South Dakota or Bust!

Break Away From The Ordinary

Archive for 2007/07


But Can She Spell?

The Hunhoff family grew by one pretty little girl named Laura last night at 10:30. She’s twenty inches tall and 7 lbs. 6 ozs. and she’s been sleeping almost since she was born so we don’t know yet if she can spell or write or perform other publishing duties, but we’re hopeful because you can’t [...]

Poker Playing Artist from Agar

Any South Dakotans who happen to be in Los Olivos, Calif., in August or September might want to have coffee at Patrick’s Side Street Cafe (2375 Alamo Pintado) and enjoy the oil paintings, some of which will look like Potter County, South Dakota.
The oils are the work of Michael Moore — not the controversial filmmaker [...]

If S.D. Fell To Earth

Discover Magazine has a very good online article on one of South Dakota’s most interesting and solitary citizens. For the last 10 years, Ron Dyvig has been watching the universe from the tiny Badlands town of Quinn, using very big telescopes to watch for asteroids that might hit earth.
Ron’s operation, set up in an old [...]

An Ironasasaraus

Young sculptor John Lopez of the Black Hills country, perhaps best known these days for his part in the presidents’ sculptures in downtown Rapid City, has expanded his repetoire to include scrap iron art. The inspiration came to him when his Aunt Effie Hunt died. He moved to the Hunt ranch to live with his [...]

Whereizzit in South Dakota?

Wednesday’s “whereizzit” contest fizzled with a quick winner so we thought we’d do it again. Here’s a photo submitted by a reader. Guess where it’s located in South Dakota and you’ll win a hard cover first edition copy of the book South Dakota’s Best Stories, autographed and everything.
As always, we prefer little or no cheating [...]

Howard: Opportunity Lives Here

You can either be discouraged or encouraged about rural South Dakota when you go on the road. The other day I drove down I-90 and saw that motels are for sale in three towns in a row — Kimball, Chamberlain and Presho. Sometimes it seems everybody’s leaving and everything’s closing down or being offered for [...]

Whereizzit in South Dakota?

Be the first to guess where this giraffe is in South Dakota and win a one-year subscription (or renewal) to South Dakota Magazine. We’ll give hints on the hour until her town is identified. As always, our magazine staff are prohibited from guessing unless they do so anonymously. You need only guess the town to [...]

Photo of the Day – One Lucky Hunter

Last month while traveling back to Yankton from Eureka, we stopped at Lassle’s Main Street Cafe in Bowdle for some pancakes and coffee. We also got to see some great photos, thanks to Eloise Lassle, cook and owner of the cafe. Eloise has an interest in historic photos and has some hanging on the cafe [...]

?Enjoy What We Got?

When I was young on the farm, a hot and dry spell like this would ruin a corn crop. But today’s drought resistant hybrids and new tillage methods make quite a difference; the corn looks better than most lawns. Here’s an interesting little exchange from a Willa Cather book that reminds us how it was:
“Corn,” [...]

When the Spark ?Burned Out?

Sparky Anderson, born in Bridgewater in 1934 to become one of baseball’s favorite managers of all time, will be inducted into the S.D. Hall of Fame in September.
Larry Stone of the Seattle Times recently wrote a piece about burn-out in major league sports — prompted by the mid-season resignation of the Mariners’ Mike Hargrove. Stone [...]

Granville, South Dakota

I doubt it’s on your map but there’s still a sign. I was poking around Bijou Hills last week (a little range of pretty prairie between Chamberlain and Platte) when I came upon this post. I don’t know anything about the place and there’s nary a foundation in sight. It sits at the western foothills [...]

Quote of the Month

“Unlike most politicians, his brain is working faster than his mouth is,” Brendan Johnson joked to the Argus Leader, commenting about his dad’s recovery from brain surgery last December. He added that his father, U.S. Senator Tim Johnson, now speaks more slowly and softly than before the brain injury but that he has no problems [...]

High Over Herrick

The latest issue of the Herrick newsletter, published by Bill and Barb White, had these photographs of some daring historic preservationists working atop the grain elevator along Highway 18 at Herrick. I don’t mind shingling, and I can take certain heights, but I don’t like shingling on heights. Especially on slopes like this, so I [...]

Where or Whatizzit?

Guess where this building is, or what it is, and we’ll send you an autographed copy of our new book, “South Dakota Curiosities.” Here’s a big clue: if you guess what it is, or if you guess where it is, the answer will be the same. We’ll offer more clues if necessary.
Hit the “comment” [...]

Our Latest Book on SD

We have a new book available this summer on South Dakota. Published by Globe Pequot Press, it’s called South Dakota Curiosities, a collection of 200-or-so unusual, curious and funny people and places to visit in our big state. These are tips you won’t find in the usual chamber of commerce travel brochures — like the [...]