Section of Sioux Falls
Spokane, Wash., may have a fancy downtown park built around a scenic waterfall, but Sioux Falls, South Dakota, may have outdone them.
Both cities have simply beautiful waterfalls that are wide and careen over a series of drops rather than a single plunge.
In Sioux Falls, it's much easier to reach the water and get a close up view.
There are also some intriguing historical buildings around the Sioux Falls attraction. These include an old power building (for when there was a hydroelectric dam at the site) and some of the remains of a huge mill that was, unfortunately, a financial bust.
The seven-story Queen Bee Mill opened in 1881, but was closed two years later - victim of inadequate water power from the falls and a shortage of wheat. Most of the landmark was lost in 1956 to a fire.
The park includes a tall observation tower that gives an excellent view of the Sioux Falls. It looks like a prison guard post for a reason. A prison just up the hill remains in operation. It's said that the prisoners enjoy the best view of Sioux Falls.
Sioux Falls also features the magnificent St. Joseph's Cathedral, which was started in 1915 and completed four years later. It was designed by the French architect Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, who designed the St. Paul Cathedral and who was the chief designer for the building of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. The great church was completed, though the architect died before it was finished. The stone Illinois Central Passenger Depot is another local masterpiece.
For the night, we were set to lodge at the town of Weston, Missouri, at the St. George Hotel. Prior to arriving, we knew nothing of Weston and very little of the St. George.
We were in for a delightful surprise as we turned a corner and gazed at a hidden treasure of historic buildings and old homes - just our piece of cake. In the middle of it all was the St. George Hotel, which was built in 1847 and catered to the ship captains who arrived on the nearby Missouri River as well as the wagon drivers who passed by this spot.
The St. George was rebuilt in 1890, but the present model looked much as it did in an old photo we saw in town. The rooms are not luxurious, but very comfortable in an old-fashioned way. They had an odd arrangement - no rooms straight down a hall. Thankfully, there is an elevator, which was missing in several of our lodging selections.
At the edge of town and in the blocks behind, there are charming homes that look as if they could easily eclipse the Civil War. One is the newly remodeled Mandrake House on Main Street that is now open for lodgers.
The tallest building in town at seven stories is hardly visible. That's because 55 feet of the Weston Brewing Company is underground. That is where the distillery's production was kept in wooden casks. The Weston Brewing Company was a major industry until it was halted by Prohibition.
Mike Coakley and Corey Winefurt, who also happen to own the St. George, have opened O'Malley's Pub at the old distillery, which is a block off the main road. With Irish tunes playing in the background and the backdrop of the low rooms of the former distillery, it's quite a drinking and dining experience.
A paved trail behind the Weston business block leads in the direction of the nearby Weston Bend State Park, which is also a bend in the Missouri.
On to our very last stop - in the unknown town of Fairfield, Illinois, - "Home of the Friendly People."
Lobby of the St. George Hotel at Weston, Ms.