From Sioux Falls, SD to Pierre, SD
From Sioux Falls, SD to Pierre, SD
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Despite the weather excitement last night, no Aunt Em, no little black dog, no red shoes, no lion, no tigers, no bears (oh my!) presented themselves in my dreams or reality. A quick shower and Steve and I head out for some breakfast at the local breakfast chain. Then we wander around Sioux Falls to collect a few photographs. The rains from last night have increased the water flow over the falls. After wasting a couple hours, I make my good byes and head off to Pierre.
Stocking up on supplies at the KumNGo! |
Sioux Falls has a nice park built around the falls. Initial development of the city started here with a gigantic flour mills. |
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The weather today is beautiful. Another almost hot sunny day is available for my use. The countryside along the interstate is beautiful although nearly monotonous. The changes in terrain are fairly subtle, so I only enjoy a mild up and down to the road's surface. The road itself is arrow straight. It allows for some high speed running but not a lot on quality sightseeing.
When I was riding in Iowa, I really thought I was out in the middle of nowhere. But I was mistaken. South Dakota is noticeably less populated. Fewer roadside stops present themselves. The size and quality of things like gas stations are less. This isn't a complaint, it is more of an observation. As a coastal city dweller it is easy to interpret what goes on in our country with one set of paradigms assuming that there is a complementary rural version. But it is likely that there are multiple rural paradigms based on a number of factors including population density.
My
Mom likes to tell how as I child I used to read the World Book
Encyclopedia for fun. One of the things I have always wanted to see
is the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. Today is my day to see it. The
corn palace is an auditorium -- actually the third Corn Palace on
this site. Inside it looks like any multipurpose auditorium. The
outside is what is special. Since the first building was constructed
in the 1880s, the exterior of the building has been decorated with
native grasses and corn cobs. Each year, a new design is selected and
then executed in the fall following the harvest of new materials. So
when I visit today, I get to see the 2000 design that features the
new millennium.
The current designer has been at work since 1977 having trained under his predecessor. Inside the lobbies of the palace, each year's design is featured in photographs. The current primary corn farmer for the project has spent the past twenty years or so, hand selecting corn plants to broaden the color palette available to the designers. They now work with about ten to twelve colors, up from the less than six available twenty years ago. This is proudly discussed in a displayed under the heading "Biotechnology without Science." Let's just leave it at that.
It is different than what I envisioned as a child, but a remarkable tradition that is being kept alive.
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At one gas station, I strike up a conversation with another couple on a Gold Wing with a trailer. You rarely see motorcycles towing trailers in San Diego. But out here, with people covering big distances with an eye to camping along the way, the bike-trailer is more popular. They are out for a two week ride from Chicago with no clear idea of where they will end up or turn back. Their oldest son is minding the family painting business. Shortly we are joined by another motorcyclist. He is a local from the Sturgis area. I wish I had a picture of him. He had a really unique mustache, unique because no two hairs seemed to grow in the same direction. He didn't wear a helmet, rather a leather head cap reminiscent of a World War I flying ace. The three of us give him a hard time for not wearing a helmet. We have fun exchanging road stories for about thirty minutes.
A little bit further down the road and it is time for the turn north to Pierre. I know that Pierre is tiny for a state capital. Two miles away from the Interstate and I feel like we could be in Alberta. There is nothing but grain fields. Its beautiful to be sure, but I feel like I'm heading further away from civilization not toward an important administrative center. The ride gets a little less pleasant as I'm not riding directly into a tough headwind.
Pierre (pronounced pier) turns out to be even smaller than I expected. Pierre faces Fort Pierre across the Missouri River. Pierre grew up as the rail hub serving the cattle drives of the late 1800s. Cattle would be driven from as far away as Texas to Fort Pierre and then ferried across the river to waiting cattle trains for transport to places like Chicago. Pierre served the cowboys and cattlemen that were a part of this process.
Pierre is left with a small downtown with some nice brick buildings from the era. I have a nice steak dinner at a place called Crazy Mary's. Mary, the owner, does seem to be somewhat crazy. She arrives mid-dinner and the tone of the restaurant changes a bit. The entire staff snaps to in order to avoid the wrath of Mary. An odd collection of old style country western music plays on a CD player behind the bar. There is a selection of cowboy collectibles all over the walls. Some diners walk around taking in the old photos and other relics.
There is no sign of any other night life. I go to bed early but end up watching TV for hours. Read on as I go to Bismarck.
Depart central Sioux Falls after some sightseeing on Cliff Avenue heading north.
Enter Interstate 90 heading west.
At Mitchell, SD exit I-90 for sightseeing.
Resume trip west on I-90.
At Exit 212, exit I-90 onto US 83 heading north.
Arrive Pierre
(c) 2001 Thomas N. Engler Revision Date: 06/17/2001
