DAY #16 – JUNE 25, 2021- MITCHELL, SD – FORT DODGE, IOWA - A PALACE OF CORN

 

Well, last night I spent a long time coming up with a plan for today but about 11 p.m. I finally made a decision and if all goes according to plan when this day ends, I will be back in the State of Iowa. Yep, I decided to forgo traveling to Nebraska. I will save that for another adventure.

The Comfort Inn here in Mitchell, South Dakota as a good choice. The room was clean and there was lots of parking. But like most motels the coffee was horrible. I did tough it out and make a cup in the in-room coffee maker just to get me through until I can find something better.

I kind of piddled around and killed a little time this morning because there is something here in Mitchell that I wanted to see before leaving town. But it doesn’t open until 9 a.m. So, at 9 a.m. on the dot I pulled out of the hotel and made the 3-mile trek into downtown Mitchell.

Finding a parking spot was really easy and I only had a short walk to the “World Famous Corn Palace.” I have heard about this place for years and many of my traveling friends told me that I just had to stop and see it in person. So, here I am.

The Corn Palace is a multi-use venue right in downtown Mitchell. Each year the exterior design of the corn mural is replaced with a new theme.  The murals are created entirely of Corn and corn related materials.  Each year the city of Mitchell hosts its Corn Festival where the new design is revealed, then over the next several weeks or months the new design is created on the exterior of the building. I was talking to one of the ladies that works at the Palace, and she said that depending on the design it could cost up to $200,000 to create the new design.

The Corn Place is a multi-use arena that hosts everything from polka festivals, and crafts shows, to sporting events.  The Palace is home to the Dakota Wesleyan University and the Mitchell High.

After milling around the outside of the Corn Palace, I discovered it was open and it was hosting some kind of Craft Show or merchandise event. So, I went inside to check it out.  Surrounding the basketball court there are several small mural panel that are also created entirely out of corn. I milled around the floor where the vendors for the merchandise show were set up. I managed to purchase a few souvenirs before ending my visit and hitting the road.

After leaving the Corn Palace I made my way back toward Interstate 90. Only this time I am going to cross under the interstate and head due south to the town of Yankton, South Dakota. But first I stopped at the I-90 Travel Center and gassed up.  I have been really pleased with the gas mileage that My Honda Accord is getting. So far, I have traveled just over 4,5 00 miles and I’m getting just a little over 38-miles per gallon. Not Bad. After getting gas, I discarded the nasty hotel Coffee and got some decent Truckstop coffee. Now, it’s time to make some miles.

Traveling the back roads of South Dakota can be slow going at times but I really don’t mind. This is all new to me and I can enjoy “the road less traveled.” It took me almost 2-hours to travel the roughly 85 miles from Mitchell to Yankton.

Yankton is a small city on the north bank of the Missouri River. If I were to cross the Missouri River I would be in Nebraska. But I am going to save Nebraska for another Adventure. There is only one reason that I wanted to come to Yankton and that was to visit the Grave of Jack McCall.

This wasn’t part or any plan that I had for this adventure. But when I was back in at the Cemetery in Deadwood the lady at the entrance station told me the story about Jack McCall.  So, I knew, if possible, I wanted to come here and shoot footage for a YouTube Video.

Thanks, to Google Maps I arrived at Sacred Heat Cemetery in Yankton and set about trying to locate the grave of “Broken Nose” Jack McCall.  That turned out to be a little bit more difficult that I anticipated. There was no GPS Coordinates on the Find-A-Grave Site, and the only clue was his grave was in the Southwest Corner.

This is a large cemetery so walking the entire cemetery was not an option. I did walk two complete sections where I thought the grave might be but was unsuccessful. The was a guy on a lawn mower a few sections over and I thought, what the heck, let’s ask him if he knows where the grave is.

As I approached him it became obvious that he was a trustee prisoner from the local jail. I hesitated to approach him but finally said what the hell. As I approached him, he turned the mower off and said, “Let me guess, you are looking for Jack McCall’s Grave.” I said that I was and ask if he could point me in the right direction.

He walked over to a pickup truck parked about 50-yards away and told me to follow him.  I followed him all the way across the cemetery where he pointed out the small gravestone of Jack McCall.  My Jailhouse Guide was cool, and we spent a few minutes talking about some of the other people who he met while they were looking for Ole Jack’s Grave. 

Now who was Jack McCall and why did I come here just to visit his grave. Well, as I said when I was back at the Cemetery in Deadwood, the last at the entrance station told me an interesting story about Jack. 

Broken Nose Jack McCall was the man who shot Wild Bill Hickok in that Deadwood Saloon.  But the interesting part of the story was that Jack McCall was tried in a “miner’s court,” where he claimed that he kill Wild Bill because he had killed Jack brother earlier in Abilene, Kansas. The local Miners Jury took about two hours to acquit him and Ole Jack Walked way a free man. 

