The Corn Palace is dreamed up in 1892, just three years after South Dakotas’ statehood, by a group of local businessmen. They desire to increase the local population in order to secure the success of their ventures. They decide to build a Corn Palace that might help convince potential residents of the area’s agricultural abundance. […]
Fossilized remains of giant sea turtles, mammoths, and other prehistoric animals are found throughout the grassy plains of South Dakota. The largest and most complete Archelon ischyros (Sea Turtle) ever found is unearthed from the soil in southwestern South Dakota, near the Cheyenne River at Buffalo Gap during the mid-1970s. […]
Space weather? What is space weather? Upon entering the US Department of Commerce compound a combat uniformed gentleman flags me to stop. He instructs me to open the drivers’ door and to drop my tailgate. Upon complying, his German Sheppard runs up and over and through my truck. I’ll have some explaining to do to Murphy. I proceed into the nearby visitors center as the explosives dog continues his search. […]
After high school, I visit an Air Force recruiter only to learn my eyesight would prevent me from flying for the Air Force. With that, I’ve always had an affinity and admiration for this particular military branch and its members. I’m excited to visit what might have been if only I had been smarter and had better vision; the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. […]
During this visit, there is large hail, 50 mile per hour winds, and rotating thunderstorms. For many local news stations, this would warrant wall-to-wall coverage of radar shots and dire prognostications. Here it’s a mention during commercial breaks with “no interruption to our scheduled programming” It’s a place where afternoon drives are met with increasingly ominous skies. A place where commercials for storm shelters are as common as car commercials. A place where even a budget campground has an underground bunker. Is this the twilight zone. No, it’s in the middle of Tornado Alley. […]
When first planning my trip to New Orleans, the number one thing on my list to see was the Huey P. Long Bridge. I’m sure that is not a very popular tourist attraction but one that has been on my list for 30 years. The 8,000′ long cantilevered steel truss bridge rises 150 above the Mississippi River and was opened in 1935. But that has nothing to do with its significance to me. […]