On Friday Night we had a sleep over. Keira loved having a big bed all to herself. Next week we are going to a campground in a small town in Iowa for 4 nights. Keira is going with us giving Mommy and Daddy a break.

Keira and Pappap taking a nap.

Keira visiting.

David and Keira at Meredith Willson's Boyhood Home. He is most famous for "The Music man" based on Mason City: We got trouble right here in River City-We trouble with a capital T that rhymes P and that stands for Pool.

Keira and I at the Music Man Square

Keira and I at the statue of Meredith Willson

The Stockman House by

Frank Lloyd Wright

HAPPY 2ND NEW BIRTHDAY TO MANDY

Today is the 2nd anniversary of Mandy's transplant.

CHEERS

So here we are in Mason City and having a great time with Keira. We went to the Franklin County fair and had lots of yummy treats and even homemade ice cream. Next week Keira is going to Bible School and we are going to pick her up and spend the afternoon with her. There is a big waterpark next to our campground and she thinks it is Seaworld so we may go there one day. We are just having fun spending time with her, Oh and her parents, too..

Keira and Marcy in the duck races

Keira eating funnel cake

Keira next to her sunflowers

Keira swimming

We arrived in Mitchell, South Dakota on Tuesday and decided to visit our friends from our park in Arizona. They live on our street. Ollie and Roy were very surprised to see us. Roy had been in the hospital for several days last winter but looks really good. We had a really nice visit.

So what does one eat when they visit the one and only Corn Palace?

POPCORN of course.

This is a close up of the Corn Palace. This corn is cut in half and nailed on the surface.

The first Mitchell Corn Palace was built in 1892 jusy 3 years after SD became a state. Roughly 275 thousand ears of corn are used to redecorate the murals each year. The Corn Palace is the only place in the world where this type of folk art is being preserved. 12 shades of colored corn currently are planted in a separate field to maintain color purity.

This is a mural on the inside of the building

Another mural

Closeup of the rows of corn on the murals

Me enjoying the Corn Palace

We have been staying in Northwest Iowa for the the last two days. Our son in law, Steve, is from this area. He and his sisters always talked about their Okoboji summers so we are having two days of that. The area is very pretty with lots of charm. I had forgotten how nice the people are in Iowa.

Arnolds Park. I am not sure of the history of it but it is a classic amusement park with a wooden roller coaster and all the rides you can remember. It it located on Lake Okoboji

Lake Okoboji

Lake Okoboji

So we left Sturgis this morning and headed to Wall Drug. If you have ever been to South Dakota then I am sure you have been to Wall Drug. These are some of the signs on the way.

Yea we found a parking spot

I found a new traveling companion. May take him back to Arizona

Looks like David might get a new traveling companion, too!!!

Jackass on Jackalope

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This is what you do at Wall Drug

Looks like George Custer in costume

So 10 miles south of Wall Drug you run in the the Badlands

This formation is the Castle

Tomorrow we are going to Mitchell South Dakota and if you know that area you know that you will be seeing pics of the "CORN PALACE"

Welcome to Sturgis city of riders. I don't think I would want to be here in 3 weeks for the rally.

Downtown Sturgis

Deadwood, South Dakota

Me and Wild Bill

Some Working Girls

Calamity Jane's grave