I took two overlapping Mid West road trips in 2024. First, Omaha to Fargo, then Winnipeg to Chicago.
A quick stop-off at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
|
| Lewis & Clark Statue (plus dog)
|
|
| Jefferson orders the Expedition
|
|
| Lewis & Clark Diorama
|
|
| The Mighty Missouri, at Sioux City
|
|
| South Dakota State Capitol
|
|
| South Dakota State Capitol
|
|
| Capitol dome interior
|
|
| Capitol Rotunda
|
|
| Indian + trader
|
|
| Senate Chamber
|
|
| House chamber
|
|
| Supreme Court chamber
|
The Verendrye Brothers were French explorers who reach South Dakota around 1743 and buried a lead tablet claiming the region for France.
The tablet was rediscovered outside Pierre in 1913.
|
| Verendrye Monument
|
|
| Verendrye Monument
|
|
| View over Pierre and the Missouri
|
|
| An unusual Art Deco State Capitol
|
|
| House Chamber
|
|
| House Chamber
|
|
| Senate Chamber
|
|
| Great Seal of South Dakota
|
|
| View from 18th floor observation deck
|
|
| Art Deco elevator doors
|
|
| Note the cattle herds and wheat sheafs
|
|
| Note the steam locomotive and wagon train.
|
|
| The Mighty Missouri at Bismarck
|
A real Minuteman Missile command site, now disabled as a result of the START treaty.
|
| The innocuous-looking entrance building
|
|
| Base layout model
|
|
| Our tour leader shows off ground floor rest areas
|
|
| Large-capacity cargo elevator
|
|
| Entry to Support Bunker
|
|
| Entry to the Command Bunker
|
|
| Shock-absorbing mounting
|
|
The command bunker is suprisingly spacious
this is double-size - most command bunkers were smaller.
|
|
| Command Console #1
|
|
Command Console #2
This one has the red lock-boxes for sealed orders
|
|
| This was the command bunker for the "Oscar" missile wing
|
|
| Graham at Command Console #2
|
|
| There's little to see above ground.
|
|
| Launcher door
|
The Fargo Vistor Center has the original wood chipper from the movie Fargo. They say it is by far their biggest attraction.
|
| The original Wood Chipper from Fargo
|
On my second visit in October I bought one of the Vistor Center's trapper hats, for versimilitude
|
| The original Fargo wood chipper
|
|
| Signed by the Coen Brothers
|
|
| Welcome to Fargo!
|
|
| Fargo City Hall
|
|
The Red River at Fargo
It flows North into Lake Winnipeg and eventually into Hudson Bay
|
|
Hjemkomst Center, a Norwegian Cultural center
At Moorhead opposite Fargo
|
|
Replica Viking ship
Which was successfully sailed from New York to Norway.
|
|
| Replica Viking ship
|
|
| Replica of a Norwegian stave church
|
|
| Welcome to Winnipeg!
|
|
| Manitoba Legislature
|
|
| Manitoba Legislature
|
|
| The "Golden Boy" atop the Legislature
|
|
| Louis Riel statue, outside Legislature
|
|
| Winnipeg's Union Station (1911)
|
|
| Inside Union Station
|
|
| The might Red River, flowing North to Lake Winnipeg
|
North Dakota is home to an abandoned 1970s
Anti-Ballistic Missile complex, intended to protect the US's ICBM sites. I stopped off at two sites, first
the imposing and mysterious "MSR Pyramid", a giant phased array radar, and also RSL #3, one of the interceptor missile launch sites. Sadly
neither was open for visits.
|
| The MSR Pyramid
|
|
| Mysterious concrete structures
|
|
Remote Launch Site 3 (aka RSL #3)
One of the interceptor missile launch sites
|
|
| RSL #3
|
|
| RSL #3 Cryptic concrete structures
|
I was lucky enough to be in Minneapolis when a major Aurora event hit. I drove 20 miles North to Ham Lake, and got some good views.
Caveat: The camera exagerrates the colors. To the naked eye, these mostly looked like pale gray smears, with only occasional hints of color.
|
| Overhead
|
|
| Overhead
|
|
| Minnesota State Capitol
|
|
| Dome interior
|
|
| Rotunda
|
|
| Senate Chamber
|
|
| House of Representatives
|
|
| Supreme Court Chamber
|
|
"The Third Minnesota Entering Little Rock"
Outside Tim Walz's Reception Room
|
|
| The Mighty Mississippi at Minneapolis
|
|
| Great Mall of America
|
|
| Giant Lego Store
|
|
| Welcoming Lego Dragon
|
|
| Lego Minotaur
|
|
| Minneapolis City Hall
|
Frank LLoyd Wright's estate at Taliesin, exemplifying his style and ideas.
|
Taliesin Visitor Center
Designdc by FLW as "The Riverside Terrace Restaurant"
|
|
| Taliesin
|
|
| Drafting Room
|
|
| Entry to Formal Living Room
|
|
| The Formal Living Room
|
|
| Formal Living Room, looking back to Entry
|
|
| The Birdwalk projecting balcony
|
|
| Family space
|
|
| Informal space: converted from an outdoor area
|
|
| View from my room at the AC Hotel
|
|
| Wisconsin State Capitol
|
|
| Rotunda
|
|
| Dome Interior
|
|
| Legislation
|
|
| Justice
|
|
| Liberty
|
|
| Government
|
|
| Supreme Court Chamber
|
|
| "The Appeal of the Legionary to Caesar Augustus"
|
|
| Senate Chamber
|
|
Wedding of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans (Panama Canal 1914)
Asian Powers on the left, European Powers on the right
|
|
| Assembly Chamber (House of Representatives)
|
|
| Willis / Sears Tower
|
|
| Projecting observation boxes
|
|
| The Field Museum
|
|
| Full-scale Pterosaur Model
|
|
| Field Museum: Cambrian Aquarium
|
|
| Frank Lyyod Wright's Frederik C Robie House
|
|
| Frank Lyyod Wright's Frederik C Robie House
|
|
| A Mighty Lamassu. Sargon II, around 710 bc
|
|
| Artistic modern colors for ancient heads
|
|
| Tutankhamun
|
|
| A Babylonian Lion
|
