top of a shoot is bitten off or burned, protected young shoots hidden inside a series of wraparound tubes soon emerge.
Plants are amazing! And it explains why my lawn never stops growing.
There were all sorts of other-worldly formations.
And the goats seemed to enjoy putting on a show.
These darker structures are called “clastic dikes.” They are thin ribbon of rocks that are composed of a harder substance than the surrounding butte, the clastic dikes erode at a slower rate. According to the information at site, they can take on the appearance of a spine running through the strata.
The geologic forces are still at work. This formation was labeled “slump and bump.” Of course, sometimes they work slowly. Thousands of years ago, a massive block of stone broke loose from the cliff. It fell with such force that it compacted this area, changing the underlying layers to less porous materials and slowing drainage.
The cliff shelf continues to slump in less dramatic stages today. Slump areas can be seen throughout the park where high, year-round patches of green contrast with the stark cliff faces of the White River Badlands.
I took one of the trails and came across this survey marker.
It’s amazing how much the surrounding land has eroded. I wonder when it was placed?
After my Badlands National Park adventures, it was time to head back to Wall. Isn’t it amazing how close the erosion is to the town?
Growing up, I remember being perplexed by bumperstickers that proclaimed that the people in the car – or the car, at least – had visited Wall Drug. I just remember being so confused about why anyone would take pride in having visited a drug store.
And why was it named WallDrug? Why not Floor Drug or Window Drug or Door Drug?
You have to remember that I was a very literal child.
After Rapid City, it was my turn to visit Wall Drug.
They build excitement with tempting signs.
Ooh! Shopping! (And they aren’t kidding about the “…and a whole lot more!”
Coffee?! I can’t wait!
If you’re going to have coffee, you might as well have…
Donuts!
And maybe a little protein with that snack.
Don’t forget your free ice water!
Actually, the free ice water is probably what saved Wall Drug, which opened up in 1931. If you are interested in the story, they do a nice job of telling it on their website. Actually, I got some of these photos from their website, because mine didn’t do them justice.
It’s kind of hard to snap photos of them while you are driving.
The signs really are works of folk art. They were all hand painted and remain hand painted to this day.
I got off I-90 and saw the sign telling me where to find Wall Drug. But there was another sign I was more eager to see.
I was happy to see this one with an arrow indicating the way to my campground. I got in and got settled. It’s kind of hard to sight see when you are towing a trailer.
After I had the Flo all set up and Bart unhitched, I strolled over to see the world-famous Wall Drug.
I liked how they used these twisted trunks as part of the architecture.
There were all sorts of storefronts and restaurants. I don’t know if they were all part of the original Wall Drug or other businesses that jumped on the bandwagon. I was a little curious about this sign. Seafood and fish…Seafood and fish? Isn’t fish seafood? I wasn’t in the market for either of those items. One thing I have learned in my travels is that you probably won’t get the best quality seafood (or fish) in the middle of a prairie.
Another set/subset problem. The Black Hill is in America. Anything made there would necessarily be made in America.
As I said, I tend to be rather literal. I guess I haven’t exactly given up my childhood ways.
I strolled around and looked at the merchandise they had for sale. Really, there was nothing that I couldn’t live without. It seemed like the different areas of the store were run by different people with their own rules. Some places had signs prohibiting photographs, so I just didn’t bother. But, if you are sorry that this is missing from my report, click here. You can even buy your souvenirs from the comfort of your own home.
The one thing I was looking for was dinner.
I had a buffalo burger, the 5¢ cup of coffee and the FREE ICE WATER!
For the kids, there is a photo-op jackalope. (I would have had my picture taken, but no one else was around.)
There was also a large post card/small bill board in the courtyard.
Before I headed out, I used the restroom.
I was pleased to see that they were committed to my total experience and included an illustration to show me how to use the SanitGrasp.
It kind of reminded me of the Opti-grab from “The Jerk”.
