Autumn on the Prairie

The greens of summer are almost all gone now. They have been replaced by tan, yellow, gold and orange. Occasionally a bit of red even pops into the trees, but mostly across I-90 in South Dakota the prairie grass and trees turn gold and orange. 

Although, when the sun hits the grass just right it does have a red hue as in this next photo taken not long after sunrise.

Autumn is my favorite season even though we don't get all the rich colors of Autumn. What is Autumn like where you live?

Linking up with Unknown Mami for Sunday In My City. I hope you will join the virtual travel and add your own area to the destination links.

A Maize Thing

I am pretty sure that when one thinks of a palace they imagine some formidable structure built with precious minerals and gems and not of brick, mortar and maize. Yes, I said maize as in corn.

Here in South Dakota though, corn is such a big part of life that we actually have a palace dedicated to the richness of the harvest and decorated with corn. The Corn Palace has been around since the late 1800's and boasts elaborately detailed murals all made from corn and grains. 

source

On my last trip to the eastern part of the state I took a short detour into Mitchell to check out this years murals. Unfortunately it looked like they had just begun to change the murals. The street was fenced off to prevent traffic in front of the palace, but people were still allowed to go inside and even come out into the construction area.

This sign in one of the mural spots caught my attention. Wondering what the 'Next Generation Corn Palace' would mean I checked out the description on their website.

Hopefully I will get to stop in next week and see how the work is going on this years murals and capture some fun shots to share. Until then I come across this Pintrest Board that has a good amount of Corn Palace photos.

Across the street from the Corn Palace is a really cool building that looks like a castle. This use to be a Doll Museum. 

Now it is Valtiroty Shiloh's Tabernacle Center and houses a bible land tour/walk through, biblical artifacts, spiritual literature and services as well as a gift shop and convenience store. 

I hope you have enjoyed your virtual visit and will stop by again.

Happy Travels!

Fields of Sunshine

There is just something about the sunflower that makes a person want to smile. The day can be gloomy but look at a sunflower and suddenly you feel the sunshine. Now imagine driving along an open stretch of highway when before you stretches field after field of bright cheerful sunflowers. That is what awaits you when traveling west river along I-90 in South Dakota during the late summer and early Autumn.

Ever since the first time I traveled this stretch of road in late summer I have been wanting to capture the joy and beauty of the sunflower fields. During my last trip across the state I had my daughter snap a few photos of the fields. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to stop for better photos. Have you ever had the pleasure of seeing so many sunflowers in one spot?

 

SIMC: Sturgis Rally

I did manage to get out to the Rally for a little bit on Saturday afternoon. From what I understand attendance was down on the final Saturday of the Rally but it was still pretty busy.

As I drove toward historic main street looking for semi close parking I saw this motorcycle hearse. It is a sad sight but I can not think of a more appropriate hearse for a die hard motorcyclist.

It sure looked like everyone in this small town generates a bit of income during the Rally.

These lawn campers seemed to be enjoying the shade and proximity to all the excitement.

Of course there were a lot of really nice looking bikes, like this purple one that caught my eye.

 I did have to smile though when I read the sign on the back of this one that was parked right next to the purple bike. This may not be the prettiest but it sure looks like they have fun.

As you probably can guess there are tons of saloons, tattoo and apparel shops as well as food vendors galore.

There was even a dancing police officer that directs the traffic on the main street.

One playful person even showered the street with bubbles using an air conditioner to blow them over the sidewalk below.

I was pleased to see a few really awesome cars! I do like motorcycles but am more a car lover, especially classics.

Going down the middle of main street was a zip line, and boy did it look fun! No I didn't give it a try, but I sure wanted to.

There was a lot of unique apparel. There was the totally bizarre, the fun and the average. There was even some, oh wow, that is really neat.  Like the purse this woman has, that is made out of motorcycle license plates.

I hope you enjoyed your virtual visit to the Rally.

Have a great week and please join the fun by clicking the Sunday In My City badge at the top.

Rapid City Regional Airport

I am finally home and just finished uploading all the photos I took with my camera during my recent trip to Arizona. Here are a few more shots of our small airport.

I was really glad that not only did we have fair weather for both the flight out and the return flight, but also that neither airport was overly crowded. Before my flight on the 13th I had plenty of time to look around and take a few shots.

Flying south

Hello from sunny Arizona! This will be my last post here on South Dakota photo for the next ten days, as I am enjoying warmer weather.  However, I will be posting via my cell phone to my other blogs.

Here are a few scenes from Rapid City Regional Airport, taken yesterday as I waited for my flight.

Remembering Warmer Days

I had planned to go out yesterday or this morning to capture some scenes from Rapid City's historic district. However, with the cold front that came in I decided to stay in and keep warm. It is so cold that yes even the dog bundles up.

I figured I was going to wind up skipping this week, then I remembered I have some photos from warmer days.  So into my archives I went and found some fun shots from September 2011 when my family took a weekend trip to see Mount Rushmore. 

Mount Rushmore is about a half hour drive from Rapid City so many visitors choose to stay here when they come to see Mt. Rushmore.

If you ever get a chance to visit be sure to take a drive through the open range of Custer State Park. Just be warned the mules are very friendly.

While you are in the area if you enjoy history another fun place to visit is 1880 Town. It is about an hour east of Rapid City and is home to many of the props for the film Dances With Wolfs.

Dreaming of warmer days 1880 Town.

I hope you have enjoyed this virtual visit in the warmth and comfort of your home. To continue your travels just click the button below to hop over to Unknown Mami's Sunday In My City.

Taste of the Old West

Keystone, South Dakota

Located just two miles from Mount Rushmore this Historical gold mining boom-town has much to offer. Pan for gold in a real gold mine; go on a historic walking tour or take a train ride through the beautiful Black Hills on a Historic 1880's train. These are just some of the exciting experiences you can find in Keystone South Dakota.

Another draw of Keystone are the shops full of trinkets and goodies. On our last trip our primary destination was the candy shop for some yummy old fashion Taffy.

Of course we had to stop in all the other little stores along the main street. Being so far from the ocean, I was rather surprised when I came across these shells in the rock shop.

Black Hills Gold,  wooden sculptures and handcrafted Indian goods can be found all throughout town.

The painting on this buffalo is awesome, just click on the photo to bring up a larger view.

Enjoy an snack or leisurely meal at one of the sidewalk cafe's or fine restaurants.

Whether you live locally and are looking for a nice way to spend the afternoon or you are traveling from far off to see the magnificent Mt. Rushmore, add Keystone to your list of places to see, you won't be disappointed.