Another Road Trip Stop - The Corn Palace

In 1892, the city of Mitchell built its first corn palace as a way to prove to the world that South Dakota had a healthy agricultural climate.The palace was to be a gathering place where city residents and their rural neighbors could enjoy a fall festival with stage entertainment. It would be a celebration to top off the growing season and harvest.

In 1905 a second palace was built as the festivities outgrew the old one, only to be followed by a third building built between 1919 and 1921 when the second one proved too small as well. In the 1930s steps were taken to recapture some of the character of the original Corn Palace and minarets and kiosks of Moorish design were added.

Today the Corn Palace is more than just a building where the Corn Palace Festival continues to take place each year in late August. It is also a venue for many other celebrations and some sports events such as high school basketball. But its charm goes way beyond the inside activities.

Each year the Palace is redecorated with naturally colored corn, grains, and native grasses. There are thirteen different colors or shades of corn including green corn. A different theme is chosen each year and the murals are designed around it.The Corn Palace is known around the world as a folk-art wonder on the prairie of South Dakota.

Road Trip 2015 - Badlands National Park

"I've been about the world a lot, and pretty much over our own country," wrote Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935, "but I was totally unprepared for that revelation called the Dakota Bad Lands." Me too, Mr. Wright. Our main purpose in traveling the area a bit to the southeast of Rapid City, SD, where we were staying was to visit the Minuteman Missile Historic Site. Since that involved two different places along I-90 we decided to sandwich a drive through the Badlands National Park.

A couple we had met at dinner way back in Glacier National Park told us that we'd see all sorts of bison, or buffalo as many call them, in the Badlands. Well, we'd seen enough in Yellowstone thank goodness because we arrived just after the yearly roundup of bison in the Badlands. The roundup is done every year to gather data and check on the health of the herds. So on our drive through, we did not see any bison but we did get a chance to see so much more.

The Badlands are desolate mostly except for some large prairie areas where bison (when not rounded up), bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferrets live. The rocks and stone faces of the landscape take on an amazing array of colors and I would imagine if you spent the day wandering around there you would see even more as the sun's rays changed direction.These striking geologic deposits contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Ancient mammals such as the rhino, horse, and saber-toothed cat once roamed here.

As we drove through the park, we made some great discoveries thanks in part to the other cars pulled to the side of the road for animal spottings. At one point we decided to get out and walk a bit. The first thing we saw was a sign warning of rattlesnakes. OOOOkaaaay. I made Bob go first. We didn't see any but I was willing to give him my camera and run the other way if we did.

The fun part of the park was going through the prairie land. We suddenly realized that what at first we thought were small rocks were actually prairie dogs. A little like my favorite zoo animal, the meerkats, they would pop their heads up and look around. One fellow had his burrow so close to the road that he was in danger of being run over.

It was time for lunch by the time we came back out of the park and we decided to eat before going to the second Minuteman site. All along the way from the first entry into South Dakota and even more so in this area of the Badlands, we had seen signs for a place called Wall Drug. It seemed, according to the advertising, you could get almost everything there including a five cent coffee. We set the GPS for it.

Wall is a town just off of I-90 and easy to find with all the signs pointing to Wall Drug which is the biggest thing in town. It is a huge cafeteria that seats 530 people and even though it wasn't high season, it was a mass of confusion with people in lines ordering food and then carrying it around on trays. I wasn't ready for the chaos and said we ought to check out a different place which we did and had a much quieter lunch.

We returned to Wall Drug to walk around. It is set up like a mall with all sorts of shops selling everything from souvenirs and western gear to ice cream and fudge. Definitely one of the tourist traps in the world of travel but a hoot to visit. One place, the Travelers Chapel was unique. I'd never seen something like this outside of an airport. A good place to stop and reflect on all that we'd seen.

Road Trip 2015 - Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

If you live long enough you become a part of history. The Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the end of the Berlin Wall are all a part of my life history. Yes, I went through those atomic bomb drills where we had to scramble under our school desks when we heard the air raid siren sound and hide our eyes from what we were told would be a blinding blast of light. (Those drills have now turned into tornado drills.) No one mentioned that if the bomb did go off there probably wouldn't be any of us left to worry about our sight.

The Cold War was defined as an ideological, economic, and political struggle between the United States and at that time, the U.S.S.R. (the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). I'd rather call it like it was/is: an old fashioned line drawn, cross it and you're dead. It was and continues to be a stand off of what is called deterrence strategy: If you bomb us, we'll bomb you and our bombs are bigger.

The Minuteman missile designed back in the 1950s was an intercontinental ballistic missile and part of our air, land and sea based nuclear capability. The Minuteman I and II missiles were to be deployed from underground silos, launched by crews who were stationed miles away. These sites are no longer active but there continues to be others that are.

In 1999 Congress established two 1960s missile sites that were to be national historic sites. They include Delta-09, a missile silo, and Delta-01, a launch control facility. The information center for the historical site is actually a short distance away from the launch control facility and about a twenty minute ride or so from the missile silo, Delta-09. We started there.

Bob's research told him that we needed to get there early to get tickets. They only allow six people on the tour at a time. The space inside the launch control facility can only hold that many. Once we had the tickets (free), we spent some time viewing the video and looking at the temporary information displays. Sometime soon all the papered walls with the information will become permanent displays. Then we got in the car and back on I-90 to the next exit to tour the launch control facility.

We waited with several others outside a fenced in area that had all sorts of warnings to trespassers. While we waited, I noticed a coded message and a challenge to decipher it. It wasn't hard. I imagine our codes are much more intricate than that. I'd tell you what it was but then. . .

One of two key holes.

Our park ranger guide was excellent, very informative and really knew her stuff. She's also learning some as she goes because there are often men who served at the sites coming to revisit them with their families. Lots of stories to share.

Basically, the launch control site had about a dozen men at the site at a time. Several were on security detail, two were missileers who spent their time in the capsule at the controls, and then of course a cook. They were deployed from an Air Force base about an hour away. The missileers would spend 24 hour shifts in the underground capsule that had all the controls and were prepared to each use a key--a double safety system to deploy a missile should the command come. The keyholes were about twelve feet apart so it would take both of them turning the keys at the same time for launch.

A little missile humor.

The security men were there to monitor the alarms and check on breaches of the silo areas. Unfortunately in the early days, the settings were so delicate that squirrels and rabbits would set the alarms off and the men would be out, often in the weather, finding nothing wrong. This was not lost on the local youth who, for a fun time, would toss a rabbit over the fence to trigger the alarm. Eventually a better security system was implemented and save a lot of false alarms.

We explored the upper levels of the control center that had living quarters, a lounge, a kitchen, and a security office with monitors. An elevator took us below ground to the launch control center which is like a large capsule suspended inside a cement cavern. It has its own life support and was equipped for seven days of survival but as we all agreed if you had to launch a nuclear weapon there probably wouldn't be much reason to want to survive. Not much would be left of our world.

Delta-09 silo.

Lots of information can be found at the NPS site if you want to learn more. After our foray into the Badlands and Wall Drug, we went to the actual silo. On a sign at the fence entrance is the number you can dial for an audio tour. Bob dialed in and walked around the fenced in area while I sat in the shade. The sun was blazing and I'd already seen the missile in the silo. He was thrilled though at all the other information he gleaned.

Probably the most impacting information I received that day though came when our ranger guide showed a map of the area where Hiroshima is in Japan. There was a small black dot ringed by a red circle that turned pink as it radiated out. It indicated the whole area on the map where the atomic bomb had wiped out the city. She explained the power of the Minuteman II missiles but it didn't make sense until she flipped her map over and showed the illustration of what a Minuteman would have done. The area on the map was at least 10X bigger.

She went on to explain that we now have Minuteman III missiles with even more fire power. I shivered as I thought, "And we are not the only ones on this earth with that capability." I hate scary thoughts.

Road Trip 2015 - Mount Rushmore

Bob tells me the whole reason this road trip came to be was because we wanted to see Mount Rushmore. Yellowstone was definitely a bucket list item too and all the rest was just "icing on the cake". Our first glimpse of the famous memorial was as we were coming around a curve in the road on our way actually to see Crazy Horse. It was obviously a good viewing point as there was a small turnout to save on accidents from people stopping for a picture. A little later on we found a viewpoint for the profile of Washington. The sun was shining and we were enjoying another good tour day.

After our visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial, we drove back and parked in the parking garage at Mount Rushmore. (There is no fee for the memorial but there is an $11 parking charge.) The garage was pretty empty. One more reason for enjoying places in the shoulder season--that time just before and just after the summer tourist season and of course just before the weather turns wintry.

We strolled down the avenue of flags from all the states, district, and territories. The avenue leads directly to the four presidents and it is an awe inspiring walk. I got pictures of the four as we stood directly in front of them and then we took the walk of presidents just below the sculpture and enjoyed some of the displays and information posted along the way. There is a small museum where the models for the sculpture are housed as well as pictures of some of the work in progress.

After I made sure I had my shots while the light was still good, we went into the information center and stopped to look at the video. Most national parks have videos and most of them give you a good overview of the park or memorial or monument.

The idea for the memorial actually originated with a man named Doane Robinson who wanted to build an attraction that would bring visitors to his great state of South Dakota. Several others picked up the idea and helped with fund raising. On the history page of the NPS there is also a copy of a letter from the man the mountain is named for, Charles E. Rushmore. It is all quite fascinating but even more so is the actual carving of the mountain done by the sculptor, Gutzon Borglum and his son Lincoln.

Borglum was actually working on the carving of Stone Mountain near Atlanta, GA, when he was approached and asked to take on the project at Rushmore. It was Borglum's decision to use the four presidents for the memorial. "The purpose of the memorial is to communicate the founding, expansion, preservation, and unification of the United States with colossal statues of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt."


Washington was chosen as the father of our nation, having fought for our independence and helping to lay the foundation for our democracy as our first president. Jefferson is honored as our third president and for his role in writing the Declaration of Independence and expanding the borders with the Louisiana Purchase. It is only fitting that Theodore Roosevelt be there since he was so instrumental in conserving much of the lands in our country that have become our national parks, that and his contribution to the building of the Panama Canal. It goes without saying that Abraham Lincoln should be honored as the president who brought our country through its greatest trial, the Civil War.

At the cafe, we ate a fast food dinner rather than travel away and back again to see the evening lighting program. Thanks to the tips on Tripadviser, we snagged a couple of seats early in the back row that has a wall behind it so we could have a seat with a back rest. We sat for almost an hour and watched the other seats in the amphitheater fill up. The stage area has a large screen and after an introduction by the park ranger, a video was shown and then veterans in the audience were all invited to come forward onto the stage and participate in the lowering of the flag.

At the point in the program where the lights came on and the faces on the mountain were illuminated, there was a collective intake of breath just before cameras started clicking. If you visit the memorial be sure to make time for the evening ceremony.

It would be late when we arrived at the hotel but our room was ready for us and we were ready for bed. It had been a long day but a good one. Tomorrow would be fun and extremely interesting.

Road Trip 2015 - Crazy Horse

There were a lot of things we wanted to do in the Rapid City, SD, area. Our hotel was about a 45 minute drive from Mount Rushmore and we wanted to be there for the evening program so we opted to stop at Keystone, have lunch, see the presidents and stay for the evening program. But just after lunch we decided that the best idea would be to get to see the Crazy Horse Memorial project first.

I say "project" because it is a work in progress. The mission of the Crazy Horse Memorial is to protect and preserve the culture, tradition and living heritage of the North American Indians. As the brochure says, "The Foundation demonstrates its commitment to this endeavor by continuing the progress on the world's largest sculptural undertaking. . ." The memorial sculpture is of Lakota leader Crazy Horse and was begun in 1948. It is truly amazing.

The founders of the foundation are Korczak and Ruth Ziolkowski. Korczak, the sculptor who began the project, was invited by Chief Standing Bear to come to the Black Hills and carve a mountain to honor Indian heroes. The Ziolkowskis didn't stop with just planning a huge sculpture. They went on to establish their non-profit organization and establish a place to preserve Indian artifacts and provide educational and cultural programming. The Indian University of North America was also established in 2010. It opened with 130 students from 16 states and 25 tribes completing the summer program in the past five years.

There is a huge museum and arts and crafts display where you can also purchase Indian crafts. A staging area allows visitors to see various cultural programs including Native American dance. You can also see the small model of the sculpture that will eventually emerge from the mountain.

