After a few busy weeks of working with Habitat, Doug was hoping for a week of rest on the shores of the Missouri River. But when I realized that we were on the Lewis and Clark Trail, we decided to adopt their motto, "Spirit of Discovery", as we explored the Sioux City, Iowa area.
We were technically camped across the river in Nebraska at the Scenic Park Campground located in South Sioux City. This is a beautiful city-run RV park that is connected to sports fields, riverside parks, and the YMCA swimming pool by a nice bike path.
Following the bike path over the bridge, we found an easy two mile route into downtown Sioux City ... and just a tad bit further up is South Dakota. We saw three state welcome signs on our way here promising us ...
The Good Life ...
Fields of Opportunities ...
and Great Faces, Great Places!
As we settled in for the week, we came to realize that "the good life" may be just outside our door as fabulous "bike trails of opportunities" lead us to many "great faces and great places".
Our first "discovery" along the bike path was a festival put on by the local Hispanic community with amazing musical talent as well as delicious authentic Mexican food. There is something about hearing wonderful Hispanic music that makes us crave tacos and enchiladas ... see if you agree!
Crossing the bridge the next day into Sioux City, Iowa, we "discovered" a downtown area that was filled with creatures even more unique than the Pokemon that Doug searched for. The Sculpt Siouxland exhibition brings art into the public places for all to enjoy.
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| "Let's Go" explore! |
There was something for each of us at the free Sioux City Public Museum. We discovered a rich history of a prosperous boom town in the late 1800s. In the land where corn is king, they boasted of building some of the first and finest corn palaces.
Livestock production and the arrival of the railroad brought prosperity to the town, but devastating floods and economic downturns also affected the town. A catastrophic flood in 1892 wiped out much of the downtown area as well as the livestock yards.
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| Kevin, at Chartrand Computer Central, in 1992 |
In the musical section of the museum, we discovered one-hit wonder, Dick Thomas, who made Sioux City famous in 1945 with his hit, Sioux City Sue. As you listen, I'm sure you will see why Doug is reminded of his Rochester Redhead with the lyrics:
Your hair is red, your eyes are blue. I'd swap my horse and dog for you!
Do you think that he would??!!
Another day while biking along the Perry Creek bike path, we made a "sweet" discovery ... Palmer Candy Shoppe has called Sioux City home since 1878.
After a few free samples, we each picked out a pound of our favorite candy ... and left the shoppe with the same candy ... 2 pounds of Malted Milk Balls ... yes, sometimes we are very compatible!
After I gave Doug a day to install our new cell phone booster (leave him a comment if you want to know the "nerdy" details), he was up for a "touristy" day. Our visit to the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and the Sgt. Floyd River Museum helped us discover the strong spirit of our country's early explorers. Movies, large murals and interactive displays made this a fun way to take in a history lesson.
Their two year expedition up the Missouri River to its source in Montana and over the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean was filled with hardships. Amazingly, only one man was lost during that difficult journey. Sgt. Floyd died of a ruptured appendix in August 1804 as the group passed by our present location. An obelisk similar in design to the Washington Monument stands high on the hill above the river marking his burial site. The Iowa Riverboat Welcome Center is named in his honor.
Other great discoveries along the bike path during our week in Sioux City included:
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| A point along the bike path in which we can see three states: Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska |
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| Memories of Ragbrai of years gone by ... That's where Doug started his one and only Ragbrai in 1993 |
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| Beautiful flower gardens and pavilions |
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| A Spanish Mass in the Cathedral ... we still need LOTS of practice with our Duolingo Spanish app |
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| The ever changing assortment of microbrews and plenty of friendly folks at Jackson Street Brewing |
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| And, as always, the continuing search for Pokemon! |
While it may not have been as restful as Doug would have hoped, we are once again reminded of how much we enjoy the "Spirit of Discovery" as we "proceed on" with RVentures!
Until next time ... embrace the spirit of discovery ... and enjoy the adventures in your life!
On to Omaha, Nebraska tomorrow for another Habitat for Humanity build ... As always, would love to hear your top discoveries in that part of our beautiful country!
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