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Published: August 27th 2022
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South Dakota has been overall an amazing experience. The National Parks offered sights I have never imagined to be possible. To conclude my days in this state, I visited The Corn Palace in Mitchel, SD. This building has been around for long over 100 years. Every so often they change the design of the building using corn, corn husks, silk and stalks of all varieties for color variances. The building is free to enter, has much history and interesting facts. It was an enjoyable stop, in a very cute city.
While banking in Mitchel, the teller told me I should check out St. Peter's Rock Grotto in Farmers, SD and De Smet, SD for top notch Laura Ingalls Wilder experience. I quickly added them to my route. Closest is Farmers and only 4 miles off the freeway. The grotto was designed and constructed by parish priest Father Scheier between the years 1926 and 1933. The unique, Byzantine-style design incorporates a wide range of building and decorative materials, including rock carved from the Badlands and Black Hills, petrified wood from North Dakota, marble from Tennessee, seashells from Hawaii and a single stone from the Catacombs of Callixtus in Rome. Farmer once
had a thriving agriculture-based economy. In 1926, the town boasted of four elevators, two banks, three grocery stores and a hotel, along with other support businesses. Today, there are only fields of soy beans and corn, local farmers with sprawling homes, barns and silos, and a cute little boy on a trampoline waving as I drove by. I could be the only out-of-towner today or this week.
I also stopped off at a popular rest area in Chamberlain, SD to see the Dignity Statue. Situated on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River she puts on a colorful show all hours of the day from sunrise to sunset. The 50 foot stainless steel work of art depicts an Indigenous woman in Plains-style dress receiving a star quilt. The area offers a plethora of outdoor sitting areas for picnicking and trails to stretch out on after a long drive.
De Smet, SD; Laura actually lived in 5 different states (WI, SD, MN, IA, and MO) so there are homes all over offering information about her childhood, adulthood, and life as an author. De Smet is where Charles Ingalls homesteaded on 160 acres in De Smet. This same property now has
a schoolhouse, sod house, barn, garden and so much more to replicate what times were like during that era. I took a horse drawn buggy ride to some of the buildings on the sprawling acreage, attending a learning lesson at the schoolhouse, made a corncob doll, and made a piece of rope. It turned out to be a fun packed afternoon which consumed most of my day!
I rushed to my next campsite at Plum Creek Campground in Walnut Grove, SD! I was soooo excited. After the experience of De Smet, sadly, Walnut Grove had nothing. Apparently this town and the large city of Mankato where primarily popular in the television series, not of her actual life. Walnut Grove is an adorable small country town with a museum of the Little House on the Prairie TV show, a few small shops that don't open until 10 a.m., beautiful homes with lush green lawns and no fences. While Mankato is a bustling city with 3 exits off the freeway! I didn't even stop.
Final stop, Sioux Falls, SD. I navigated through the city with ease to find this lovely refreshing area of cascading falls. Parking was open, not too
Ingalls Schoolhouse
There was a teacher at the schoolhouse who actually had me sit at a desk and do math, read a poem, do spelling etc. I was nervous that it was going to be difficult but she took pity on my and kept it very simple. many visitors, and everything was free. Whew. I climbed the 3 story tower to overlook the park, walked down to the bridge to see the falls head on and enjoy strolling through the paved paths. I somehow got the idea that this was related to Sioux City, Iowa....so I got excited thinking I was in a new state! I need an Iowa sticker. I rushed to the gift shop and asked the front desk if they have an Iowa state sticker for a souvenir. He said no, only Sioux Falls stickers. I asked do you know where I could find an Iowa sticker? He said...Iowa? I am not in Iowa now? No, you're in South Dakota. UGH! Yes, there were others in the gift shop witnessing this horribly embarrassing moment. I claimed I have been traveling too much for too long and bolted out the door.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Michelle
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rotgut
Bob Simonson
Funny
that's pretty funny on the Iowa location!! LOL aren't the falls a fun place we have been there many times we went to the corn place and seen a Red Skeleton performance , he was so good. Glad you are enjoying SD so much just get out before the snow storms hit :)