Also seen at the Dignity rest stop was this guy. I guess we know where he’s going! It’s interesting what you get to see when traveling across the country!
Dignity
At the rest stop at mile marker 624 on Interstate 90 in South Dakota, a large statue overlooks the Missouri River valley at Chamberlain. The Dignity statue is a reminder of the struggles and triumphs of the Lakota people. The Dignity statue stands at 50 feet tall and is made of stainless steel, and was created to honor the Lakota people. The sculpture, which was designed by sculptor Dale Lamphere, is the tallest statue in South Dakota and the first of its kind in the United States. The statue is a symbol of strength, pride and resilience for the Lakota people, and it is a reminder of the struggles and triumphs of Native Americans. The Dignity statue is a reminder of the importance of respecting and honoring the history and culture of Native Americans.
Also located at this rest stop, is a museum containing artifacts from the original Lewis and Clark Expedition. The museum is open year-round and offers visitors an opportunity to learn more about the expedition and its legacy. The rest stop also features a memorial garden dedicated to the expedition, as well as a gift shop with souvenirs and books about the expedition.
Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village
Mitchell, South Dakota is home to an archaeological treasure – an Indian village dating back to the 1800s. This ancient village is a reminder of the strong cultural heritage of the Native American people and an important part of the history of the area.
The village was discovered in 1874 by a group of miners, who came upon the remains of a large structure made of stones, poles and bark. The miners quickly realized that the structure was not of natural origin, and that it was the remains of a long-forgotten Indian village.
Since its discovery, the village has been studied by archaeologists, who have uncovered a wealth of information about the people who lived there. It is believed that the village was occupied by the Arapaho tribe during the early 1800s. The village was made up of a series of small lodges and huts, surrounded by a ditch and palisade. Inside the palisade, the archaeologists found evidence of several different activities, such as farming, hunting, and gathering.
The village also provides insight into the spiritual life of the Arapaho people. Archaeologists have discovered artifacts that suggest the village was used for religious ceremonies and rituals. These artifacts include ceremonial poles, decorated pottery, and ornate pipes.
Today, the archaeological site is a popular tourist attraction. Visitors can take guided tours of the village and learn about its history. Mitchell is also home to a museum dedicated to the village, where visitors can view artifacts and learn more about the Arapaho people. Visitors are also often allowed to help out by washing and sorting some of the artifacts that are found but they are not allowed to do any actual digging.
Dakota Discovery Museum
The Dakota Discovery Museum tells the story of people who came to the northern Plains. The past is preserved here which helps inform the current in habitants. Art and artifacts are combined and presented to tell the story of this region in a way that contributes to building the future of the people of the Dakotas.
Mitchell, South Dakota
Yes, we went there; the Corn Palace.
In 1892, the World’s Only Corn Palace was established on the Mitchell, South Dakota’s, Main Street. It was conceived as a gathering place where city residents and their rural neighbors could enjoy a fall festival with extraordinary stage entertainment – a celebration to climax a crop-growing season and harvest. This tradition continues today with the annual Corn Palace Festival held in late August each year.
A new Corn Palace was built in 1905 due to the success of the first one but it was quickly outgrown. In 1919 it was decided to build a third one. This one was to be permanent and more purposeful than its predecessors and was completed in 1921, just in time for the Corn Palace Festivities.
Today, the Corn Palace is more than the home of the festival or a point of interest of tourists. Its many uses include industrial exhibits, dances, stage shows, meetings, banquets, proms, graduations arena for Mitchell High School and Dakota Wesleyan University as well as district, regional and state basketball tournaments. USA Today named the Corn Palace one of the top 10 places in America for high school basketball.
One of the most notable aspects of the Corn Palace is its exterior decorations. It is redecorated each year with naturally colored corn and other grains and native grasses to make it “the agricultural show-place of the world”. Twelve different colors or shades of corn are used to decorate the Corn Palace: red, brown, black, blue, white, orange, calico, yellow and now even green corn! A different theme is chosen each year, and murals are designed to reflect that theme. Ear by ear the corn is nailed to the Corn Palace to create a scene.
