After dropping off the car, and picking up a loaner, we headed to Falls Park to check out why Sioux Falls is called Sioux Falls (a recommendation of our service representative at the Mercedes dealership).
Known to the Lakota Sioux as "Laughing Waters," the Big Sioux River winds through the city.
This pink stone is Sioux Quartzite deposited more than a billion years ago and is among the oldest rock exposed in South Dakota. Sioux Quartzite consists of thick beds of silica-cemented quartz sandstone, the grains of which were deposited and rounded by wave action on the floor of the ancient continental sea. The density of the rock resulting from cementation and compaction makes it very resistant to erosion as shown by these fall where the Big Sioux River has been flowing in its present course for about 10,000 years.
We left the car parked by the falls and continued to walk into the city in the blowing cold wind and sporadic sleet. Along the way we noted the interesting sculpture that seemed to be everywhere in the city. We stopped in the Visitor Information Center and learned about SculptureWalk. An extensive outdoor exhibit, SculptureWalk consists of sculptures displayed throughout downtown Sioux Falls year-round. Each May, new sculptures are placed on display and we happened to arrive the week after this year's pieces were placed.
The sculptures are owned by the artists and loaned to the exhibit for one year. The public is invited to vote for their favorite sculpture from May-September, and the sculpture receiving the most votes is honored with the "People's Choice Award." That sculpture is purchased by the city to become part of its permanent collection. All of the sculptures are for sale to the public and several of these are on permanent display in front of buildings or in the park.
Here are many of this year's 55 pieces -
The Farmer - located at the park's viewing tower and from a previous year's display
For Which It Stands - the 2006 People's Choice Award winner - placed in the park
The Shepherd - the 2005 People's Choice Award winner and placed in the park
Coming Home - the 2004 People's Choice Award winner - placed in the park
Circle of Friends - (Around the outside of the circle are the titles of famous children's books. E.g., Anne of Green Gables, Island of the Blue Dolphin, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, etc.) - 2008 People's Choice Award winner - in front of the Orpheum Theater
The Actor - $15,000
This piece was mounted on a street light; no further explanation.
Triceratop - $12,000
Abraham Lincoln - $75,000 - not eligible for voting
Jack's Storytime - 2007 People's Choice Award sinner - outside the Downtown Library
Summer's Distractions II - 2009 People's Choice Award winner - placed outside the Downtown Library
Lioness With Cub - purchased in a previous year and located in front of the Holiday Inn at City Center
Graystone Grasses - $29,000
The Generosity of Creativity - $12,500
The Truth of Geometry - $12,500
Punkswing - $25,000
Flourish - $9,900
Sunday With Jessie - (that's an ice cream cone the little boy has in his hand) - $24,000
Big Easy - $15,000
Waiting - $8,500
Inner Gifts - $9,500
Ralph Moose - (the frozen man in blue is not for sale, but it is a moose, after all) - $19,500
Spirit Bear - $20,000
Spaulding - $12,000
In the Mix - $7,500
Learning to Swim - $16,000
Bugs - $8,500
Cimarron II - $32,000
Raven - $5,900
Mystic Warriors - $6,500
Final Warrior - $6,500
Ruin - $10,000
Bugs - $8,500
Fawned Memories - $19,500
River Otters - $8,000
Your Canopy - $9,000
Book Peddlers - $25,800
No Room For Doubt - $15,000
Embrace - $3,900
Gotta Practice First - $20,000
Bear Cub - $11,500
Brenna - $21,000
Rising Rainbow - $19,500
Galloping Ghost - $3,500
Girly Curl - $6,200
Crocodile - $4,200
Steel Stallion - $9,500
Wonderer - $4,500
Walking back to the car, which we left in the park, we passed this bas-relief on the bridge to the park.
Two Eagles - this is from a previous year - in the park by the parking lot where we left the car.
Returning to the hotel, we received a call from Mercedes that our car was ready to be picked up. The solution to the orange warning light was a software upgrade! Apparently there was a glitch and drivers living in hilly areas ( Denver, for example) were getting this warning when there was no problem. When the car is going downhill it doesn't require as much fuel and the previous software picked that up as a problem. Fix the software, fix the problem. This could be annoying, but we are really just relieved.
My favorite sculpture is.......the Moose!
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