But the story doesn’t end there. Jack was hated and harassed and eventually forced to flee to Wyoming. While in Wyoming Jack continued to Boast that that he had killed Hickok in a fair fight. But it was widely known that Jack Shot Hickok in the Back. While in Wyoming Jack was arrested and again charged with the Murder of Hickok.  The federal court ruled that the so-called Deadwood court had no legal jurisdiction and was not a “legal trial.” So, for that reason double jeopardy did not apply and that McCall could be trail again for the Hickok Murder.

So, he was taken to Yankton and on December 4, 1876 Broken Nose Jack McCall went on trial for the Murder of Wild Bill Hickok. Two days later December 6, 1876, he was found guilty and sentenced to hang.

At 10:15 on the morning of March 1, 1877, Jack McCall was executed here in Yankton. If he had just kept his mouth shut in the days following the murder of Wild Bill Hickok, he would have escaped the hangman’s noose. But because as the lady in Deadwood said, Jack was stupid and liked to talk, and that cost him his life.

After, taking the time to record some YouTube Footage, it was time to leave Yankton and head toward Sioux City, Iowa some 70-miles away.

It took me about and hour and a half to make the 70-mile drive along the banks of the Missouri River. The first part of the drive was along South Dakota Highway 50 past Vermillion to Interstate 29.

Once on I-29, it was a quick trip down to Sioux Falls. It was a little after 1 p.m. when I arrived in Sioux City. During this adventure I have visited a bunch of sites relating to the Lewis and Clark Exposition of 1804-1806.  Before I leave Sioux City, there is one final Lewis and Clark Site that I want to visit.

At 1:30 p.m. I headed up to the top of a hill where a 100-foot-tall obelisk marks the grave of Sergeant Charles Floyd, who was the only man to die during the Lewis and Clark Exposition. Charles Floyd was one of the first people to join the exposition to explore the Louisiana Purchase.

As the exposition made their way up the Missouri River in July 1804, Sergeant Charles Floyd took ill. His condition continued to deteriorate and on August 20, 1804, while the party camped here on the banks of the Missouri River, Sergeant Floyd died. A brief Funeral Service was held and Floyd was buried on a Bluff overlooking the river. William Clark marked his grave with a solid cedar post but by 1857 erosion had damaged the grave and washed much of the area.

Much of Sergeant Floyd’s remains were collected and reburied about 500-feet east of the original Grave. The on August 20, 1895, 91-years after his death, Sergeant Charles Floyd was reinterred for the final time here high on a hill overlooking the Original Lewis and Clark Campsite, his original grave and the Missouri River.

Five Years later construction began this 100-foot-tall monument that marks his final resting place.

I had considered spending the night here in Sioux City, but it was still early afternoon and too early to stop. I wanted to drive another couple of Hours, so, while parked at the Sergeant Floyd Monument I began exploring options. 

It took me about 15-minutes before I settled on the Sleep Inn & Suites in Fort Dodge, Iowa.  I didn’t want to back track and eat the same ground twice.  Fort Dodge was about 150 miles away. If all goes well my trek out U. S. Highway 20 would take a little over 2-hours and a half.

In looking at my Travel Book that I saw a note about a couple of Famous Graves located in Union Cemetery in Humboldt, Iowa. It I had the time it would require about a 20-miles detour.  So off I went.

Some two hours later I left U. S. Route 20 and started north on Iowa Route 7 and U. S. 169.  About 30-minutes later, Google Maps led me right to Union Cemetery in Humboldt.  There are two notable people buried here and I want to record some YouTube footage of both graves.

But wouldn’t you know it just as I pulled into the cemetery, that black cloud that had been following me for the better part of the last hour caught up with me and the sky opened up. I checked the weather radar and hopefully the hardest rain would pass in about 20-minutes.

So, I waited. After about 40 minutes the rain slacked up enough for me to record some footage of the final resting place of Professional Wrestler Frank Gotch.

Frank Gotch is considered by many to be the greatest wrestler of all time. He was born here in Humboldt and trained by a professional Wrestler named Farmer Burns. Professional Wrestling back in the later 1800’s and early 1900’s was an actual sport. It wasn’t anything like the staged TV stuff we see today.  In 1904, Gotch who stood 6 feet tall and weight about 200 pounds won the American Heavyweight Champion and in 1908 he would become the World Heavyweight Champions.

He retired from Professional wrestling in 1913 but stayed active by joining the circus where he would offer to pay any man $250 who could last 15-minutes with him. He took on all comers and never had to pay.

A few years later he left the circus and moved back to Humboldt where his health began to fail. He died on December 17, 1917, and was entombed in the Family Mausoleum here in Union Cemetery.

