South Dakota, Mitchell to Kadoka




 

Corn Palace,
Mitchell, SD
 

Bronco Riding,
Rodeo at Kadoka, SD
From age five until the trip, I wanted to be a cowboy when I grew up. Influence of watching too many westerns, I guess. We happened upon a local rodeo in Kadoka, and stopped to watch. No admission necessary; just drive up next to the fence and get out or watch from your car. It was my first contact with real cowboys. I wandered around and watched and listened to the competitors when they were not on horseback. They were dirty and smelly and -- most important -- not very interesting people. They knew about horses and cows, but not much else -- or at least they didn't talk about much else. That was a life-changing moment, whether or not I realized it at the time.