I knew I wanted to explore more than just Sioux Falls as part of this Eastern South Dakota excursion and somehow ended up in Vermillion:
The appeal of it is that it is a college town, in fact home of the University of South Dakota. The mascot of which is the coyotes and given the state lacks any major sports team, you see local folks sporting gear bearing the “Go Yotes” slogan.
Honestly there wasn’t any lack of small towns for my excursions, I could gone to Sioux City, IA or Yankton, SD but chose this town for one reason alone. There was reports that this one hidden spot that sold the best sandwiches and best part is that it was tucked inside of a ACE Hardware store why? just because.
It was worth the hype!! I ordered half a Big Smith and it was a delight. Was even featured on Oprah magazine recognizing it for the quality of the bread boldly stating it was better than anything tasted in France, South Francisco or SoHo 😲
Like most cities I explored during this trip, the mural game was spot on. The mural represents the beauty of vermillion including its incredible sunsets, wildlife, and plant life. The mural also portrays famous vermillion writer Zitkala-Sa as the main figure.
Another one here by the same artist team, titled Wanáȟča, the Lakota word for “flower that blooms,” portraying a Native woman braiding her hair, which flows into the Missouri River.
Sometimes not only do I spot interesting murals but also weird houses. I randomly stumbled across this one and had a double take. It in fact made onto this list
Then a house listed on the national historical register, the Austin-Whittemore house. It was probably one of the first houses built on the bluff overlooking the Missouri River and for years was the site of some of Vermillion’s most prominent social gatherings. Today its become a museum for those wanting to learn more about Vermillion history
