Adventures as we leave the Badlands and our stay in Yankton, SD ~ August 25-27, 2022

7 am 80* Sunny & hot & on the road at 7:45 🙋🏻‍♀️ Our first stop after leaving is the……. Minuteman Missile National Historic Site – the Minuteman Missile was an iconic weapon in the American nuclear arsenal during the Cold War, defining the last half of the 20th century. A vast arsenal of nuclear missiles were placed in the Great Plains. Hidden in plain sight, for thirty years 1,000 missiles were kept on constant alert; hundreds remain today. It holds the power to destroy civilization, but is meant as a nuclear deterrent to maintain peace and prevent war.

The parks 3 sites are between the Badlands & Wall, SD. In the 1940’s top secret Manhattan Project developed a US atomic bomb. The site preserves two facilities that were part of the Minuteman Missile field that covered the far western portion of South Dakota from 1963 through the early 1990’s. We walked through the visitor center which provides exhibits and information about the Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile System & a historical movie too. We weren’t able to get a tour of Delta-01, the command center or Delta-09, the Missile silo site 31 feet underground! The missiles waited in these silos that have a 90 ton cover that would slide out of the way if command came from Launch Control to blast the Minuteman Missile off to a target thousands of miles around the earth! 🌎

Hay fields & canola fields for as far as you can see!

Stopped in Chamberlain (Population of 2,473), for Diet Coke’s, lunch & ice cream right down the street from the Chamberlain Bridge ….so I had to look up it’s history. The Chamberlain Bridge is a historic bridge connecting the towns of Chamberlain and Oacoma across the Missouri River and Lake Francis Case. The bridge was originally completed in 1925. In 1953, Lake Francis Case was created by the new Fort Randall Dam and the bridge became obsolete. The Wheeler Bridge, also completed in 1925, was floated up the river 70 miles and the two bridges were joined to span the new lake. The bridge now carries I-90 business. The main path of I-90 crosses the lake on a modern bridge 1 mile south of the Chamberlain Bridge and a railroad bridge crosses about 300 yards south of I-90.

Back on I-90 to a famous Rest Area (exit 264) – a 2-story building featuring Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center with exhibits, life size boats upstairs. Beautiful view overlooking river. “Dignity” a 50 ft stainless steel statue by Dale Lamphere of Sturgis, an Indigenous woman in Plains style dress receiving a star quilt, looks over the mighty Missouri River, arms spread out with quilt over her shoulders, dancing to welcome people to western South Dakota. The monument transitions from SD lush and fertile farmlands of the east to the rolling hills of the west.

Onward to lots of hay fields and now windmills!

2:15pm (lost an hour earlier) stopped in Mitchell, SD at the famous Corn Palace! Sounds corny but have to be a tourist and check it out. Since 1892 there has been 3 Corn Palace structures built. Every year it is redecorated with naturally colored corn and other grains and native grasses to make it “the agricultural show place of the world”. A different theme every year, and murals reflect the theme. Ear by ear the corn is nailed on… starts in October and taken down at the end of August. 13 differs shades of corn…red, brown,black,blue,white, orange, calico, yellow and green! 🌽. We arrived during the time of the annual Corn Palace Festival held every August, so there were carnival rides and booths up & down all the streets. 🎡 The structure is a big arena used for stage shows, dances, banquets, proms, graduations, Mitchell High School & Dakotas Wesleyan University for district, regional and state basketball tournaments.

3:05pm back on the road

Along the way to Yankton we stopped at Dimock Cheese – Premium Handcrafted Artisan Cheese Plant, opening in 1931. They continue to make cheese the old-fashioned way. Of course we bought cheese & some curds. 🧀

Lots of cornfields 🌽, more hay fields, lots of cows 🐄 along the road!

4:36pm crossed into Nebraska & now the scenery has changed to Christmas Tree farms. 🌲 So the laugh as we entered the entrance to COE Cottonwood Campground there’s a state line sign so we’re back in SD but the part of the lake where we are is in Nebraska!

