Road Trip '07 - Day 1

On the Road Again

Note: It has been a few years since my wife and I have taken a real road trip vacation. We used to do it a lot, even if it was just up to our cabin in northern Pennsylvania- and then riding the old logging roads to see what we could see. Three weeks ago we set out on a vacation road trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota. I took lots of pictures and wrote a lot of notes in my journal. For no particular reason other than to share it, I am going to recreate the trip here keeping the days of the week aligned. I hope you enjoy it.

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Day 1: From Home to Mitchell, SD
Traveling Thoughts
Well, it was a slow start. No reason to rush, of course. This IS vacation. But having to turn around after 6 miles to get a bag we left sitting at home didn't help. We come to realize really fast how out of practice we are at this road trip-stuff.

As I did the planning for the trip I figured this could be an easy day. The whole trip all the way to the Black Hills would be about eight hours on the road. So we're only going as far as Mitchell, SD. Just about halfway. Again, no use pushing it.

One of the things I love about traveling is the differences in geography, geology, and landscapes. Even here in Minnesota which is a lot of prairie, the variations as we go in and out of the Minnesota River Valley, the different colors of different crops all make it interesting. We are actually also running along the southern edge of where the glaciers last stopped. There are these finger-like areas that differ between glaciated and un-glaciated. They even affect the weather. It is truly incredible to think about. All of today will be east of the Missouri River which I consider the true mark of crossing into the "West." (After all, I live west of the Mississippi.)

Oh, yes, and then there are the Skyscrapers of the Prairie. Like grain elevators and distant water towers.

And the new-fangled skyscrapers: Windmills. I didn't get any pictures today. Maybe on the way home.


After a stop for lunch we arrive in South Dakota and stop at the rest area to pick up information and brochures. The Internet has been very helpful. How did we do these things without it?

But there's something odd about a concrete Tepee structure as the symbol for the South Dakota rest areas. At least they also have some nice flower plantings.

The speed limit also goes up when we get into South Dakota. I noticed that with the wide-open spaces it doesn't feel like you are moving that fast. In the construction zones when we have to slow down to a crawling 65 mph, it does feel like crawling. It takes so much longer to get across the scenery here. It's so much farther away.

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Mitchell- The Home of Corn
We get to Mitchell around 3:30 or so. Mitchell is the home of former Senator and presidential candidate George McGovern. It is also the place for corn.
Or at least the Corn Palace.

The Corn Palace is decorated entirely with corn cobs of different types. It has been a cultural landmark of the prairie for a very long time. It is a performance and sports arena on the inside, but the outside is unique. They redo it every year- they have to since the birds feed on it all winter.

At first it seems just downright - well - corny. Kitsch. But a little bit of a look at the history shows that it has a place in the way the area developed and sees itself.

It is a monument to corn- the life of the area. A look at the historic pictures will show a sensitivity to the native history as well. So, while it may not be a place to visit more than once, it is a way to pay honor to the great history of this part of the country.

So we end out first day. Supper at a local sports bar as we decide not to eat at an chain restaurant for the entire trip. Back to the motel for a dip in the whirlpool and a nice night's sleep.
Miles travelled today: 288.