Starting Point: Rapid City, SD
Ending Point: St Paul, MN
Distance Traveled: 650 Miles
This morning I woke up at 5 AM with bites all over my body, either from the crappy motel last night or the two previous days in Yellowstone and Grand Teton. I quickly packed up, and spent the next two hours at Starbucks writing blog posts for the last two days and planning the day ahead. It’s amazing how much can be accomplished when you’re focused and caffeinated at Starbucks. Lesson learnt from last night: AirBNB is a much better option than staying at a crappy Motel with truck drivers and other low-class, low-budget people. It’s also half the cost, a much more educational experience, much cleaner, and the WIFI is usually better.
I left Starbucks at around 7:30AM and drove toward Badlands NP. During an 18-mile drive through the park, I stopped at numerous lookout points and appreciated the geologic features and scenic beauty.
Afterwards, I drove straight toward Sioux Falls, SD. Sioux Falls is one of my favorite cities visited so far on this trip. It has a small town feel, yet is a nice-sized city which isn’t too large/busy, has a very walkable downtown, many historical sites, and a beautiful park with water features. During my 3-hour stay in the city, I spent about an hour at Falls Park touring the numerous historical buildings and enjoying the waterfall surrounded by old quartz rock formations. According to a sign in the park, the quartz rocks in this park are the oldest known rocks in South Dakota.
At the suggestion of the employee at the Falls Park Visitor Center, I briefly visited the Pettigrew Home and Museum, the home of the first senator of South Dakota. The museum contains some history on the senator and the beginnings of Sioux Falls and its real-estate speculation beginnings.
Also at the recommendation of the Falls Park Visitor Center employee, I visited the main street in downtown, Phillips Ave. There is currently a display on Phillips Ave of many sculptures. The public casts votes on their favorite sculptures, and the city acquires the sculpture with the most votes and permanently displays it in Falls Park or another public area in the city. My two favorite statues were one of a boy passionately playing an instrument (signifying the emotional/passionate aspect of music) and a girl struggling while practicing a violin (signifying the importance of patience/practice).
After Sioux Falls, I drove four hours to St. Paul, MN where I had an AirBNB reservation with a young couple.
