A Shift in the Wind

The Midwest is gorgeous in the fall... as are most places, I suppose. We have shifted the clothes in our duffel bag - moving the shorts to the bottom and long stuff on top. And I am resisting the need to retire my Chacos for the season, no matter how cold my toes get.


Ladies and Gents, the inevitable is here... we are running out of time and will not be able to see every state in this incredible country. Very sad, very sad. So it is Northeast or Bust for us! We hope to get to Maine within the next month, see some pretty leaves and lighthouses, and then head along the east coast before the hardcore winter begins.


Quick question for you... If the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc. are called the Midwest, then what are Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, etc. called? The Left West? The 3/4s of the Way West? The Real West?

Well, whatever you choose to call that area... sadly, we will miss it. The good news is those natural features have been there for hundreds of thousands of millions of years. We hope they can survive the next 2+ years until we get back. It is a part of the nation we'd like to explore. Anyone up for joining us on the Pacific Crest Trail?

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On our way east, we decided to stop in Pierre - South Dakota's state capitol. And our blog would not be complete without some facts!

• Built between 1905 and 1910
• 114,000 square foot structure
• Materials include native field stone, Indiana limestone, and Vermont and Italian marble.
• 161 feet tall, 292 feet long
• Designed and built for just under 1 million dollars
• It is a modified version of Montana's State Capitol
• Currently valued at 58 million dollars
• The "Capitol Annex" was added in 1932 at the request for more office space

The "Blue Tile" Legend:
Sixty-six Italian artists were hired to lay the terrazzo tile throughout the capital building. Most artists leave their signature on their work, and each Italian artist was given a blue "signature stone" to place wherever they'd like. But only 55 of the 66 blue stones have ever been found. We found 5.

Brass buttons were installed during the 1940's renovation in order to provide engineers with elevation reference points throughout the building. Every 5 years, engineers check the reference points and determine if the foundation has moved with the expansive soil. We saw one brass button.


The Rotunda is 96 feet from where I'm standing to the interior center, and is 161 feet from where I'm standing to the exterior center.


The Warrior Eagle Staff is said to be the first flag used by Native American people. The one pictured above (right) is wrapped with smoked buffalo hide and strung with beads and eagle feathers over green willow branches.

South Dakota has been under 4 different governments:

• French
• Spanish
• Dakota Territory
• United States

The capitol grounds are perfectly manicured, and include numerous memorials. An eye-catching one contains six life-size bronze statues, each representing roles of soldiers during World War II, and pays tribute to the 65,000 South Dakotans involved in the war.

Directly in front of the bronze statues is the Flaming Fountain Memorial with a flowing artesian well containing natural gas. You could smell the sulphur when we arrived. The gas was ignited as a background for the surrounding memorials, but it was not lit while we were there.

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If you are going to visit South Dakota, don't forget to see The World's Only Corn Palace!

The idea for the palace came from Louis Beckwith and L.O. Gale to showcase the crops grown in the area and attract immigrant farmers to settle in the area. The first palace was built in 1892 (for just under $3,000), and a Corn Palace Festival kicked off the harvest. Both traditions continue today!


The corn murals have to wait until late summer when the corn crop is ready. We arrived in time to witness the transition. 2009's theme was "America's Destinations" and included images of Mt. Rushmore, the Space Needle, and the Statue of Liberty.


And 2010's theme is "Through the Ages" and will display modes of transportation. Two guys were nailing half-husks to form an airplane.

• It takes around $130,000 to redecorate the Corn Palace each year.
• 3,000 bushels of milo, rye, oat heads, and sour dock are tied in bundles and border each image.
• Over a half million ears of corn, in 12 different colors, are sawed in half and nailed to the building.
• New murals are transferred onto black roofing paper, then the corn is nailed in. The lady at the palace said to think of it as a large "Corn-by-Color." Heehee - A Corn Palace joke!