After a pretty decent breakfast at the Baymont Inn, it was time to hit the road. Via the interstate, Sioux Falls can be reached in about two hours. Hwy 14 takes a little longer. But, it’s so worth it, just for the fields of sunflowers.
Seen on a church sign in St. Lawrence, the golden rule for a modern age…
Along the road in Vayland…
At this point in the journey, I had cell service in one place, atop a mountain.(Curse you Boost Cellular) While the quiet is certainly a wonderful thing, it felt awkward after a while. So, when I passed through Wolsey, I stopped into Buzz’n Coffee for some caffeine and wifi.
The next stop on the journey was the town of Huron, named after the Huron Indian Tribe. I wasn't staying long, just passing through. But, by now you know I can't pass up the World's Biggest...anything. And in Huron, they have the world's biggest pheasant...
241 S to 34 E through the town of Woonsocket..
34 South to Mitchell...Any roadtrip through this part South Dakota wouldn't be complete without a stop into the town of Mitchell. Located just off I-90 and Hwy 37, the town was named after
Alexander Mitchell, former President of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad.
It's where you'll find the last remaining Corn Palace.
In the back, there's a combination gymnasium and concert hall. Mount Mary College plays their home games here.
In the late 1800's, there were a number of these scattered around the Midwest. They were built to show off the regions agriculture heritage and hopefully bring in tourists, like me. Every autumn, the palace is decorated with new murals, using fifteen naturally occurring types of colored corn. Birds and weather chip at the murals throughout the year. Whatever remains is stripped off and the process begins again. The current design was created by local artist Cherie Ramsdale.
Still heading eastward, sits the town of Montrose. It would be just another farm community except for the work of Wayne Porter. His father taught him basic welding skills and he turned it into what he calls the Porter Sculpture Garden. It's a short drive up a dirt road to the site. He was on site when I drove up, and we had a nice chat. He told me Montrose is under a bit of a renaissance. It's an easy drive to Sioux City and offers space, as well as peace and quiet.
Porter started raising sheep in the early 80's and creating metal sculptures in his father's blacksmith shop. His early work is still on display in the town of St, Lawrence. But, he had a bigger idea, eventually culminating in this sculpture park.
My home for the next two nights was the Sioux Fall Super 8. I've stayed at a few Super 8's over the years and it's always a roll of the dice. Some are worn and tired. The one in Sioux Falls was definitely one of the better ones. It's right by the interstate exit. The only drawback, making a left from their parking lot is all but impossible. You have to go out the back and cut across the parking lots of the neighboring businesses.
After check in, I was off to see the city's namesake, the falls. My timing couldn't have been better. Within moments of arriving in the park, I caught a train crossing a bridge.
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