Monday morning we were pleased to awake and find we were still on a dry spot. When we pulled into the KOA last night, we were told that several of the sites were closed because of the excess rains experienced the day before. Here we were, almost to the Missouri River near Chamberlain and they had as much rain as the city from which we left. Don't ask where we were. It was in the middle of nowhere.
We headed on eastward. When approaching the Missouri the road goes down in elevation a couple of hundred feet. Then, crossing the wide (literally) Missouri I-90 goes up nearly 250 feet. At the top of the bluff there’s a rest area that overlooks the area. We stopped there last year but had no need to this year. Still, a photo will show just how wide the river is. If one pays attention, the gradual change from open range with only a few trees to smaller fields and wooded areas. As a result, the horizon seemed to get closer and the view of the sky smaller.
Crossing the wide, wide Missouri River at Chamberlain, South Dakota
We continued on past Mitchell, home of the famous Corn Palace (see last year’s blog) to Sioux Falls, South Dakota where we turned south on to I-29. Unlike last year, we decided to see the falls and called about RV parking. We were directed to the Farmers Market lot on the north edge of Falls Park. From there is was a brief walk along the river and under a bridge to the park area itself. The time was about 2:30 and there were visitors scattered about. About half were tourists and the other half were enjoying the day.
The Big Sioux River runs through Sioux Falls. The park is on either side of the Cascades. The formations are of jasper (Sioux granite) with several jutting up in the middle of the river. Yet others form large patios. There are several areas up and down the .8 mile stretch where the water ultimately drops around 200 feet in it’s drop from the upper point to the lower point.
Overlooking Falls Park and the Cascades at Sioux Falls from
the tower at the visitor center. This section of the Big Sioux River
Actually flows northward as the river makes a big “S” curve
through the city of Sioux Falls, Iowa.
Since this was an ideal area for getting power using water, a system of pipes that fed the Queen Bee Mill and the Hydroelectric Plant were installed to harness the energy of the falling water. The mill had a gate and one large pipe feeding one turbine. The water plant had a separate gate and three pipes that fed three turbines. The mill was built in 1887 and the utility plant was constructed in 1908. To redirect the water’s flow some blasting was done on the rocky cascades. Since both the mill and the electric plant are no longer functional, the gates have been removed as well as the pipes so the water flows freely through all of the openings as well as over the natural falls.
We stepped into the refurbished electric building which has been converted into a café. We got some ice cream and looked around. On the list of bands entertaining in the shell of the Queen Bee Mill he saw a listing for Poker Alice. After enquiring he found that a Bluegrass band in the area is named Poker Alice and had been playing for several years. in fact, they’re a local favorite.
The Falls Park Visitor Information Center, (http://www.travelsd.com/Attractions/Falls-Park) featuring a five-story observation tower and elevator, provides information on Falls Park and other Sioux Falls attractions. We spent more time walking around the park than we thought but it was a relaxing way to break up the trip and take a journey back 100 years to see how things were done then.
As we pulled into the Walmart at Sioux City we saw a
caravan of antique tractors making it’s way into
the town for an overnight stop. They tended
to get together by brands though there
was a mixture, for sure.
Leaving Sioux Falls we continued south on I-29. As we neared the border with Iowa traveling in the Big Sioux River Valley, bluffs started to appear on the horizon to the east. By the time we reached Sioux City, where the Big Sioux meets the Missouri, bluff appear to the east and west, though they are some distance from the interstate. Oddly, where these rivers converge it seems that the width is scarcely more than 30 yards. It’s quite a contrast from how wide the Missouri is farther up stream. Once in Council Bluffs, it is easy to see how the town got it’s name.
The bluffs to the east of Interstate 29 are obvious while
approaching Council Bluffs, Iowa from the north.
No comments:
Post a Comment