Part Seven

“A-One-And-A-Two”

If you are not old enough to remember the above phrase, ask your folks or grandparents. Back in the 1960’s, there were 3 larger-than-life television icons. There was the Great One: Jackie Gleason. America’s favorite clown: Red Skelton. And Mr. Wonderful, or should I say, “Mr. Wonerfall”: entertainer  Lawrence Welk, who was born and raised Strasburg, North Dakota, our place of interest today. Mr. Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982. His style came to be known to his large number of radio, television, and live-performance fans (and critics) as "champagne music".  More about him in a little bit.

The morning of Day 7 brought overcast skies and a temperature of 42 degrees but the crazy winds of yesterday were very much subsided. The drive up to Strasburg would be a lot less eventful.

Once again, the beauty of the vastness of the northern prairie is still mind boggling. About 10 miles north of Pierre, you are back amongst the National Grasslands:

And it appears that there is another crop up here besides corn:

There are acres and acres of sunflowers ready to be picked for their seeds. Describing things as acres out here just does not seem right. It’s more like square miles upon square miles.

And did I mention that there are even more square miles of corn fields??!!

And I must say that there were a number of tandem (double trailer) big rigs going south on U.S. Route 83 bringing this product to market. And corn piles are not just synonymous with Nebraska:

Witness these corn piles south of Selby, South Dakota. Also notice what is back:

Seems the hay bales are back in transit after those 60 MPH wind gusts from yesterday brought things down to a crawl.

One other thing about U.S. Route 83: you really have to watch your road signs. Hence this example north of Akaska, South Dakota:

This sign indicates that U.S. Route 83 going north and south now comingles with U.S. Route 12 going east and west and that South Dakota Route 20 begins and or terminates here depending upon your travels. Got that??!! There’ll be a pop quiz later.

Soon after we arrive in Selby, South Dakota and to my delight we meet the other big player in railroading out here:

This is a major line of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe. The train you see is an empty coal train that had a crew approach its federally mandated 12-hour work day and the train was split to keep the grade crossing open until a new crew could come aboard and continue the train's movement to the Powder River Basin in Wyoming.

After passing thru Mound City, South Dakota:

We enter our next and newest state on our trip:

And again, there are miles and miles of cornfields, some picked and waiting to be plowed under; some already done. As much as I have tried to show you the prairie, the camera lens just cannot bring out and show the vastness of the upper Midwest. These are areas that are still pretty much what they were when the pioneers of the nineteenth century came upon. Other than this modern day road known as U.S. Route 83, the visions are only limited by the curvature of the Earth. Sometimes just indescribable.

Fifteen miles into North Dakota, we arrive at Strasburg, North Dakota:

And here is downtown Strasburg and some other views: Main Street.

The Blue Room Bar:

The local post office:

The iconic water tower:

And, of course, the town's "skyscraper":

Lunch was at the Galley Café:

The one of two places to eat in downtown with a seaworthy type of theme. And the parking outside is full of out-of-state plates: Texas, Colorado, Minnesota and Montana. It is the beginning of peasant hunting season in North and South Dakota this weekend. Just about every hunter’s head is aglow with the orange day-glow hat. And you can hear the occasional yelp from the hunting dogs.

Soon after lunch, it is on to our destination:

And here is the Ludwig and Christina Welk Homestead, built in 1893:

Complete was a very sturdily built outhouse. Other pics include:

And the views from the bandstand are beautiful:

And according to the girl behind the counter at the Cenex gas station, the estate is up for sale. Asking price is unknown. Thank you, Mr. Welk, for your good times way back when. It definitely was “A wonerfal, a wonerfal”.

And finally, two items that caught my eye on the way back to Pierre. First, this beautiful house near the city line of Pierre and the town of Blunt:

Definitely a home on the range. And this shot that is close to my heart:

Now THAT is a beautiful ham radio antenna farm that I have ever seen. 73, OM. Nicely done.

And finally, tonight I went to a choral concert at T. F. Riggs High School here in Pierre with my friend Jenn. Her younger daughter Rebecca was one of the participants. You will meet them in tomorrow’s issue. And the concert was very well done.

Saturday, we take a trip to the grounds of the State Capitol of South Dakota where a certain tradition of mine continues. Hope you will stay tuned.

I am Philip J Zocco. On The Road. In Pierre, South Dakota.