I’m not sure if I was overwhelmed or underwhelmed by the Wall Drug experience. One thing is for sure: I have now been to Wall Drug.
There were some other things I found interesting in Wall. One was the library.
I was on foot, so it was easy to go over and investigate.
I like to check out what is being honored and when they decided to dedicate monument.
The plaque makes it quite clear.
They also have a time capsule. I presume they have already opened the one commemorating South Dakota’s centennial. It was dedicated July 9, 1989, and was due to be opened on Wall’s centennial in 2007. It will be interesting to see what they chose to include in the more recent time capsule. Only 24 more years to go until that one is opened.
This is obviously a community that values literacy. They have a LittleFreeLibrary outside the town library.
The library was constructed in 1936 with funds from the WPA. Again, I am in awe of the lifeline our government extended to people in the Great Depression.
The structure was originally built as a community center, if I remember correctly.
I ran into the librarian as she was wrapping up her day. She told me that the people who worked on the project pecked their names into the rocks they used to build it.
At least that is what I think she told me. I figured I could find some information on line about it. Isn’t everything on line these days? But, with a population of fewer than 800, I guess they don’t feel the need to document everything for the curious public.
Quite frankly, I thought this was the most interesting part of Wall, SD. But that’s just me.
WPA projects and grain elevators – more my speed than jackalopes and souvenirs.
The weather was glorious – finally – and I headed into Rapid City to see what I could see.
The big attraction in Rapid City is the statues of the presidents.
They have most of them, from Washington to Dubya. The folks in the tourism department said that President Obama wasn’t up yet – remember that this was in spring 2017. A couple others were in the shop for repairs and maintenance. Still, there were a lot of presidential statues to track down.
Some of them were lesser known presidents, like Millard Fillmore. He is one of Buffalo’s “native sons”.
In fact, here’s a photo that I took of his statue of him that is outside the Buffalo, NY City Hall.
Speaking of Buffalonians, there is also Grover Cleveland.
Here he is in Rapid City.
Here he is in Buffalo.
Of course, these aren’t the only presidents with Buffalo connections. There is also William McKinley.
Of course, his connection isn’t quite as felicitous as the previous two. He was assassinated at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo in 1901. .
There is no statue of him in Buffalo, but there is a monument dedicated to him in Niagara Square, in front of the Buffalo City Hall.
I grew up on McKinley Avenue in suburban Kenmore, and it never occurred to me that I had never seen a photo or a statue of President McKinley. Now I know what he looks like. More or less. At least I know that he used the telephone.
After McKinley came Teddy Roosevelt.
There were presidents that I didn’t know as much about, like James K. Polk, who was president 1845 – 1849. During my travels through the states, I had noticed a lot of counties, streets and cities named after him. In fact, when I was a Texas resident, my address was in Polk County. I figured that he must have been president during a time of expansion. It turns out that my guess was correct, at least as far as my ultimate source (Wikipedia) is concerned.
According to the Source, “during Polk’s presidency, the United States expanded significantly with the annexation of the Republic of Texas, the Oregon Territory and the Mexican Cession following the American victory in the Mexican-American War.”
Since I’m talking about presidents with a connection to me, here’s Gerald Ford, whose final resting place is about fifty miles north of Kalamazoo at the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Then there is George H. W, Bush. I actually got to shake hands with him in the Rose Garden at the White House when I received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching in 1991.
Here’s Harry S Truman with the historic “Dewey Defeats Truman” newspaper.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt is addressing the nation from behind the podium.
I appreciated the details that were included, like the text of his speech and the cane leaning against the podium.
President Eisenhower was the first president I can remember from my life. I barely remember him, but he was my first president.
Speaking of presidents I remember, I remember watching the convention coverage on TV when JFK was nominated. I was so frustrated that people kept applauding and interrupting him. I thought that was so rude. But I was only four at the time, so I had a limited frame of reference.
After JFK was LBJ. Given the way LBJ came to office, I kind of think the location of his statue was rather ill-advised.
