Day 35: Almost Across South Dakota

Starting Mileage: 7554.0
We were on the road by about 7:30 again

Our first stop was in Blue Earth Minnesota!
Yes, that is the Jolly Green Giant!
Information Bit:
 In 1978, the town of Blue Earth, Minnesota paid $43,000 to erect a 55-foot (17 m) fiberglass statue of the Jolly Green Giant to commemorate the linking of the east and west sections of Interstate 90. It was permanently erected on July 6, 1979, at 43°39′02″N 94°5′46″W. The statue attracts over 10,000 visitors a year.
The 55 foot statue of the Green Giant in Blue Earth was the idea of Paul Hedberg who owned local radio station KBEW. During the summer Hedberg interviewed travellers going through Blue Earth on U.S. Highway 16 for his radio program "Welcome Travellers". At the end of each interview, Hedberg presented guests with a sample of Green Giant corn and peas which had been canned in the local Green Giant plant. A common theme arising in interviews was a desire to "see the Green Giant."
In 1977 Hedberg contacted Thomas H. Wyman, President of Green Giant, to see if the company would allow a statue of their corporate symbol to be erected along the new Interstate 90 in Blue Earth. Wyman granted permission under the condition that funds for the project were raised locally. Hedberg approached ten local businessmen with the idea and asked for $5,000 each; within a week the $50,000 had been donated.
It is mounted on a pedestal and has steps so visitors may take a picture standing directly under the Green Giant.

Still in Minnesota, watching the farms roll by

South Dakota! They have these very large TeePee structures at every rest stop.  The people are very helpful, and very informative at the rest stop. They gave us some good ideas on what to see. Scenic byways that are not to miss. A coloring book and pin for Lon. Lots of maps and information. 

Cows, getting into the water! They were hanging out in the ponds almost every time we passed by.  I heard it was 98 (37c) today!

Reminded us of Rod's Steakhouse in Arizona

CORN PALACE!

Lon thought it was really fun they had corn on the light posts

Information/History Bit:

The Corn Palace serves as a multi-use center for the community and region. The facility hosts stage shows, as well as sports events in its arena. The World's Only Corn Palace is an outstanding structure which stands as a tribute to the agricultural heritage of South Dakota.
The original Corn Palace, called "The Corn Belt Exposition" was established in 1892. Early settlers displayed the fruits of their harvest on the building exterior in order to prove the fertility of South Dakota soil. The third and present building was completed for it first festival at the present location in 1921.The exterior decorations are completely stripped down and new murals are created each year. The theme is selected by the Corn Palace Festival Committee and murals are designed by a local artist.

Keeping up with the murals!They were working on it, adding some border parts

A closer view of the murals

They have a shop set up there today, but this is where they hold the concerts and play basket ball. 

These murals stay up all year round and do not change. 

This corn cob was just walking around the floor.  He was pretty fun!

Lon eating his corn dog Lunch was reasonable.  I was surprised that it was not super high prices. 

Some of the memorabilia they have. 

Corn is a major theme

Since we watched the movie on how they make the corn palace every year, Lon is explaining how it is done. 

More Corn Palace

We got gas in Plankinton

Mileage: 7826.1

11.20 @ $3.65

At our first rest stop, they told us about the rest stop in Chamberlain. It has a small Lewis and Clark exhibit. It is right on the Missouri River.  We had to stop! 

The metal mural. 

The animals are fascinating

Learning more about what Lewis and Clark did, and how they traveled!

Tents are always worth an explore

The Missouri

Hay Rolls

Wall Drug signs are about every 500 feet it seems

The Badlands.  We decided to drive on the Scenic Loop road. It was amazing. It was a National Park, so we got a stamp in the National Park passport!

The Door Trail. Making sure we stay on the trails. They have signs to be aware of rattlesnakes! Lon wanted to see one. Mommy and Daddy did not. 

This is not as tall as it looks. This was also as high as I would let him go up.

The scenery is amazing, so different from what we are used to seeing

At the Visitor's Center. They have some nice exhibits. They also have a very temperamental smashed penny machine.  We did get Lon's penny but it took so very long to get the right pennies, then it jammed, twice!  

Information Bit:

Badlands National Park, in southwest South Dakota, United States preserves 242,756 acres (98,240 ha) of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in the United States.
The Badlands Wilderness protects 64,144 acres (25,958 ha) of the park as a designated wilderness area. The Stronghold Unit is co-managed with the Oglala Lakota tribe and includes sites of 1890s Ghost Dances, a former United States Air Force bomb and gunnery range, and Red Shirt Table, the park's highest point at 3,340 feet (1,020 m).Authorized as Badlands National Monument on March 4, 1929, it was not established until January 25, 1939. It was redesignated a national park on November 10, 1978.

I was watching the scenery go by, and saw something move! I told Lon to keep a sharp eye out for Prairie Dogs!  We told him what they were, and that they lived in towns. We pulled over to see if we could see them better! They seem pretty used to cars.

Lon watched all the prairie dogs playing, beating the ground and talking. It was so cool to see them in the wild. We told Lon that they lived in what is called a town. Lon laughed and said no, Mom, that was a prairie dog city!

A very quick stop at Wall Drug. 

We got gas in Wall. 

Mileage: 8044.8

8.65 gallons @ $3.69

Chatting on the phone

We went to dinner at a place called Sanfords. Everything about the place was large! The menus were  over sized!

This is a HUGE plate.  The steaks were good. I got a smaller steak, 8 ounces. They called that a sandwich. We thought that beef would be good for dinner out here! 

And since it was national cheesecake day, I had a slice of cheesecake too!