Great Falls!

We left West Chicago Last Saturday morning and traveled about 300 miles. We stopped at a KOA off the interstate - a well shaded park and a friendly staff. They served ice cream in the evening and pancakes for breakfast so we give it 5 stars. We pushed off for Pipestone, MN the next morning and chose a state park campground next to a lake. Electrical connections were not up to standard so we spent a warm night with the windows open and decided to cut our stay short. Took a morning trip to Pipestone National Monument before departure.

The Pipestone monument was created to preserve the pipestone quarries, a sacred place for American Indian tribes for thousands of years. All tribes, even those at war, came here in peace to quarry the stone and create sacred pipes and carvings. Pipestone is a workable red stone created from fine clay compressed between diamond-hard granite over millions of years.

Walking the path through the quarries and along the river and waterfall, we could understand why the area was sacred and significant. Today the Dakota Sioux work the remaining active quarries and create tribal carvings and pipes that are sold at the park.

We left for nearby Sioux Falls, Monday around lunchtime. Our coach needed its charging system checked out so we scheduled an appointment for Thursday. That gave us a few days to spend exploring the town. We parked at the Fairgrounds in SW Sioux Falls, made sure we had reliable electricity for our air conditioners, and became tourists.

We found Sioux Falls to be a pleasant town, with great outdoor spaces and nice people. It even has a 19 mile bike path that encircles the city and goes through the numerous parks. The sculpture walk in downtown Sioux Falls was our favorite walk. You can see pictures of the sculptures here: Sculpture Walk.

Today is Friday and we're on the road again, headed for Newcastle, Wyoming. The flat plains are turning to rolling hills as we slowly approach the Rockies.

Visit our FLICKR album for more photos.

 

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