Christmas at the South Dakota Capitol & Then Heading East
- Sue
- 5 days ago
- 11 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
We recently decided to do this blog, but we wanted to share our experiences from the beginning of our journey. Therefore, this first post will be Christmas time! I hope everyone is okay with Christmas......in what is now July!
Our destination was Christmas at the Capitol in Pierre, South Dakota. We spent our first two nights in our new truck camper relatively close to Supertramp Campers, sort of as a security blanket. We stayed at St. Vrain State Park in Longmont, Colorado, where we were able to tweak our setup before heading on to South Dakota.
Christmas is in four days! This will be our first Christmas in our truck camper. We love South Dakota and read about their tradition of 100 decorated Christmas trees available to see at the Capitol Building (free). I originally was disappointed we wouldn't have a Christmas tree, but then we had 100 of them!
Soon after heading out from Colorado, we got a FaceTime request from Rory & Alan. Alan was talking, and Rory interrupted with "I can't wait any longer!" and showed us the ring 💍, and said they were engaged! Congrats to them! Alan had asked for our blessing before we left South Carolina. Very happy for them!
Alan Proposing to Rory
Our first stop on the way to Pierre, South Dakota was Pal's Brewing Company in North Platte, Nebraska off I-80. Pal's Brewing Company has dedicated camp spots on one side of their brewery parking lot. We parked in a spot and went in to contribute to the host in exchange for staying overnight. We shared pretzels with mustard and beer cheese, a cheeseburger quesadilla, and Parmesan French fries with truffle oil. 😋 We have since been back to Pal's through Harvest Host,* because we love the dedicated overnight space and their food! The next morning we went for a walk before heading out.
We stopped on the way for a break. We hiked to an overlook in Thedford, Nebraska to enjoy the view.
Then we drove on to our destination - - Farm Island Recreation Center State Park in Pierre, South Dakota. Farm Island has shoreline campsites, a beach, and access for fishing and boating. Once we settled into our campsite, we took a walk down to the waterway. The walk was very cold, but very beautiful! The following day was Christmas Eve.
Farm Island Recreation Center State Park in Pierre, South Dakota
We went to Dakotamart, where we browsed in their sporting goods downstairs, and then did our grocery shopping upstairs. This was very different from what we were used to, and we loved it! We went out for our holiday dinner on Christmas Eve at Richie Z's Brickhouse BBQ & Grill. The food was delicious. We still think back to that meal to this day!
Merry Christmas! I made a Christmas breakfast while John adjusted our hitch. We texted and talked with family and friends, wishing a Merry Christmas to all.
Then we made our way to the South Dakota Capitol Building to admire the 100 or so decorated Christmas trees! Let me tell you why this event is special . . . . .
🎄 Christmas at the Capitol
2024 Theme: "Through a Child's Eyes"
The 30-day event, running from November 26 - December 26 in 2024 (including Christmas Day) is free and open daily to the public.
The trees are decorated by volunteers from community groups, schools, churches, non-profit organizations, state government offices, to name a few. There is a Grand Lighting Ceremony in the Rotunda, which marks the first day of the 30-day display.
Local and statewide musicians provide entertainment in the Rotunda and there is a Santa's Mailbox for children's letters.
The featured tree in the Capitol Rotunda is donated annually by a South Dakota family. In 2024, the 28-foot Colorado blue spruce was transported by the South Dakota Department of Transportation, alongside Jensen Rock & Sand, Inc. It was donated by the Lutz family and decorated by the Oahu YMCA. (Pic forthcoming . . . . .saving the best for last.) 😉 🎄
Christmas at the Capitol did not disappoint! It was magical, enchanting, joyful, and heartwarming all at the same time! It was also fascinating to see the inside of the South Dakota Capitol Building! What a grand day!
Some of our favorite pics . . . . .
First Ladies' Inaugural Ball Gowns and First Gentleman's Inaugural Tuxedo (below 3 photos)
First Ladies' Inaugural Ball Gowns and First Gentleman's Inaugural Tuxedo (above 3 photos)
Some of our favorite trees . . . . .
LEFT TO RIGHT:
Countryside Hospice Support & Memory Center had a Sugar Plum Christmas tree that honored those receiving hospice care and memory support.
SDSU Extension Master Gardeners have a month-long tradition where Master Gardener clubs from across the state come together to plan and decorate a Christmas tree.
Korkow Rodeos contributed a rodeo-themed Christmas tree decorated with miniature saddles, lassos, boots, and rodeo buckles, and topped with a cowboy hat. Their Christmas tree blends regional rodeo culture with the holiday season.
Unified Judicial System In Honor of Justice Steven Zinter
(Justice Steven Zinter was an American lawyer who served as an associate justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court.) They constructed their signature "law book tree." The tree is constructed from approximately 325 actual law books with additional books used for support.
