Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Songs of the Fifty States: South Dakota


Harvey Dunn, Dakota Woman.

South Dakota!

Size: 196,350 km2 (17th)

2018 Population: 882,235 (46th)

Population Density (new!): 4.42/km2 (46th)

Statehood: 1889 (39th or 40th).

American Human Development Index: 5.09 (27th)

Art Mecca:

Well, there's no reason to be coy about it, you know as well as I do that there's no city in South Dakota that attracts art fans in the way that a Paris or Florence or St. Petersburg does. What South Dakota has is Brookings, home of the University of South Dakota, home of the South Dakota Museum of Art.  Brookings is dead center north-to-south, and about fifteen miles from the eastern border.  I checked.

The SDMA collection focuses on South Dakota artists, Native American art, and, if I'm reading this right, linens.  I'm sure it's great!  I'd probably visit if I were spending the weekend in Brookings, if I weren't distracted by other attractions in the "Brookings Great Eight" such as the Children's Museum of South Dakota, the Brookings County Outdoor Center, the SDSU Dairy Bar, or Nick's Hamburger Shop.  In fact, it would definitely be my second pick of the Brookings Great Eight!



Michael 5000's South Dakota

First Visited: September 5th, 1993 (16th)
Most Recently Visited: October 22, 2018 (17th)

First Run In: 10/21/18 (25th).
Best Run: 4.46 miles, Big Stone City (by night), 10/21/18.

Raced In: No.

Have Admired the Visual Arts In: No.
Have Slept Overnight In: Yes.

Counties Visited: 25/66 (20th)
% Complete: 37.9% (32nd)



Mrs. 5000's Counties Visited: 13/66 (tied for 32nd)
% Complete: 19.7% (41st)
Mrs.5000 First Visited: July 2, 1973 (order unclear)
Mrs.5000 Most Recently Visited: October 22, 2018 (8th)



Atlas of All Roads Traveled




Plans and Aspirations

I like the Dakotas pretty well.  I don't have any immediate plans to visit, but they are certainly fetchingly along the route of any really epic road trip to, say, Minneapolis, Chicago, or the Canadian cities.

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1 comment:

Morgan said...

Everyone knows that the real Art Mecca of South Dakota is Wall Drug.