South Dakota 2013: Brookings... and Beyond!

On Tuesday we left for SD, to spend time first with Susan's Dad in Brookings, then to attend nephew Jon's wedding to Layne in Pierre, and finally to spend a few days in the Black Hills with Aunt Ruth and Cousin Katie. Below is installment #1...

Josh was understandably excited about flying. And thanks to a great play area in Chicago we had a very easy trip.

Grandpa Gene insisted on letting each boy pick out a toy at Runnings, a local store. Josh chose a long-haul trailer, and Sam got an evil killer robot mask with glowing red eyes and a voice modulator. Took a while for Josh to warm up to it, but he eventually did.

For two days we passed the time at the Children's museum. It's smaller than the one in Rochester, but it has some nice features. It was funded entirely by a local businessman, Larsen, but you'd never know it--if his name appears anywhere I didn't see it. The big hit were two aninamatronic dinosaurs, a mam and baby T. rex. Josh was captivated by them. When he first saw them he said with great emotion, "AMAZING DINOSAUR! HE EAT YOU!" He would start whenever they roared, and refused to go close to the mama even with us along. And he would tell anyone who'd listen that they were ROARING. 

On Thursday we met Susan's Aunt Glenda and Uncle Alan and were treated to a very pleasant lunch by them at the museum cafeteria.

We made sure before leaving town to eat at Susan's favorite pizza place, George's. 

Now to Pierre, the state capital. We had some free time before the wedding today, so we joined the Colorado cousins in a tour of the capital building.

It has a lot of beautiful architecture befitting a capital building.

This is a sculpture of two horses fighting. It commemorates Governor Michelson, who died in a small place crash. Not sure why they chose two fighting horses. 

Josh and I walked, well, mostly ran, around the lake outside the capital. Apparently it is the site of a natural hot spring, so the temperature is something very high--Marlene quoted 96 deg F. Ducks swim there year round, Susan says. We glimpsed what must have been a river otter.

80 years ago they brought in workers to repair some cracks in the beautiful tile floor. Each was given a heart-shaped tile to place wherever he wanted. We only found one of them. When the tiles were first laid they brought in Italian workers, and each was given a blue tile to hide. Only 55 of the 66 have ever been found--we spotted six.

This is a senate chamber. Layne's mom is a state senator.

The reservation was held at a rodeo conference center and banquet hall. It was a very nice place up on top of a ridge overlooking Pierre and the Missouri river. Inside were exhibits about various titans of rodeo. Here are Sam and Megan, who hung out a lot in the last 24 hours.

This is one of four statues in the entry hall. I can't quite make out who this is. Progress?

Here's Susan with a portrait of her relative, Harvey Wolman (sp?), who was for half a year promoted from Lt. Gov'r to governor. This is opposite a portrage of Roger Wolman, another relative, who is on the federal apellate court. She says Roger rarely talks about work but when he does, it's fascinating.

That's the news. We'll be out of internet contact until Wednesday...