Sioux Falls, SD is named for waterfalls (more like a cataract, actually) on the Sioux River. Duh! The falls were the center of the development of the city. Originally harnessed by a huge mill, capable of grinding huge quantities of grain into flour, the falls later were used to generate hydro-electric power to energize the city's lights and other electrical devices. Today, the falls are highlighted in a park in the center of the city, which shows them off to great advantage, while preserving the history of the area.
Here are the falls just above the powerhouse.
And this is the falls from the top of the tower at the information center.
Here is the information center.
Here's the old blogger across from the old power house which is now the Falls View Restaurant.
Looking across the falls, what appears to be some stone ruins, is in fact some stone ruins. The grist mill once stood on that spot, but it burned down some years ago, and all that remains is the rock wall that comprised the foundation and first two floors of what once was a five story building.
Sioux Falls is known as the Queen City, and in its day the mill was known as the hive. Although the mill had a huge capacity for grinding flour, it suffered from a lack of power or a lack of grain or both and eventually closed.
Here's a closer picture of the ruins of the mill.
Below the mill is the old power house for the hydroelectric plant,
which provided power to the city for several decades.
Looking southwest from the falls, we saw the spires of St. Joseph's Cathedral.
And looking to the north, we saw the John Morrell Meat Packing plant,
which appears to be one of the larger employers in Sioux Falls.
Sioux Falls is known as the Queen City, and in its day the mill was known as the hive. Although the mill had a huge capacity for grinding flour, it suffered from a lack of power or a lack of grain or both and eventually closed.
Here's a closer picture of the ruins of the mill.
Below the mill is the old power house for the hydroelectric plant,
which provided power to the city for several decades.
Looking southwest from the falls, we saw the spires of St. Joseph's Cathedral.
And looking to the north, we saw the John Morrell Meat Packing plant,
which appears to be one of the larger employers in Sioux Falls.
Departing the park, we bid a fond farewell to the falls and drove around the town a bit. There are some beautiful and very large homes near the center of the city.
It wasn't long before we began to feel the pangs of hunger overtaking us. So, we checked on the 'net and found Granite City Food and Brewery. Our meal was delicious and the Broad Ax Scottish Oatmeal Stout was passable.
After lunch, I dropped Jill off at the beauty parlor, where she had her hair styled and (I myself don't believe this) colored. While she was doing girl stuff, I did manly stuff, namely grocery shopping. I took the groceries home and put them away, walked the dogs briefly and then headed back to the beauty parlor after the prescribed two hours. As it turned out, that was about an hour too soon. The results were worth it, though. Jill is pleased, and I of course, think she looks beautiful.
Evening brought a couple of short-lived storms with strong winds, thunder and heavy rain. Each one lasted about 30 to 45 minutes, and then the sun came out. The dogs were very worried, but by bedtime, the sky was clear and we took them for a stroll around the grounds. Midwest weather is strange to us. Forecasts go something like: "At 7:15 rain begins. At 7:42 rain ends." We from Oregon are more accustomed to "In October rain begins. In June rain ends."
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Sioux Falls and agreed that, if need be, we could comfortably live here...at least in June; not so sure about December. So far, we have searched in vain to find somewhere that doesn't have its own special beauty and charm.
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