LBJ had big dreams and big goals. I find it kind of amazing that he was only 64 when he died.
Richard Nixon is represented, too. His pose is appropriately somber, in my opinion.
Reagan looks like he’s ready to go clear some brush.
I’ve already shared George H.W. Bush. Next…
Bill Clinton.
Then there was Dubya giving us a big thumbs up while he is walking his dog Barney. Now, I am a cat person, but I thought that when you took dogs for a walk, you let them walk. But what do I know?
And that is as up to date as they are in Rapid City.
Incidentally, I was curious about where the name of the city came from.
It turns out that Rapid City is named after Rapid Creek. Supposedly, the creek’s name comes from the Sioux, who named it for the many rapids in the stream. I didn’t see much in the way of rapids, but I didn’t check the whole length of it. It’s about 85 miles long and is a tributary of the Cheyenne River.
Sunlight makes things just sparkle. The grain elevators are positively glowing.
Speaking of glowing, I love this shot of an alley I saw as I wandered back to the center of town.
I came across the Alex Johnson Hotel – the same one that had the flag from Mount Rushmore draped on it when the Washington head was dedicated in 1930.
I love fancy hotels, so I had to zip inside to see what I could see.
There was the check in and check out, along with some visitors who were checked out and “resting their eyes.”
The ceiling was elaborately painted.
The chandelier fits right in.
Napping seemed to be the thing to do.
Of course, if you have a few bucks burning a hole in your pockets you could buy this sculpture that is on display in the lobby. It’s by Truman Bolinger, and according to the sign with it, it is entitled “No Sarsaparilla For These Boys.”
I was sure that this was a mistake. Sarsaparilla? I was sure it should have been sasparilla. But, I guess I was the one that was wrong. There is always something to learn!
You’d need quite a few bucks to tuck this in your luggage, though, even though it is marked down to $14,000 from $24,000. Hey, there are only 14 others like it.
This 8 foot all, 1700 round bronze sculpture is in front of Prairie Edge, and is called “Hunkayapi” or “Tying on the Eagle Plume.” It is inspired by the Lakota naming ceremony which is known as Hunkayapi, or making of relatives.
Prairie Edge is a store dedicated to native American arts and crafts, and they have high quality wares. They are not inexpensive items made for the tourist trade, so I hope that they pay the artists a fair price for their work.
Out of respect for the artists, I was discrete in snapping only a few photos of their work inside the shop. If you are in the market for these works of art, they are available on line.
One thing that captured my attention was the bead library.
It looked like a rainbow had been captured and put in bottles.
They were so elegantly displayed. It made me want to buy some beads and make something. (But I didn’t.)
Hobbies are apparently big in Rapid City. My attention was captured by this sign for Who’s Hobby House.
I enjoyed the old signs in town. Here’s Bob’s Shoe Repair. I love a vibrant downtown with businesses that look like they have been there forever.
I guess every town needs a pawn shop or two. This one is fairly new. It started out as The Clock Shop in 1986, dealing in pre-owned clocks, watches and jewelry. People started asking them to take other items, so in 2011 they opened Presidential Pawn and Gun.
People were bringing rare and odd items, so they decided it was time for a new venture. They opened up the world’s only Pawnseum in 2015. Now, the Clock Shop, Presidential Pawn and Gun and the Pawnseum are all under the same roof.
There are all sorts of things.
I rather like their marketing technique. Everything You Can Fit in This Bag for $3 Million Dollars. Too bad I only had $2 million on me.
This plate from the Alex Johnson Hotel might be an appropriate souvenir, in spite of the logo.
And then there is Korczak’s autographed work hat. If you remember, Korczak was the driving force behind the Crazy Horse Memorial.
I would find this bit of history to be fascinating.
I remember John Glenn’s historic flight. I was in first grade at the time.
And by that time, it was time for me to head back to my own little capsule and get ready to blast off in the morning. There was just one more thing to do.