We definitely made the right choice in coming here an extra night even though we have to change sites right across from where we are tonight but OMG what a beautiful area! The shade, the breeze, the view of the lake….it’s perfect. The Gavins Point Dam is to the west, behind us!

Gavins Point Dam located on the Missouri River, was completed in 1957 as part of the Pick-Sloan Plan. The dam and power plant are operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. We visited the platform and the spillway on the south.

After setting up, walking around the park to check everything out we drove to Yankton down by the river. Decided to have dinner at Rivers Edge . Tim tried 2 different local beers. We tried a flatbread then our entrees were Cod & pulled pork. We then walked down along the river and found the Meridian Bridge, walked the bottom section across the Missouri River into Nebraska, then took the top bridge back across to South Dakota. The lights came on and lit the bridge and we ended up in a beautiful park plaza with statues and fountains! Perfect! The bridge span 3,029 ft over the Missouri River and is the longest double decker pedestrian bridge connecting 2 states. Originally built in 1924 as the first permanent bridge crossing the river.

**** But the nights not over… we drove to a self serve car wash and washed the truck…..the most bubbles/soap we’ve ever seen! Stopped at an O’Reillys to get DEF for the truck then to the local Walmart to stock up! Needed jugs of water and a new hose to replace ours that battled with cactus’s and lost! 🌵 Then last stop “Cork & Bottle” for a few gifts of SD whiskey. Back to trailer at 10:10 (314 miles for today) Good night all!

~~~Thursday, August 25th (day 38) Beautiful clear, sunny, breezy day. Cooked breakfast outside and enjoyed the view.

10:30 Ventured to Yankton at a local RV sales and looked at RV’s! Why not! 😂 Stopped at a Sinclair Gas Station and only put in 18 gallons. @ $4.38/gal. Went to the Missouri National Recreational Area Park Headquarters/Visitor Center, walked around but no one was there to get information from! Then drove up winding road to the Lewis & Clark Visitor Center. This was the first COE building we’ve been in! What an informative center with exhibits, a lot of hands on displays and also about the power plant and dam. It all started in 1804 when Lewis & Clark brought their expedition to Yankton. They met with the indigenous Sioux Tribe at Calumet Bluff (now near the dam). Gifts were exchanged, bonds were formed, and the Corps of Discovery continued west with its journey. What a beautiful view of our campground and the dam! We then drove over the top of the dam and low and behold there’s our campground! Who knew! 🤦🏻‍♀️😱😉

1:30pm we got back to campground and moved across the street to our original site for they had just pulled out. Now on the Lake Yankton, site 57P…beautiful.

Got all setup and left for Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery and Aquarium Saw a lot of interesting fish and turtles we’ve never seen before. Located on the Missouri River, they raise endangered and threatened fish species, culturing other native and nonnative aquatic species. Paddlefish numbers dropped due to the dam construction. It has a long nose which it uses for sensing their primary food source zooplankton. They grow up to 17 inches in less than a year! Also the endangered pallid sturgeon which is an ancient fist that grow up to 6 ft long, weighing up to 85lbs and live up to 50 years!! They are found in the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Learned a-lot of new facts today!

Stopped by Ben’s Brewery in town and Tim tried 2 local beers. (an IPA & Swage). In 2005, Ben Hanten started The Hugh Glass Bar in downtown Yankton. It quickly gained a reputation as one of the best places in the region to grab a drink. In 2007, Ben changed the name to Ben’s and years later the bar became a brewery and is now know as Ben’s Brewing Co. 20 beers on draft & 18 of them are their own. 🍻

Next stop…. yup… McDonald’s for my daily Diet Coke! 🥤 Took a trail and stopped in Sunflower field. Relaxed the rest of the evening at our site with a gorgeous view and campfire. 🔥 (35 miles for today) Pleasant dreams till tomorrow! 💤 🦗