We had a change in plans today. We discovered that the Minuteman Missile site we were going to visit is closed on Tuesdays. So we had an opening in our schedule. We did not need to get up early to have time for the missile site. It was nice to get to sleep a little later.
Not all flowers are wild flowers. This morning we discovered a wonderful flower garden at the motel where we were staying. We stopped to smell the flowers.
Instead we headed for Pierre South Dakota to see the capitol. Too bad we did not have the camera ready for a quick picture. As we came over the hill in this picture there was a house coming down both lanes of the road. That is a wide load! We pulled off the road onto the shoulder to get by the house moving. We got the camera out quickly to snap a photo of the house driving away from us.
Did we really just pass that? How did we get by it?
The rest of our drive was enjoyable, but less exciting. We arrived at the South Dakota capitol ahead of our original schedule.
The South Dakota Capitol used white marble extensively on the staircases. You can see the arch design that was used above the second floor. There are numerous types of skylights that supplement internal lighting with sunlight. An employee in the capitol pointed out a small error in one of the staircases. In the close up picture, the third marble newel from the top was installed upside down. It appears to be a slightly different shade of marble as well.
The Senate and House chambers have similar designs. Both rooms are narrower and deeper than most capitols. The viewing areas in both rooms are more comfortable and inviting with better that normal views of the main floor. The appointments in the rooms are different however. The first two pictures show the Senate chamber. There are no electronics for voting. The room has fancy roll top desks and bright colors. There is a single large skylight. The third and fourth pictures show the House chamber. The electronic voting system is clearly displayed. The colors in the room are muted. The roll top desks are less fancy. There are six skylights rather than one, probably because the room is larger. Overall, both chambers are more imposing than most capitols. The final picture is the Supreme Court hearing room.
The main dome in the rotunda is very ornate. There are other domes in the capitol as well. The walls are decorated with stencils, paintings and stained glass.
As we prepared to leave, we took a second picture of the outside of the South Dakota Capitol.
As we traveled east, we saw miles and miles of fields of grain. South Dakota is a large grain growing state. As you can see from the glow in the clouds and in the fogginess of the windmill picture, we also saw the impact of the Canadian wildfires.
It was restful and refreshing to have just one item on the agenda today. We should be ready for a more full schedule for tomorrow.