Day 8

Tuesday 8th May 2007<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

Suitably fortified from a reasonable night’s sleep, first I had to deal with a load of email hassle from work.  Then Bob took over the driving again.  Armed with various instructions from the hotel manager – Anne – we went off to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Falls Park to see the water falls and surrounding countryside.  This was rather fraught as the road we wanted was closed and the diversion signs were not explicit. What has amazed us is the fact that when the Americans say they are doing road works, what they mean is they are digging the whole road up and re-doing it, not just patching it in the way we do in the UK.

 

We eventually found our way to Sioux Falls and were impressed with the sights it had to offer, the way the waters fell, the tourist information centre and so on.      

We were allowed onto the viewing tower free of charge on the condition we signed the visitors’ book, and, of course, on learning that we were from England, the desk clerks demanded that we give an explanation of Bob’s six months secondment in New York and our month’s holiday traveling around USA.  After a good walk around we once again got into the car and headed toward our next destination, which was Kadoka, via an enormous Barnes and Noble so that Bob could buy a bird book.  Naturally we bought lots more than that, including disgraceful chocolate cookies/cup cakes and coffee and tea.  Bob’s been reading his Blues magazine while I typed this.

 

On the way to Kadoka, we stopped at Mitchell, which boasted the only Corn Palace in the world.  They have a whole building whose façade is made of corn.  Twelve different colours of corn are grown especially for this project (sweetcorn) along with wheat, rye etc.  Each year they have a different theme and around May they start to make the new display.  This year’s theme is the Rodeo.  Inside the museum you could see pictures for most years since they started this project.  The first museum was pulled down because it was not big enough, the second one because it was made of wood and buildings are no longer allowed to be made of just wood.  The current building is steel and concrete with the corn on the outside.  Apparently corn (sweetcorn) is cut in half long ways and affixed to the building with a nail.  It costs approx 130,000 dollars per year to do this (approx 70,000 pounds), most of which they get back by using the building as a theatre, graduation centre, boxing arena and so on, along with public donations).

 

After leaving Mitchell we once again headed onto the I90 until we reached Kadoka, where we then dropped onto the Badlands loop.  Up until then the scenery had been flat and pretty boring, causing me to sleep,  It had been hot in the car and both Bob and I appear to be sunburnt through the windscreen.  The Badlands loop was fantastic, although when I got out to take photos my knees went weak when Bob mentioned the fact that there were signs that said beware of Rattlesnakes.  For those who know me, one of my biggest hates is snakes.  Most people think it is because they can be poisonous, but in fact it is the way they move that makes me feel so ill.  So I let Bob go off with the camera.  I made sure I had the car keys – just in case.  I managed to get some good photos from my vantage point, and left him to take ones in snake territory!!.

 

 

 

 

 

Connie Garman, by now, had become completely confused and was trying to send us East, instead of West and we ended up traveling around 10 miles on unmade roads, before re-programming her finally got us going back toward Rapid City which was to be our destination this evening (some 450 miles since leaving Sioux Falls).  On arrival here we checked into our pre-booked hotel (done by Anne at Sioux Falls).  We immediately went to Chilis next door for a meal, which was very good.  Our starter was a Nino Margarita, followed by Margarita Chicken for me and Baby Back Ribs (Kentucky Bourbon style) for Bob, washed down with red wine.  The whole meal cost no more than 67 dollars.