Corn Palace

August 14, 2012

Today we had a "free" day - yesterday we spent all day shuffling back and forth between agencies helping us become residents of South Dakota.  We had to jump through a few hoops in order to get vehicle insurance, health insurance, vehicle registrations and voter registration.   Last Friday we were able to get our SD driver's licenses with very little inconvenience.  We just had to wait about an hour total and provide three types of identification.  We needed the driver's licenses to get the rest of the transition done.  Now we are officially South Dakota residents.

There are few "tourist attractions" in this area so we had little from which to choose.  We decided to take a ride out to see one of Laura Ingalls Wilder's childhood homes, in DeSmet, SD.

Ingalls' Homestead

It was about 50 miles from where we're staying in Salem.  The ride out there was really nice, strictly corn, soybean and hay fields.  I never realized that South Dakota is mostly farmland, having never been here before.  The western part of the state has the Black Hills but the rest of the state is rolling prairie.

When we got to DeSmet, I was really disappointed to find that the Ingalls' Homestead was so commercialized that I didn't want to pay to walk around in it.  I took a few photos and then we went to find a place for lunch.

DeSmet, Kingbury County Courthouse

 The town of DeSmet was founded in the 1800's and has some great architecture.  The county courthouse is dated 1898.  I enjoyed our ride around town, snapped a few pictures.

With the rest of the afternoon ahead of us, we picked another destination, the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD, about 30 miles from DeSmet, and on our way home.  We really had no idea what to expect, so were pleasantly surprised when we got there.

The front of the Corn Palace

 The original Corn Palace was built in 1892. (www.cornpalace.org) The corn murals are very intricate and well done, changed out each year. We spent about an hour looking around.  Those of you on FaceBook, don't let Jim's comments fool you...he was a little impressed!

Outside Corn Murals

Inside Corn Mural

"Cornelius" the Mascot

It was a relaxing day, just riding around.  Jim and I enjoy driving, even without a destination.  We often ponder how the people in these rural areas make a living if they are not farmers.  Small town life is definitely different from the way we've lived.  I am enjoying  seeing this part of the United States.