Salem, South Dakota

June 24-27. We are at the Camp America Campground in Salem, right between Mitchell and Sioux Falls. It is a gorgeous campground and very well maintained. On Saturday we went to Mitchell to see the famous Mitchell Corn Palace. Both the interior and exterior of the building, are covered with pictures, made 100% out of corn and grasses. They change the pictures every year between August and October. They first take last years corn off and put up drawings of the new pictures. It looks very much like a paint by numbers painting, except each area has a note, telling the volunteers what color corn, rye, or wheat to use in each area. It takes 2 months to change all of the pictures. When you look at the first two exterior pictures, note that all you see, except for the green & gold roof, are corn.    All of the interior pictures are 100% corn or grasses.  We had a picnic & went to see the high water in town that was going over a dam.Saturday night we drove to Hartford to the dirt track races. They had numerous classes of races on this 3/8 mile track. We especially enjoyed the 360 Winged Sprints.

On Sunday we went into Sioux Falls and visited Falls Park. Another incredible site, these falls, on the Big Sioux River, are in the center of Sioux Falls.   At one time there was a water driven turbine mill. Now it is a beautiful park. While we were there, two wedding parties came to have pictures taken.

Debbie also got to see her first chipmunk and some baby chipmunks in their underground nest.       P.S.-Deb also wanted me to tell you that the speed limit on South Dakota interstaes is 75 m.p.h.

Debbie & Mr. Corn

The Corn Palace

Freedom Riders 

Mt Rushmore

Hunting Pheasants

Panning for gold

Water over the dam in Mitchell

The races at I-90 Speedway

Our Campsite at Camp America  

The 5 photos at Falls
Park really don't show
how magnificent they
really are. The sound
of the water, from
every fall is loud!

 Trivia:  South Dakota's state bird is the Ring-Necked Pheasant and this state is only 1 of  3 of the 50 states that allow you to shoot (and eat) their state bird. The others are California (the Quail) and Rhode Island. (the Rhode Island Red Chicken)