Just as I was finishing up the Gotch Footage the rain picked up again and I had to wait another 20-minutes to visit the Final resting Place of Broadcast Journalist Harry Reasoner. I remember growing up watch Newman Harry Reasoner report on news stories for CBS and later for ABC News.  He later hosted the ABC Evening News with Howard K. Smith, but he is perhaps best known as a long-time contributor on CBS News show 60 Minutes.

Between Rain showers I recorded enough footage and snapped a few Picture. Now it’s time to head 20-miles south to the Sleep Inn in Fort Dodge.

At a little after 5:30 p.m. I pulled into the Sleep Inn & Suites in Fort Dodge, Iowa. As usual Check In was quick and in no time flat I was settled in my room.  There is not much around here and since I was tired, I opted for a McDonald Supper.

I got my supper to go and brought it back to my room and set about backing up the days photos, writing my daily blog and planning for tomorrow.  While I was planning tomorrow journey, it began to realize this wonderful adventure was just a few days from coming to an end.

But I still have a few days left so stick around. The adventure Continues.

DAY #14 – JUNE 23, 2021- BELLE FOUCHE, SD – RAPID CITY, SD - WILD BILL & THE BADLANDS

 

Yesterday seemed longer than it really was as I backtracked to the Devils Tower National Monument.  I don’t like to eat the same ground twice, but I wanted to see the Devil’s Tower and I must say it was worth it, but it did make for a long day.

I spent the night here at the Econo Lodge in Belle Fouche. Now, the only thing that I knew about Belle Fouche was it was where John Wayne was heading with his herd in the Movie, “The Cowboys.” It is a really small town with not a lot of going on. The Econo Lodge was ok. It was a budget hotel and when you chose a budget hotel the clientele changes. At the Comfort and Sleep Inns along with Holiday Inn you get the more family/tourist type of people. At the Econo Lodge and other budget hotels you get the people who are more of long-term client, who are in the are working. That was the case here, lots of work trucks in the parking lot and at night the workers sitting outside socializing drinking beer. They didn’t cause any problems and they weren’t loud or anything like that. It’s just that it’s a different look from some of the hotel that I have stayed.

Anyway, like I said, Belle Fouche is a small town but last night when I was planning todays adventure, I found something Interesting just a mile or so from my hotel. So, I opted to skip the hotel breakfast and the Hotel Coffee and checked out at 8:40 a.m.

Five minutes later I was at the Center of the Nation Monument.  Yep, this is geographic center of The United States. This is NOT to be confused with the Geographic Center of North America, which is near Rugby, North Dakota, or the Geographic Center of the Lower 48 near Lebanon, Kansas.  When you throw in Alaska and Hawaii, this monument represents the center of the 50-United States. While the actual center of the nation is located on private property, the Geographic Center of the Nation Monument is in Belle Fourche in western South Dakota. The National Geodetic Survey designated Belle Fourche as the town closest to the actual site and the monument was placed there. The 21-foot diameter monument is located next to the Center of the Nation Visitor Center and the Tri-State Museum. The Museums were closed when I arrived, but the monument is accessible year-round.

After spending a few minutes walking around the park where the Monument is located, it was time to find some coffee and hit the road. It took me about 40-minutes to make the 30-mile drive to the Historic Town of Deadwood.

It was a nice drive into town and arriving just a little past 9:30 a.m. I was able to find free parking at the Visitors Center. After a quick stop at the Visitor’s center to pick up a map of the Historic District, I began my walk down historic Main Street. 

I had to stop and take a quick selfie under the entrance arch before continuing my walk downtown. There is only a few building dating to 1876 when Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and other old west figures roamed these streets. Most of the building including the #10 Saloon where Jack McCall shot Wild Bill Hickok on August 2, 1876. Most of the town burned to the ground in a massive fire three years later in 1879.

Since then, the town has been rebuilt and turned into something of a tourist trap. While not a bad a Tombstone in Arizona there is not a lot to be said for the actors dressed in period clothes hawking you to visit various saloons, casinos, and other attractions along Main Street.

While the original #10 Saloon was destroyed in the 1879 fire, another building has been built on the original site and a sign proclaiming this as being the site where Jack McCall Shot Wild Bill hangs above the entrance.

As I said earlier Deadwood is a tourist trip and one of the artifacts in the new #10 Saloon is the chair that Wild Bill was sitting in the day he was shot.  It hangs in a glass case above the door of the saloon. Now while I was at first thrilled that this noted artifact has been preserved, I soon found out that a few other saloons along Main Street also claimed to have Wild Bill’s Death Chair. After talking with one of the fine folks at the Visitors Center, I found out probably none of the chairs are legit. The gentleman I was talking too said it was highly unlikely that anyone had thought to save the chair after Wild Bills Murder, and it was continued to be used in the saloon until the 1879 fire.  He went on to say that the death chair was more than likely destroyed with the saloon and much of the town in the 1879 fire.

