Tooleing Around: Day 8

Today I’m wearing a skull themed, Queens of the Stone Age t-shirt so I look tough as I move further west into South Dakota. The skull has a sky blue circumference which nicely accents my shorts .

Moving away from Manning today means I will miss the official ribbon cutting for the new Waspys but, the road beckons.

Digital Camera

Manning

Digital Camera

Found some local sites of interest right behind the hotel. Dorothy, a life long local in her golden years, took my $6 this morning and I took a quick walk through the historic German house barn and glanced at the Church. The field side church was moved from its original location a few years back because of a dwindling congregation. With its picturesque location it has since become a wedding hot bed.

To Deb’s Corner Cafe, in Manning, for Breakfast, I was too late for breakfast. Everyone serves a grilled cheese though . Debs had the feel of a local spot for local people, a little Royston Vaseyish.

Manning Art

Manning

Manning Parking

Grilled Cheese at Deb’s

The road to South Dakota took me along the Iowa State Scenic Highway , which had some variety on the flat, wide open corn field theme. I think it was flat, wide open soy fields.

First lesson learned in South Dakota, its 80MPH on the highways. Southern South Dakota makes Iowa look mountainous. I’m missing the corn.

Digital Camera

Digital Camera

Reached Sioux Falls and went tooling around aimlessly and happened on The Great Plains Zoo. As a family, back in Ireland, our annual outing was the CIE train from Galway to the Dublin Zoo, with cheese and corned beef sandwiches packed in tin foil and cans of Corrib Orange. I’ve a soft spot for zoos so I pulled in there at five for a quick look around.  They close at six.

The zoo has good black and brown bear enclosures and a couple of healthy looking tigers. Got to see my first Red Wolf there, seemingly saved from extinction since 1980 when at serious risk. They are not red. So that’s my David Attenborough bit for the trip done.

Zoo Art

Bear With Me

Giraffe Spyro Art

I also happened on the falls in Sioux Falls. It’s in a very attractive city park with wandering walkways. Chatted a bit with Jenny from Illinois. Jenny is a Chemist , graduated Washington State and works for Waters – they weigh molecules. She gave me great pointers as someone who had driven SD and lots of recommendations for the Seattle area, her old stomping ground.

Nothing but dive hotels available in Sioux Falls tonight. Metallica are here in concert so everything’s sold out. If I’d have known I’d have scalped a ticket. I booked an hour away in my original destination town, Mitchell.

Dinner tonight was the jalapeño , goat cheese , bacon burger at Ode to Food and Drink, a high end joint, in Downtown Sioux Falls. It was outstanding. The pepper was ground through the patty. One of the tastiest burgers I’ve had and easily my best meal to date on the road.

Downtown Sioux Falls is home to to Raven, who produce the Macy’s day floats and is also the home of the original Motel 8. Braden, the bartender, from Aberdeen up North, was a mine of information. He may have made all this up, which would be even better. He made a damn fine cappuccino too.

Jenny Weighs Molecules

Braden

80Mph across South Dakota in the pitch dark – Christ on a broomstick.

I’m booked at the Comfort Inn tonight in Mitchell. Or just Inn as I’ll call it.

A big travel day . – 260 miles IA to SD.

I did have a request from a friend to include a lot more local art pieces. Anything spirally. or bronzy Done.

Mitchell Corn Palace tomorrow – the Disney of South Dakota.

Today’s Price Tag:

Hotel : $72

Dinner : $23

Gas: $22