The trip across South Dakota
starts in Sioux Falls. The city,
with a population of over 136,000 is the largest in the state. Sioux
Falls is an economic center for the state, with major
banking operations, hospitals, and retail stores—including two large malls.
The city is also home to the Great Plains
Zoo & Delbridge Museum.
The zoo features over 45 acres of exhibits, including an Asian Cat Habitat, Bear
Canyon, and an African Savannah. In
all, the Great Plains Zoo has over 500 animals in simulated versions of their
natural habitats. In addition, the Delbridge
Museum, on the same site, features
various displays of stuff animals from five continents.
After exploring various animals from around the world, step over the Performance
Car Museum
in Sioux Fall to explore some of the fastest cars ever on the road. This museum
features Shelby Cobra, Chevys, and even a Ferrari Testarossa. In addition, the
museum has on display cars owned by the stars, including cars owned by Clint
Eastwood and Burt Reynolds.
Mitchell
After a day of animals, museums, and cars, it is time to travel east on I-90
to Mitchell, South Dakota.
The city is famous for its Corn Palace.
Every year, the outside of the Corn Palace
is decorated with thousands of bushels of corn, oats, grain, and wheat in the
form of murals depicting various aspects of South Dakota
life.
The Corn Palace
was original created in 1892 as an exposition center for farmers to display
their harvests. Today, the facility is used to host shows, expositions, and
sporting events. It still remains the only Corn
Palace in the world.
While in Mitchell, you can learn about the culture of the Native Americans
of the region at the Dakota Discovery
Museum. The facility displays
Indian beadwork, clothing, bags, and dolls. In addition, the museum also
features exhibits on the history of the settlement of North and South
Dakota, as well as five galleries of artwork.