DAY 17 - MITCHELL, SD TO PIERRE, SD
MAY 30, 2014

We left Mitchell for Pierre.  It sounds like leaving one man for another, but that's not really what happened.  There were three en-route stops possible today. 

 The first was at the South Dakota Tractor Museum, a very impressive collection of restored tractors and machinery. 

Too many tractors - - - NEVER.

You need a shop to work on all those tractors!

Doesn't look like a tractor to me.

Second stop was a Lewis & Clark encampment that they called "Pleasant Camp".  They stopped here for two nights on the way and the expedition also stopped here on their return trip.  Did anyone see signs for Wall Drug?  The plains were littered with billboards!

Camp Pleasant is still pleasant today.

 

Last stop was the St. Joseph's Akta Lakota Museum & Culture Center. The art work was stunning and stories were inspirational.   Akta Lakota means "to honor the people".  The museum is meant to honor and preserve the Lakota culture for the students at St. Joseph's Indian School.  The students are expected to complete High School and to know a positive future with many options await them. 

On street parking with a water view.



A wonderful blend of modern technique and an ancient subject.

Home sweet Tipi.
A woman's work was really never done.

A Warrior's story was told in his dress and markings.

 Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel is on the campus.  It has a beautiful front entrance with wonderful sounding bells echoing from three ascending rectangles, symbolizing the Black Hills. 

 

Beautiful Church, but it could use some weed control.

 

After a short  period of un-hitching, re-hitching, moving and adjusting , everyone was settled in their campsite.  We had a wholesome meal of steak or shrimp at Cattleman's  Club, while it thundered and rained during our feast!

 

What we do really well, wait for food!

HELLO Pierre ~ goodbye Mitchell.  Ahh, the memories!!



Nice rug, huge shoes to Phil.

Nice rug, sans Phil.

Don't know why, but-----
Tailgunner in Timeout!

 

Tom and Tamie

 

DAY 16 - MITCHELL, SD
MAY 29, 2014

Today was two totally different half days.  In the morning, we divided into two groups and took alternating tours.  Neither of the two venues was big enough for the whole group.  One half visited the Carnegie Resource Center while the other half visited the Corn Palace.  After an hour, we swapped places.

The Carnegie Resource Center gets its name from being located in an old Carnegie Library.  The Center is operated by the Mitchell Historical and Genealogical Society.  It is, generally speaking, a repository for historical and genealogical information from the local area.  Of special interest is a painting in the dome that is part of the building.  Also in the dome is a collection of extremely good paintings by the same artist, Oscar Howe.

Not much done here, but quite a lot said!

 

Looking up into the dome.

 

Detail in the dome.

 

What a talent!

 

The other morning tour was the Corn Palace.  The exterior of the Palace was receiving its annual re-make.  The exterior decoration is different each year depending on the theme chosen for that year and is entirely done with ears of corn.  Some of this year's decoration is completed and can be enjoyed, but much of the outside is stripped down to the bare wood.  Inside was also experiencing cleaning and remodeling.  There was also a very enjoyable movie to watch.

Walls covered with colored corn.

 

Wow!

And a corn-struction project to boot



Nothing Corny about these two.

Our afternoon was used to visit an archeological dig at the site of an ancient Indian Village.  The Village was active about 1000 AD.  We watched an informative movie and toured the dig.  Digging only occurs one month per year, with the rest of the year used to catalog and preserve artifacts dug up during the one month.

 

Entrance to a re-creation of a home.

 

Inside the home.  What LUXURY.

Dug by hand, slowly.  No power equipment here.

 

We ended the day with a social gathering and a travel briefing.



Cal and Mary Kay

DAY 15 - NORTH SIOUX CITY, SD TO MITCHELL, SD
MAY 28, 2014

Today was a bright sunny day, which was very good for travel.  We had a detour around some construction.  It resulted in a few people taking experimental routes.  There were some u-turns for corrections, and a few completed detours different from what was intended.  At the end of the day, we were all in Mitchell, as planned.  There were a few stops en-route that not everyone made, but those who did enjoyed them.

Capt. Schaaf preparing to depart.

Elk Point was the first stop.  At this location, Lewis and Clark allowed the men in the party to vote for a Sergeant to replace Sgt. Floyd after he died.  Sergeant Gass was elected. 



Those who didn't stop, saw the sign along the highway!

 



Never heard of an election for Military Officers before.

 

Handsome fella, wonder if they made this bust from a photograph.

The second en-route stop was the National Music Museum.  It contains a tremendous number of displays of instruments from the 1800's through the present.

 

Honey, this is a museum!  I thought it was a music hall.
You know, with drinks and dancing.

Beautiful collection of instruments.

 



Some uncommon ones.

Some nearly unknown!

Put a dollar in the slot, turn the handle and you get a heck of a racket!

The evening ended with a great potluck dinner, music and card game.  A very nice end to a great day.


You can't hide, we saw you take that third bowl of chili!

 

Older than most of the instruments in the museum.



The evening craft class made wonderful fans.

This picture wasn't from today (Stetson Outlet Store).
What the heck, it's a great picture anyway.
He's a big sucker!



Jeff and Noreene

DAY 14 - SOUIX CITY, IA
MAY 27, 2014

On the schedule, this was supposed to be a free day.  However, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center was closed yesterday so we went to it today.  Might sound a bit confusing, but we all managed to find our way there.

 

Lewis, Clark and Seaman (the dog).



I thought I could find the way, but does the sun set in the north or in the south?

We made it!  Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.

The center had all the displays you might expect.  Many of the  displays were interactive and were oriented towards children.  Since most of us act like children, the Center was a huge success.  The lobby area was very appealing and had available a great number of reference books about the Corps of Discovery.



Native Dancers.

 

Interactive Displays.  I tried to load the boat - - -  DID YOU??



Research books and other available materials.

 

Bathroom floor.  Photographer must have been bored!

 

Outside there were numerous bronze statues of a variety of wildlife species.

Bull bison ready to charge.  One of many statues.

 

Connected to the Interpretive Center, there was a second building called the Betty Strong Encounter Center.  It contained current pictures of American Indian children in traditional dress, as well as photographs documenting one-room school houses across South Dakota.  It was done very nicely and was enjoyed by all.



Attached to the Interpretive Center.

 

Betty Strong Center.  More animal statues.

At the end of the afternoon, we all gathered for a social and travel meeting.

Stories, Stories and more Stories!

 

And this story was a dandy!

There is a reason why Wagonmasters are Wagonmasters and Tailgunners are not.  Wagonmasters occasionally know what they are talking about, Tailgunners apparently not so much.

 

Museum or Restroom?  You asking a Wagonmaster or a Tailgunner?



Richard and Kathy