Falls Park, Sioux Falls, SD

I did not expect the falls to be so expansive and close to the city center. We parked near the visitor center and got a bite to eat at the Falls Overlook Cafe, flat bread with coffee. Then took a leisurely stroll around the falls for incredible views of the cascades from different parts of the trail, looked at the remains of the Queen Bee Mill.

The large interpretative signs at historical and scenic points were very well done; they gave context to what we saw. At the visitor center, I took the elevator to the tower to get a bird's eye view of the falls.

We asked for directions to the downtown area nearby, about a mile by foot. The guide told us to look out for sculptures along the streets we will be passing and said we could participate in voting for the best sculpture. The late afternoon was cool and cloudy, there were not a lot of people on the streets.

Below are a few of the sculptures, there was a variety of styles and material. My favorite was the last one, with a girl reading a book. Titles of classic stories were etched around the ring.

We went to a bar for a bite. I had a beer, cheese curds and a bratwurst. The food was not as good as the Old Fashioned in Madison. We spent the night at the Cracker Barrel just outside city center.