Place: Idaho Falls, ID
Weather: Wind increasing. A few clouds, 50/92F
Route: From Yellowstone 158 miles SW on US-191 N, US-20 W.
Population: 62,888 (2019)
Places to visit: Idaho Falls River Walk, Museum of Idaho, Japanese Pavilion, Collector Corner Museum, The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho.
Images:
The Falls (from idahofallsidaho.gov)
Place: Yellowstone National Park
Weather: A mix of clouds and sun early, then becoming cloudy later in the day, 46/78F.
Route: From Devils Tower 399 mile west on US-14 W, I-90 W, US-16 W, US-20 W, WY-30 W, US-14 W.
Significance: The granddaddy of them all. In 1872 it became the nation's first national park. It is also one of the most interesting parks. There are countless hydrothermal and geologic wonders, as well as incredible animals who seem to know be very comfortable showing themselves off to guests.
Websites: UNESCO World Heritage Site, National Park Service.
Images:
Hot springs (from nationalgeographic.com)
Place: Devils Tower
Weather: Partly cloudy skies, 63/94F.
Route: From Teapot Dome 155 miles NE WY-50 N, I-90 E, US-14 E.
Significance: It looks cool. It's actually dried magma (igneous rock) - which has "risen" as the rock around it has eroded away. It will continue to do this, so it will become larger (or more of it will be exposed) as the "floor" lowers. It was a big part of the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." And it's a popular place for rock climbing. The name came from a misinterpretation of the Native American name for it. It was thought they called it "bad god tower." But they actually called it "Bear Lodge Butte" after a story that the marks on the sides were from a large bear trying to climb it.
Website: National Park Service
Image:
Place: Teapot Dome Historical Oilfield
Weather: Mostly sunny skies, 59/95F.
Route: From Sioux Falls 579 miles west on I-90 W and WY-50 S.
Significance: Albert Fall was the first cabinet official to ever face a prison sentence in U.S. history as part of the Teapot Dome scandal. He was the Secretary of the Interior for Warren Harding in the early from 1921-23. Teapot Dome was the name of one of three oilfields - the others were in California - that Fall leased to oil companies without any competitive bidding process. In return he received over 7 million dollars (in today's money) in no interest loans and outright bribes. Harding's administration was pretty corrupt - he brought many of his old friends from Ohio into his administration - they became known as the "Ohio gang."
Image:
Teapot Rock (from fineartamerica.com)
Place: Sioux Falls, SD
Weather: Sunny skies, 57/84F
Route: From Pipestone National Monument 49 miles SW on MN-23 W and I-90 W.
Population: 183,793 (2019)
Nicknames: Best Little City in America, Queen City of the West, The Heart of America.
Places to visit: Falls Park, Butterfly House & Aquarium, Old Courthouse Museum, Sioux Empire Medical Museum.
Images:
The Arc of Dreams (from siouxfalls.org)
Place: Pipestone National Monument, MN
Weather: Mix of clouds and sun with chance of isolated thunderstorms in afternoon, 57/76F.
Route: From Minneapolis 198 miles WSW on MN-65 S, US-212 W, MN-19 W, MN-23 W.
Significance: The red stone quarry here supplied many tribes with stone used for their pipes. These pipes were and are used in spiritual ceremonies - the smoke is thought to go to the heavens. Native Americans from all over the plains still come to harvest the stone. It is a deeply spiritual place. Below is a 20 minute video that explains more.
Website: National Park Service
Video:
Images:
Ceremonial pipe made from pipestone from the quarry (from mprnews.org)
Place: Minneapolis, MN
Weather: Isolated thunderstorms, 68/81F
Route: From Fargo 235 miles SE on I-94 S.
Population: 429,606 (2019)