My Personal Favorite:
The featured Christmas tree in the Capitol Rotunda - a 28-foot Colorado blue spruce decorated with a peacock theme . . . . .
That was the best way to spend our first Christmas on the road!
After thoroughly enjoying Christmas at the Capitol, we walked around the exterior of the Capitol Building.
Afterward, we went for a drive to the Oahe Downstream Recreation Area. The Oahe Dam is a massive structure built between 1948 and 1962. It creates Lake Oahe, which is a 231-mile reservoir extending to Bismarck, North Dakota.
We ended Christmas Day with a gorgeous sunset walk and Christmas dinner in our new Supertramp truck camper.
The next day we headed out, driving east through South Dakota. We stopped at Woonby Foods in Woonsocket, South Dakota. It was a small market with extremely helpful and friendly staff. So helpful that it left a lasting impression on John. We continued eastward driving through many towns, including Howard, South Dakota. For some reason, I love this pic. . . . .
We then made our way to Southeast Sioux Falls for an oil change at Valvoline Instant Oil Change. (Follow our From the Driver's Seat posts for more information on oil changes, maintenance, and more!)
Then we stopped at Menards. Menards is a privately-owned Midwestern home improvement chain. Menards has been described online as the hardware-themed equivalent to Walmart. I would disagree. I find Menards to be quite quirky, and I always enjoy going! Their slogan is Save BIG Money! with a catchy theme song that is played inside the store and in advertisements. The store is a bit of a maze, with unanticipated and downright bizarre item pairing, where industrial fasteners may be found next to candy or you may be there to purchase a PVC elbow joint and find a singing plush moose toy next to it! What fun! Menards has lumber, tools, and paint, but also has groceries, home decor, and pet supplies, to name a few. In any case, if you ever see a Menards, it is worth the trip!
Leaving South Dakota, we crossed into Minnesota. Our route was frosty and foggy! Through Harvest Host,* we made arrangements to stay overnight at Round Lake Vineyard & Winery, where we had salads and shared a Hanging Pretzel with Queso. The owner stopped by our table to say hello. The restaurant is on their expansive vineyard, where they grow their own grapes, thereby producing their own line of wines, which are bottled and labeled on site. The decor is exquisite with reclaimed woods that were stained from pigment remnants of their wine-making process. They have an event space called The Cellar (ballroom seating up to 300 people), complete with a connecting patio. The grounds are meticulous. All this (and more!) is lakefront! If you live in the area, or even if you don't, keep this in mind, couples! A beautiful wedding venue! Getting back to our stay.....After dinner we headed back to our camper and had a very peaceful sleep. We woke to a foggy view of the lake outside our camper door. Ahhhhh.....such peace and tranquility!
Restaurant at Round Lake Vineyard & Winery (left)
Our foggy view out camper door (right)
We set out from Round Lake, Minnesota, heading East on I-90. We crossed the Mississippi River, which is the State Line between Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Crossing the Mississippi River State Line (left)
Rest Area Marker 1 in Wisconsin (right)
Our next stayover was in Edgerton, Wisconsin. This part of the drive was rainy and foggy, making the scenery invisible. Our stayover establishment was unimpressive. The location had a lot of highway noise and the bar food was below average. Therefore, I will leave off the establishment's name. If you don't have something nice to say.......as my parents taught me.
The next day we arrived in Indiana.
We went grocery shopping at Martin's. Martin's is in my top 3 grocery stores! The variety is incredible! We went on to do our laundry (free) at the Driver's Lounge, which is a perk through John's work. We ended the day playing Yahtzee!
We were unable to go anywhere the following day as the winds were gusting up to 38 mph, which is unsafe to tow a trailer. We reorganized some things in our camper and had an easy day. We played the game Trouble, and John won twice! This is a game in which I am very competitive, so our daughters will be very surprised that I lost!
We refilled our propane and picked up an Amazon order from an Amazon locker. John got a transporting job, which we refer to as a "load." We picked up the trailer from one of their huge yards in Indiana, and started heading toward the delivery destination of Ashland, Virginia.
Our stayover was at the Tamerack Marketplace in Beckley, West Virginia. It is an Appalachian cultural center featuring West Virginia's arts, crafts, gallery, and a food court. From handmade items to souvenirs, they have a little of everything. Love, love, love it! My favorite things: the art sculptures in the Open Air Gallery; the hydrangeas, which remind me of my late mother-in-law; and the dedicated spot for RVers to spend the night (free). They also have special events. At one of our many stayovers at Tamarack, we got to see their Chili, Brews & Bands event, which we really enjoyed. The event was hosted in partnership with the International Chili Society. Who doesn't love a good chili cook-off? The event included local craft brews and live entertainment. If you are close to the Beckley, West Virginia area, The Tamarack Market is a must see!
