South Dakota, Part 6: Day trip to Sioux Falls

I did some reading ahead of time and found a pair of attractions in Sioux Falls which I thought might be fun: Thunder Road, which has mini golf, bungee trampolining, go-carts, etc., and the Great Plains Zoo.

Mini golf has been a big hit in the past. Unfortunately, Josh isn't quite up to focusing on it, and preferred to wing around like a fighter harassing the supply lines. We were trapped behind a large party, which we quickly caught up to, so we eventually just had to split up, Ruth and Susan and Josh going off while Sam and I finished our 18. 

Josh emplored us for a ride in these little powered boats. But he'd envisioned riding with mommy, and when he was denied this, he despondently insisted he couldn't work the steering wheel, and just puttered around in sad little circles for five minutes. 

Sam was in heaven, treated to a bungee jump by Aunt Ruth. (I am happy to say the prices in Sioux Falls are considerably lower than in Lake Placid!)

Then on to the zoo. It's comparable in size to the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester. Perhaps a little smaller in holdings, but not being trapped between the city and a river, it is free to spread out. 

We first saw their albino alligators. They don't do well in nature: bad camouflage, vulnerable to UV. Perfect for zoos.

They have a large herd of giraffes. 

A pleasant break was the train ride around the safari grounds. We saw two lazy cheetahs as well as quite a number of rabbits and squirrels. 

For my money, the most beautiful animal in the zoo was the scarlet ibis. 

We learned on the train ride that an ostrich's eyes are larger than its brain. Certain sexist remarks were then made by certain Manson women. 

Attached to the gift shop is a vast collection of taxidermy. It was owned by a rich businessman who displayed his animals in his hardware store. After he died, someone bought them all and donated them to the zoo. Knowing that most zoos are against taxidermy, I assumed these were just models. When Susan told me the truth, it was a little like being told by the Wax Museum guide that all the people are stuffed. Eerie. But at the same time a truly impressive collection.

There's a bit of a family connection to the taxidermy: Susan and Ruth's grandfather Joe not only was a farmer but also school superintendent, teacher in a colony school, and also did the books for the hunting hardware store owner. Ruth remembers going into the messy back room of the store, mounted animals all around. 

Dove-tails nicely with my concept of a Smell Zoo, which has models of animals, plus little chemical devices that produce the scents of the safari, the savannah, the remote mountains of Tibet, and so on. 

I am sure it will catch on. 

After a long day in the City we were all a little worn out.

 But not too tired for Uncle Paul to offer Sam a trip on his motorcycle!

Josh and Ruth waiting for Sam and Paul to return.

One more day of puttering around Ruth and Paul's...