WESTWARD HO!
OUR TRIP TO WYOMING
Page 9
|
We continued our trek eastward across South Dakota. We
were unable to drive thru the Badlands Park, as the entrance was closed.
But, for miles we were able to see a good amount from our vantage point
on the highway. There was one more stop we had to make before leaving South
Dakota, the town of Mitchell. I wanted to see the famous Corn Palace I’d
heard about when I was a kid. Because Mitchell was just off the highway,
we’d only be a few minutes behind schedule, so I pleaded my case to stop.
Ralph was agreeable, so when we finally reached the exit for Mitchell,
we exited off the highway. It was after 9 pm. The entire town was closed
up for the night, not a soul in sight. And it was very dark. Fortunately,
the exterior of the Corn Palace was well illuminated.
The tradition of displaying the bountiful
harvest on the exterior of the Corn Belt Exposition Building, to prove
the fertility of South Dakota soil, began in 1892. The present building,
constructed in 1921, sported colorful domes, minarets and kiosks. Every
year, local artists design the murals, depicting scenes of South Dakota
life, which cover all four sides of the building. Every year, the old murals
are removed and new murals are created using thousands of bushels of corn,
grains and grasses. Standing on the street looking up at the Corn Palace,
it was hard to believe that all the intricate artwork that graced the outside
of the building was made completely of corn and grass. I got to mark that
off my life list of things to see, jumped in the truck, and we were back
on the road.
We drove back into Minnesota, where in
the wee hours of the morning, we pulled into a rest stop for a bit of sleep.
Then, we freshened up in the bathrooms (gotta love those public bathrooms-okay,
not really).
We were making good time, so we were able to stop and visit
my lifelong friend, Laura, and her husband, Morgan and their daughter,
Greta Mae, in Red Wing. It was only an hour or so out of the way. Heck,
what’s an hour when you’ve already traveled so many miles? We had a nice
visit and tour of Red Wing, which lies along the Mississippi River. There
were some incredible views from the bluffs above town.
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 10