Inside the Corn Palace a complete history is shown on various plaques and display cases and includes a photo history of each yearly design since inception.
Outside of admiring the work that goes into the planning and constructing the outside and inside decorations and reading through the history of the Corn Palace inside, there’s not much to do here. Unless there are touristy-type vendors inside chatting with visitors and selling their trinkets, people can get bored pretty quickly; I’ve read many accounts of other visitors saying just this. That is unfortunate as the process designing and growing the different colored corn and cultivating the native grasses that go into the decorations that is documented inside is really quite fascinating.
W.P. Franklin
W.P. Franklin is a small Army Corps of Engineer (COE) park located just northeast of Ft Myers in Florida. COE parks are usually located near water features (lakes and rivers) and usually have some great camping spots at great prices. As can be imagined, they are quite popular and often difficult to get in. I stayed at this location in 2021 and didn’t have any problems reserving a site for 9 days. This year (2022), I couldn’t get in. It has been hard to reserve a spot nearly everywhere I’ve looked especially over a weekend.
W.P. Franklin is a lock and dam feature located on the Caloosahatchee River. It has 29 RV sites and 8 boat sites. The campground is almost completely surrounded by the Caloosahatchee River with just a narrow stretch of land connecting it to the shore. The Caloosahatchee River is part of the 152 mile Okeechobee Waterway that spans South Florida from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.
Audie Murphy Museum
The Audie Murphy Museum in Greenville, TX is a great place to visit to learn more about the most decorated military soldier in U.S. history. This small museum showcases his life from where he grew up his early years, his highly decorated time in military and the various movies he starred in. Free for military veterans.
Iowa Freedom Rocks
The Iowa Freedom Rock was one man’s quest to honor America’s Veterans. The artist, Ray “Bubba” Sorensen II, was inspired by the movie Saving Private Ryan, as well as, wanting to give Veterans a unique recognition on Memorial Day. Started in 1999, the last rock was complete in 2017 so there is now a rock in each of Iowa’s 99 counties. You can find more information about “Bubba” and the other Freedom Rocks in Iowa by going to https://www.thefreedomrock.com/.
The following images are ones I took on Memorial Day yesterday of the original rock which is the only one that is repainted each year by the artist. Yes, that is the artist himself in the first photo…
Water Saving TIps
As a money saving tip, try to stay as many days as possible at the less expensive RV parks, such as an Army Corps of engineer location. Most of these parks have electric and water only without sewer. Some, like the one we’re at now, have electric only. That means you need to have your fresh water tanks completely full and waste tanks empty before you arrive. We have an 80-gallon fresh water tank, two 50-gallon grey tanks, and one 50-gallon black tank. This means I can fill up my fresh water tank twice before I need to empty my waste tanks! If you need to take a shower every day, you’ll run through that 80-gallon tank pretty quickly, even when you’re taking “Navy” showers. From experience, we’re good for maybe 10-11 days and that’s if one of us takes a shower every other day and taking a sponge bath or use baby wipes on the non-shower days.
So, what’s the water saving tip? Park as close to the shower facilities as possible (or at least make sure the park you’re at has shower facilities you can at least drive to) and use their facilities for showers! Eighty gallons of fresh water (even 50 gallons) will last for quite awhile if you don’t need to take showers.
Another option to help alleviate water shortages in your RV, get a collapsible water bladder that can be carried in the bed of your truck and folded up and stored when not in use. Drive to the nearby water spigot and fill up the bladder. Use a small water pump to transfer water back into the RV’s fresh water tank. You can use your RV water pump to do this but it takes F.O.R.E.V.E.R. to transfer this way. Ask me how I know! This is the solution I’m going with once I locate an appropriate bladder.
Stay tuned for more money-saving, water-saving, and other camping tips!
Hot Springs or Hot Views?
Hot Springs National Park is in the middle of Hot Springs, Arkansas! There are several historic buildings (hot springs bathhouses and the park headquarters) located in the downtown area. Visiting in the fall is guaranteed to leave you speachless at all the colors in the downtown and surrounding areas.
A few images from the downtown area:
More views of the surrounding hills: