Traveling with Jack and Theresa

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After Thoughts 2005

Probing America: High Tech on Back Roads

Day Seven Pierre, South Dakota, to South Sioux City, Nebraska

June 30, 1992
To: Meg

Nebraska, you wonder. How in hell did they get to Nebraska? Wrong turn? No, it's really an extraordinarily dull story. One rule of the road is don't try and make something out of nothing, so we won't. Just the facts for those of you who write that you are tracking the trip on your old Rand McNally's.

Peterson Cycles, Pierre, South Dakota

We left you in Pierre (Pronounced Peer, after the thing in the river for which it was named) doing the 33-mile absolutely featureless drive to 90, where we turned east and on to a stop at Mitchell to see something called the Corn Palace. One of the team has fond memories of family trips during her childhood to the Corn Palace. This is the centennial year, and the third building, dating from about 1912. The building is basically a 4-story auditorium with Russian like turrets covered with child like large and predictable drawings made of various colored corn cobs all around the outside. It is ugly. The concept of a town keeping something like this alive (and it barely is) for 100 years is intriguing. Maybe more later from another perspective.

We were back on 90 in 30 minutes (the other troop member had allowed two hours for this stop), turned south on 29 and coasted into the Sioux City, Iowa, Welcome Center by 2:30. We asked the kindly volunteer, who used to spend 5 months each year in Arizona, but has cut it down to 3, for a room recommendation, preferably something on the water. He directed us to the new (aren't they always) Marina Inn, which happens to be across the river. So that's how we got to Nebraska, where we sit on our balcony, enjoying the humidity, sipping weak Scotch and waters. Just a dull, but yet pleasant day on the road, finally stopping early enough to relax and prepare for 300 miles of cornfields.

Well, yes, maybe something can be added about the Mitchell Corn Palace and that is it looks great when you are 13 and born and raised around corn, but when you are 47 you are a little (a lot) embarrassed about promoting it for hundreds of miles. But let it be noted that we were not the only Oregonians there today...four others had signed the Oregon guest book today and who knows how many others were like the man (who one is sure is from California) we overheard saying, "I just don't see what there is to see." He obviously did not grow up with corn, but more about that in the next few days.

Homemade sign seen in Sheridan, Wy.

Baby Rats $2

Until then, we intend to have a deck party on our veranda overlooking the Missouri River. At 5 p.m., we will upload and if we are lucky download, and then have supper at a neon-decorated restaurant, called Garfunkel's, overlooking the river. When all is said and done, not too bad for Nebraska. That's it from the Mighty Mo!



© 2014 Theresa Ripley