The Ziolkowskis had ten children and many of them as well as their children are continuing their work and philanthropy. When finished the complex as well as the statue will be quite a place. It is all dependent upon donations and visitors fees. That in itself is quite an accomplishment.

Once we were done exploring, it was time to wind our way through the Black Hills to Mount Rushmore while the light was still good for pictures.

Road Trip 2015 - A Mammoth Dig

From the Grand Teton National Park we drove to Casper Wyoming, stayed the night and set our sights on Rapid City, South Dakota, where we would spend a couple of nights and explore. About three hours into the drive we began seeing signs about a Mammoth--signs with the woolly animal, tusks and all, inviting us to stop. So. . .we did!

The town was Hot Springs, SD, and it was almost time to stop for lunch. We couldn't resist taking a look. Admission was only $9 for seniors and the tour was guided. The young man ushered our group into a short movie and then equipped us with a receiver and earphones that would help us to hear him clearly.

The dig has identified at least 61 different mammoths--two kinds, Colombian and woolly. The place was discovered in 1974 when a contractor who occasionally dabbled in paleontology began excavating for a new housing development. When he discovered the first bones, he stopped all work and notified those who could come in and uncover and preserve what was there.

In center, looking like footprints, are molars.

So how did so many mammoths (and several other types of animals) end up in one relatively small place? The answer lies in the formation of a sink hole some 26,000 years ago. There was a warm artesian spring that flooded the sink hole enticing the mammoths to drink and bathe in the water. Unfortunately for the mammoths, the edge of the sink hole was soft material that gave way easily and with their bulk and weight made it impossible to get out. On of the skeletons was found half in and half out of the lip of the hole. The hole eventually filled with silt and sediment and the mud that had made it impossible for the mammoths to crawl back out seeped in and around the remains preserving them.

Once the digging was underway and the perimeter of the sink hole determined, the area was enclosed and is now climate controlled to help preserve the finds there. The digging is still going on--slowly as with any discovery such as this. There are all sorts of programs available to involve the public including an area set up to encourage young paleontologists.

The bones are all displayed where they were found and our young guide used a laser pointer to show us some of the skeletons that were a little harder to see. Some are on top of each other. There are several though that are fairly intact and pose an impressive idea of what these amazing creatures must have looked like--at least in their skeletal dimension.

Well worth the stop. We had lunch down the road and then were on our way again to our next stop. The Black Hills of South Dakota.

Road Trip 2015 - Lewis & Clark Trail

Either just before or just after the Theodore Roosevelt National Park stop, we began to notice signs along the highway indicating that we were on the Lewis and Clark Trail. I remember looking at that once before but had forgotten all about it until I saw the signs.

While my Facebook post commented that the pair did a nice job on the road construction, I knew that there was much more to their expedition than imagining a paved highway. They actually set out on May 14 1804 to discover a waterway across the continent. The expedition group was called the Corps of Discovery and included others beside Lewis and Clark who headed the trip across the continent from Washington DC to Chinook, Washington on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

Thomas Jefferson was instrumental in getting Congress to fund the expedition. He had tried several times before to get an expedition to explore the West. He had quite a sense of adventure himself.

Meriwether Lewis had been secretary to President Jefferson when chosen by the president to head the Corps of Discovery and explore the west. Lewis went to school for a year before the expedition set off to study the sciences, medicine, and navigation.

William Clark had been in the Army in Ohio with Meriwether Lewis and when Lewis was appointed by the president to lead the expedition, he chose Clark as his co-leader. Clark was instrumental in mapping the territory they covered.

York was perhaps one of the least known of the expedition's members. He was a black man, a slave of William Clark. He made significant contributions in hunting for food and serving as a scout. He was also a bit of a good luck charm when dealing with the Indians who had never seen a black man before.

Of course the most famous woman of the expedition was Sacajawea. She was the only woman and traveled with a baby. She was married to a Frenchman who was hired as a translator and was said to have guided the expedition when in fact she was more of a fellow traveler. Clark mentions in his diary that she was a token of peace in dealing with the Indians. They did not see the expedition as a war threat since they were traveling with a woman in their party.

We picked up the trail in North Dakota and followed it through Montana. On the way home, we follow part of the trail through South Dakota as well. Thankfully our travel is a lot more comfortable than theirs.