Treasure Hunting in South Dakota
On the morning after we left the Badlands, we drove into Rapid City to spend the day with Mary Evelyn’s friend from Wyoming and her new husband. Our first stop was Prairie Edge Trading Company and Galleries, a beautiful gift shop filled with Native American art and a surprising balcony room filled with more beads than I have ever seen anywhere.
On display were beautiful examples of bead work, including this quilt.
The day was rainy and cold, so we made a visit to the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Museum of Geology, where we saw beautiful rocks from around the world. I’m not a rock hound, but I have a hard time resisting the urge to take photos of beautiful things that God made.
And . . .
Aren’t they beautiful? And, one of my personal favorites . . .
For the Lord is a great God
And a great King above all gods,
In whose hand are the depths of the earth,
The peaks of the mountains are His also.
Psalm 95:3-4
South Dakotans are masters at bringing tourists way out to their neck of the woods. Where else do you find:
- A drug store such as Wall Drug that became famous for handing out free water?
- The world’s only Corn Palace? That’s in Mitchell. We went there on our way home.
- Four giant heads carved into a mountain? — How giant? George Washington’s head is 60 feet tall and his nose 21 feet tall. Each of his eyes is about 11 feet wide and his mouth about 18 feet wide.
And, in the midst of the Great Depression, men working for the Works Progress Administration helped the city of Rapid City build dinosaurs on a hill to attract — you guessed it — tourists!
It’s still working because we braved the cold and rain on that Saturday afternoon and trekked up the hill to see concrete dinosaurs in Dinosaur Park.
And, why the red bow tied around the dinosaur’s neck? Because it’s fun, I guess. Remember to add some fun into your day! Kids love that.
Bless the Lord,
all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Psalm 103:22