I spent a little more than an hour walking around the historic district. I have to say while I enjoyed it, the Tourist Trap theme really didn’t impress me. So, I made my way back to the Visitor Center and made the drive up the road to the top of a very steep hill to Mount Moriah Cemetery.

While at the Visitors Center I ask one of the people there if I could just walk to the cemetery. It smiled and said “Yea, you can but I wouldn’t advise it.”  He went on to say that the cemetery was at the top of a very steep hill and if I wasn’t in really good shape and in this heat he would not suggest walking.

After arriving at the small parking lot near the entrance to the cemetery, I can see why walking was not advised. I arrived at the Cemetery shortly before 11 a.m. and the temperature was already pushing 90.

After stopping at the small visitor’s center and paying my $2.00 fee to enter the cemetery and picking up a map, I made my way up the hill to the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and Marth “Calamity Jane” Canary.

Calamity Jane and Wild Bill are buried near each other with a Bust of Wild Bill sitting on a pedestal marking his grave.  There were several other tourist in the cemetery and it was difficult to get a clean photo of the graves and two buses full of tourist just arrived so its was about to get even more difficult.

So I hustled and got the best photos that I could and moved on to the Veterans Memorial Overlook which gives you a good view of Historic Deadwood in the valley below.

By the time I made if back to the visitors center, I was drenched in sweat and was looking forward to the air conditioning. I grabbed a couple of bottles of cold water from the Visitor’s Center and then headed back down the hill.

Last Night when I was Planning today’s adventure I had considered heading east to Mitchell or Chamberlin, but I want to visit the Badlands National Park and if I moved east it would be a very long day. So, I decided to head to the Badlands this afternoon and then back track and spend the Night in Rapid City.

So about 11:30 a.m. I hit Interstate 90 and head east.  It’s a little over 100-miles from Deadwood to the Interior, South Dakota entrance of the Badlands National Park.  The 100-mile drive took me a little more than an hour and a half.

As I arrived at the Northeast Entrance station for the Badlands National Park the temperature on my car thermometer showed 104 degrees. Once again, I used my National Park Senior pass to waive the $30 per car entrance fee. My NPS Senior Pass is one of the best purchases that I have ever made. It cost me $20 per year and has more than paid for itself on this trip. Plus, once I get four $20 annual Passes, I can get a free lifetime Senior Pass. 

After making it through the entrance station my first stop was at the Big Badlands Overlook. This was my first true view of the South Dakota Badlands and just a preview of the amazing scenery that was to come.

After leaving the Big Badlands Overlook, it was just a shot drive to the Ben Reifel Visitors Center. Here I picked up a map. There was a sign out front informing visitors that several hiking trails are closed due to extreme heat.  I talk to one of the rangers who told me that temperatures are as high as 114 in some areas of the park and hear at the Visitors Center it was currently 105.

Leaving the Visitors Center, I spent the Next 3-hours or so driving the 35-mile scenic drive along Route 240.  Even though it was only 35-miles, I stopped at most of the Overlooks and was always amazed at the views. Pictures just can’t capture the rugged beauty of this park.

After completing my 3-hour tour of the Badlands National Park I arrived back in the small town of Wall, South Dakota and decided to make a stop at the World-Famous Wall Drug. If you think traditional Drug Store you are wrong. While it may have started out as a drug store that offered “Free Ice Water” to people traveling along Interstate 90. Today it is a large complex of Building housing souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and a host of gimmick attractions. 

If You have ever been to South of the Border in South Carolina well Wall Drug is a western version of that. Although it is a gigantic tourist trap it is popular and today it is very, very crowded.  I don’t like the crowds and ended up getting a free glass of Ice Water and a souvenir t-shirt and cap and headed back west toward Rapid City.

The 50-mile drive back to the Main Stay Suites in Rapid City took only about 45-minutes. Once I got checked in and settled in my room, I decided to walk across the parking lot to Sickies Garage Burger and Fries. It looks like a popular place and the online menu looked pretty good.

It was popular place, and I chose to sit at the bar. Since I walked over and was not driving, I decided to have one of the over 100 beers that they Have on Tap.  I chose the house IPA which was really good and after a long hot day it was very refreshing. My Big Classic Burger and Fries was great. It filled me up so Sickies was a good choice for supper.

Back in my room, I set about my nightly routine and set about planning tomorrows adventure. It looks like I’ll head east and begin really begin my trek east. Not sure how far I will make it as it will depend on what I can find along the way.

The Adventure Continues.