by We were settled in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for a couple weeks around Doug’s jury duty service, and took a weekend trip around the Northeast corner of our home state. Let’s be honest, there is a lot of empty space in this part of South Dakota. However, the drive itself was so interesting, as the wide-open prairies are just so different than the tight spaces of the East coast that we’re used to.
Nicollet Tower
The description promised a “breathtaking view” of South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota, but as per usual, I was underwhelmed and Doug liked it more than me. It’s named after Joseph N. Nicollet, who was a French mapmaker who explored the area in the 1830’s. The tower is 80 feet tall.
Andrew and Mary Stavig House
This was one of the weirdest tours we’ve ever done. The tour “guide” was apparently new to the job, and literally locked the front door, hung up a sign that said a tour was in progress, then proceeded to follow us around while holding an informational book but telling us little about the house. There were displays and information signs around the house, so we did learn a bit about the house and its inhabitants.
Here’s what the website says about the house: “The historic Stavig House, built by Scandinavian craftsmen in 1916, combines elements of the Victorian era with Arts and Crafts style architecture. Listed on the National Historic Register, the museum tells the authentic story of a Norwegian immigrant family through three generations, from fishermen in Norway to homesteaders on the Dakota prairie to Main Street entrepreneurs in the new town of Sisseton.”