Top Left to Right: Tamarack Market / Interior of Tamarack
Bottom Left to Right: Hydrangeas / Tamarack Open Air Gallery Sign / One of the Many Sculptures
New Year's Eve!
We drove from Tamarack to Ashland, Virgina, where John delivered the trailer we had in tow. Afterward, we headed to Rockingham, Virginia for the night. We stopped for fuel on the way and saw a full rainbow.
We continued down the road. The sun eventually made an appearance! ☀️
We stayed through Harvest Host* at Shenandoah Heritage Market in Rockingham, Virginia for New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, the Market was closed when we arrived and would be closed the next day (New Year's Day). We took a short walk, made dinner, and played the game Othello before preparing for bed.
New Year's Day! The next morning we were woken and s h o c k e d when a truck backed in right next to our camper. Unbeknownst to us, a place that sells sheds was having an auction in the parking lot that morning! On the morning of New Year's Day?! Apparently so. We moved very quickly to get dressed, put down our camper, and head out, before we got blocked in!
We decided to use the same stayover -- Tamarack Market - on our way back to Indiana, but we took the scenic way to get there. We took Route 11 South and Route 60 West, driving through many towns. Two towns I would like to further explore are Lexington, Virginia and Lewisburg, West Virgina. Lewisburg, West Virginia is apparently known as the "Smallest Coolest Town in the U.S." As it turns out, we got snow, and winded up needing to stay at Tamarack Market for two nights! Love the snow!
We had a variety of weather on our way from Tamarack in Beckley, West Virginia to Goshen, Indiana.
Sixty-one miles north of Dayton, Ohio is Maria Stein, Ohio. There, we headed to our Harvest Host* stayover at Moeller Brew Barn. In exchange for our overnight stay in their parking lot, we shared the Totchos (Tator Tot Nachos), John had a smashburger, and I had a walnut pecan salad with raspberry vinaigrette. The food was some of the best we have ever had! We happened to walk out at the same time as the owner, and we chatted about our journey.
Moeller Brew Barn in Maria Stein, Ohio
The next day we arrived back in Indiana. We refilled our propane, and I went to The Joint Chiropractic. Then we checked in at our next Harvest Host* - Southgate Crossing. Southgate Crossing is one of the largest Amish built peg and beam structures with a variety of shopping, from antiques to handcrafted gifts and decor.
South Gate Crossing Parking Lot (left)
South Gate Crossing Interior (right)
We were in need of some electronics. We went to the Apple Store. We traded in my mom's iPhone and iPad and my iPhone for a new iPhone, MacBook, and a watch for John. I cannot say enough about the Apple Store staff. The staff are so well versed in Apple products. We were very impressed by Today at Apple, where a staff member holds learning sessions.
Get Started: iPhone
and
Spotlight: Apple Intelligence
Very impressive! If only I knew one-tenth of what they know......🫢 or maybe I should say one-twentieth! Okay, okay.....one-thirtieth.☺️
The winter is John's slower time of the year for work. So we stayed in the parking lots of several different Harvest Hosts while waiting on our next load.
The Brewery Lodge and Supper Club in Michigan City, Indiana
We turned our dinner at The Brewery Lodge and Supper Club into a celebration dinner.
10-56 Brewery in Knox, Indiana
The host at 10-56 Brewery greeted us at our camper with ham and bean soup! So very nice of her! We went to their brewery for dinner that night where we enjoyed a pizza followed by a dessert pizza. 😋 The dough is a family recipe. Delish!
January 10 was my Mom's birthday. This would be the first birthday she is no longer here. In order to celebrate her memory on her birthdate, I chose to go to Menno-Hof Museum in Shipshewana, Indiana. She would have loved to go to this Museum. It is an interactive museum with life-size exhibits that tell the history of the Amish and Mennonite. I don't feel comfortable sharing photos from the inside of a museum, so I encourage everyone to visit! When we arrived, we knew that snow was predicted. We asked permission to stay in their parking lot for two nights, and they graciously approved.
Parked in Menno-Hoff Museum lot (left)
Outside our camper window (right)
(and a game of Trouble set to play!)
We were hopping from one Harvest Host* to another. And although the experience was great, at the time we wondered if staying at a campground with a winter rate would be an overall better choice. Feel free to comment. Stay tuned for the adventure!
*Harvest Host is a membership program for self-contained RVs. The Harvest Host app displays nearly 10,000 places - - farms, wineries, breweries, museums, golf courses, among others. Simply stated. . . . . in exchange for a free overnight stay in one of the establishment's parking lots, you support the host with a purchase. So when we stayed at 10-56 Brewery for free, we supported the host by having a pizza. We used our Harvest Host Membership most when in the Eastern United States. In the Western United States, there is more BLM (Bureau of Land Management) and USFS (U.S. Forest Service) opportunities to camp for free.
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