Alyice on April 29th, 2008

Good Evening South Dakota!

I need a new blog category like I need a hole in the head but tonight I experienced a wonderful meal at a fabulous little restaurant in Sioux Falls called Red Rossa Napoli Italian Pizza and I had nowhere to share it. So here I am…starting a new blog category about my journey through life as a South Dakotian (if that’s even a word).

I thought about jumping in and telling you all about the restaurant but I’ll save that for later this week. For now, let me share with you a wonderful commentary I helped my husband write up when he thought he was going to be a real estate agent.

In the words of Noel…

My great-grandparents came to America to start a better life and ended up in South Dakota—of all places. My grandparents raised my parents here, as did many of my aunts and uncles. But about the time my parents hit adulthood, they were off for bigger and better things—resulting in a move to sunny California. That’s where they raised us kids—all 8 of us!

When it came time to retire, however, my parents returned to South Dakota to live out the rest of their days. They’ve been back here for several years now and we, kids, have visited often. We’ve come during the rain, during the snow, and even during the hot summer months. But none us thought we’d ever live here—that is until two years ago when I felt the importance of being close to my aging parents. After accepting a job offer from Hutchinson Technology, my family made the bold move here and to be quite honest, we’re pretty glad we did!

My wife, children, and I have lived in several different states over the years, but it’s South Dakota that feels like home. We’re not sure if it is knowing we have a rich history here, knowing we have relatives here (even if we rarely see them) or if it’s the calming nature of the state, but we’re glad we came! And that’s saying a lot from a self-proclaimed “cold hater” such as myself.

There are some things you should know, however, if you plan to relocate to South Dakota.

Winters are long. Yep. Very long. If you don’t like the snow or the cold, South Dakota may not be the best place for you. And winters can be harsh. We have blizzards that close down complete highways and hail the size of golf balls.
The history of The Wild West and the American Spirit is very much alive in South Dakota. There is much to explore, to learn, to absorb. You’ll be enlightened by the rich history and find yourself wondering why you ever wanted to live in the hustle and bustle of the outside world in the first place. Seriously, it’s a beautiful part of the country and things really do run much slower here.
South Dakota has a lot of farm lands. We are a farming state. You’ll see tractors driving down your city street to get gas at the nearest gas station at all hours of the day and night —well, not in the bigger cities like Sioux Falls or Pierre. And the farmers here are fighting long and hard to keep this a farming community.
Summers are short. Since South Dakota truly does experience all four seasons, it’s no surprise that summer is short—three months to be exact. No sooner do we get used to the warmer weather does it begin to change. And because our summers are short, we pack a lot of outdoor entertainment into those months!
South Dakota is truly breathtaking. The uncluttered landscapes make drives in South Dakota feel like heaven on earth. Of course, driving the flatlands (prairies) can get monotonous when you must drive 45 minutes or more to and from work every day.
The winds are strong in South Dakota. It’s actually been said that the winds in South Dakota could supply enough electricity to fuel half, if not all, of the United States.
Hunters come from miles around to visit South Dakota. We’re a big pheasant state and hunters kill and take home more pheasants in South Dakota then any other state.
Motorcycle riders come by the herds, every year, to visit South Dakota and take part in the Sturgis festivities. And since South Dakota doesn’t require motorcyclists to wear helmets, many motorcyclists come just to have the freedom to ride dangerously.
South Dakota is home to Mount Rushmore–which many believe should be one of the Seven Wonders Of The World. Millions of people flock to South Dakota every year, just to get a glimpse of the famous heads carved into a huge mountain.
South Dakota is home to one of the worlds largest Buffalo herds. Preserving these beautiful creatures is an important task to South Dakotans who believe buffalo bring the past into the present.
Archeologists spend a lot of time digging up ruins in South Dakota. In fact, the T-Rex hosted in Chicago’s Field Museum came from South Dakota.
South Dakota is home to Laura Ingalls Wilder, the famous novelist whose Little House On The Prairie books inspired the hit television series, Little House On The Prairie starring Melissa Gilbert.

There’s plenty more I could tell you about South Dakota, but I’ll leave it to your imagination. After all, life wouldn’t be worth living if there wasn’t a little mystery in it.

Until next time…

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