Sioux Falls 2010

So I’m on the way back to Nebraska from Minnesota and I think to myself, “self”.  I should take the time to go by Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  It’s only like an hour out of the way.  So I plug in the destination on my trusty TomTom GPS and off I go.  I arrive to Sioux Falls and I click on the Points of Interest (POI) near me and select that I want to go to the Sioux Falls Park.  So it brings me toward downtown, and this I am thinking is a good thing, and then I go a bit farther down some back streets.  I cross by a old depot station, a mission outreach building.  I feel as if  I’m in the not so good area of town and then I see a sign.  “Sioux Falls Park”.  Okay but I don’t see any falls.  I just see a fee picnic tables, a slide, and some swings.  I’m thinking to myself this can’t be the great Sioux Falls of South Dakota.  But for you fellow travelers, just a side note that their is a small park right next the the big one.  So don’t turn around.  Just keep going and you will see the Falls.  However it’s not recommended to see them in the winter as the falls are somewhat FROZEN.  Yea.  Oh well.  But at least I can say that I have been to the Falls.  And if you are expecting anything like the Niagara Falls, don’t get your hopes up.  But it is a must see.

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Tags: 2010, falls, park, sioux, South Dakota

Crazy Sights in Black Hills, South Dakota

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Just when I thought I had see the greatest monument of them all, Mount Rushmore, I drove roughly 17 miles  southwest via US 16/385 and came upon another mountain sculpture that I didn’t even know existed. It is called “Crazy Horse” and is located in Black Hills, South Dakota.  This monument is being constructed in honor of Chief Crazy Horse.

It is very impressive although it is not yet completed. The final dimensions of the monument are planned to be 641 feet wide and 563 feet high. The head of the Chief Crazy Horse alone is 87 feet high. This is 27 feet higher that any of the President’s heads on Mount Rushmore.

I learned that the monument has been in the making since 1948 and from what I saw there is still a lot of work to be done. Once finished, it is to expected to be the world’s largest statue. Pretty crazy.

Tags: Black Hills, Crazy Horse, South Dakota

5 Cent Coffee @ Wall Drug, South Dakota [March 24, 2009]

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Going West on I-90 through South Dakota there were hundreds of billboards every other mile advertising five cent coffee at this place called “Wall Drug”. This of course sparked my interest and I was getting tired of driving anyways so I stopped at exit 109 in Wall, South Dakota.

Well sure enough, I found the place, which was like a scene you would see in a Western. I parked in front of the drugstore, and my owners mosied on in to find the famous 5 cent coffee. The people inside were very friendly and helpful although the coffee was self-serve on an honor policy. Also advertised was free ice water but since we were all just stuck in a blizzard for 2 days, the coffee was much more appealing. When my owners returned they surprised me with a souvenir bumper sticker which was free per each constomer. They had several too choose from but the one shown below was the what they brought me. Green goes great with white and it really brings out the color of my headlights.

Tags: South Dakota, Wall Drug

Freezing in Murdo, South Dakota [March 23, 2009]

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I believe the coldest that I was the entire trip was in Murdo, South Dakota. I didn’t even know there was a Murdo, but know I will never forget that yes, and thank God there is a Murdo. The City of Murdo is located at the crossroads of Interstate 90 and Highway 83 in the middle of South Dakota where the Central Time Zone meets the Mountain Time Zone.

Due to the closing of I-90 as a result of a blizzard we found ourselves in the last room left of Super 8 Motel in Murdo, South Dakota. Well lets say my owners were enjoying the hot tub of the “last” room left in the hotel and I was left outside to survive the blizzard.

But not to worry, it just happened that at this particular stop there was the Pioneer Auto Museum and lets just say I got acquainted very quickly. After two days of being in below freezing temperatures and with several feet of snow on me, I started up with no problem purring like a little kitten and in no time my seats were warm and toasty for my owners after they shoveled the snow to get to me.

Tags: Murdo, Pioneer Auto, South Dakota