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.