June 1, 2010 Day 42 A Long Day of South Dakota

We leave Rafter J this morning and push on to Sioux Falls, SD. We have only 2 stops to make before reaching Sioux Falls today: Minuteman Missile NHS and the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. It’s just as kitschy as Wall Drug was but it’s a must see for us. We’ve already driven the portion to Minuteman because that’s where we started our Badlands tour. CC wants to top off at the Conoco that is next door to the Missile site. So we arrive at Minuteman and find out that is pretty much a short movie to watch and some displays in the office. I got my stamps and PTCC did a very short Jr Ranger book and received a patch. We read the outside displays and found out if we had wanted to do a tour they will only let you if you call a week in advance and they only offer it on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On the tour they take you down in a silo and show you the missile launch facility. Since we didn’t book in advance we just finished reading what was there and left.

Once back on the road, since I knew it was going to be a mind numbing day so I watched a movie in the back with PTCC. CC kept getting off and on the road since SD DOT had several overpasses closed to work on them so he had to take the exit and get right back on which is how they diverted traffic.

Corn Palace

200 miles later we get off I-90 for the Corn Palace. We got a great tour of Mitchell first since the directions drive you by everything they have in town before you arrive there. Once there we take our pictures and if you want they have a movie to watch about how it came to be. They show the same movie in the lobby and gift shop though. They sell popcorn and drinks just like a movie theater. On the walls are the pictures of each year’s theme and design all the way back to 1895(?) Some years are much more elaborate than others. In the center of the palace which must be used as a theater and basketball court is a gift shop selling everything to do with corn that you could imagine.

After our stop in Mitchell we find an easier way to get back to I-90 and move on to Sioux Falls. CC and I had talked about staying in Vermillion Lake SP in Canistota but as soon as he heard there were falls in Sioux Falls he had to see them so we will stay in a KOA there.

About an hour later we arrive in Sioux Falls and pull in to the KOA. This is the priciest KOA we have stayed in to date. $53 a night. The state park was less than $20. But CC gets to see his falls in the morning. I’m just glad we have changed to the central time zone. It means we are getting closer to the end and home. We all play a game of mini golf and eat dinner then relax for the night.


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