August 27-31, 2021
SHADEHILL RECREATION AREA/LEMMON, SOUTH DAKOTA
“Shadehill Recreation Area is a state recreation area in South Dakota located around the Shadehill Reservoir in Perkins County. The recreation area is administered by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks.” Wikipedia
“Lemmon is a city in Perkins County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,227 at the 2010 census. Lemmon is named after George Ed Lemmon, a cattleman, who founded the town in 1906.” Wikipedia
I was staying at the Shadehill Recreation Area, a state park in the middle of nowhere in northwest South Dakota. The campground was nice enough, even with only offering electric service, no water/sewer. However, I had no internet, and only an intermittent zero to one bar of cellular service. The nearest town, Lemmon, was 16 miles from the campground. I felt very isolated.
On Saturday, needing diesel, I made a trip into Lemmon. I sat in the parking lot of Dollar General checking my email and did a quick perusal of Facebook. Getting my internet fix probably took all of ten minutes. As I was leaving the parking lot, I noticed a billboard directing people to the “Petrified Wood Park and Museum.” I hadn’t planned on doing any site seeing so I had left my camera back in the trailer, so I made a mental note that this was something I might have to come back and see and drove on. A block west I saw the Grand River Museum, and likewise I made a mental note of this possible site and drove to the gas station. When I got back to the RV I decided a good way to fill my time was by reading a book, something I had promised myself I would do more of along this journey. I ended up reading about 2/3 of Chasten Buttigieg’s I Have Something to Say and finished it on Sunday.
After surviving Sunday with no internet, I made a trip back to Lemmon on Monday. I was under no pretense, I went to check my email and get a Facebook fix, stopping at museums was only my way of justifying the trip to myself. What I didn’t expect was that the museums were both great finds, and the gentleman at the Petrified Wood Museum also directed me to the studio of John Lopez, a local artist who creates larger than life sculptures using industrial pieces. In the end I deleted all the emails I received because I received nothing of importance, and it took about five minutes before I decided Facebook wasn’t that interesting either. I’m happy the places I visited made the trip worthwhile.
Upon returning to Shadehill after my trip to Lemmon I notice a kettle of Turkey Vultures flying around an area of the park. It was fascinating watching them move up the shoreline and then come back down.
Shadehill Recreation Area
A rainbow as a result of storms in the area.
Leonardo DiCaprio's 2015 "The Revenant" was based on Hugh Glass' story. The place he was attacked by a bear was near this park.
Petrified Wood Park & Museum
“The Lemmon Petrified Park is a park and museum located off U.S. 12 in Lemmon, South Dakota. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.” Wikipedia
The museum contained a hodgepodge of items collected from individuals and businesses in the area.
The park was “constructed” with petrified wood, the majority of which came from within an eight mile radius of Lemmon.
I remember playing with a similar toy cash register at my Aunt Viola's house.
A collection of washing machines.
Items from an optometrist's office.
This spot on the back side of the museum was pointed out to me because it shows a "stone" that has been split...you can see where a pine cone was petrified in the white area.
John Lopez Sculpture Gallery
Housed in The Kokomo Inn, a famous old bar, artist John Lopez has opened a gallery showcasing his magnificent life-size hybrid sculptures made out of discarded farm equipment and bronze.
This peacock's tail is made with silverware and wire.
The Boss Cowman. A tribute to the Lemmon, SD, founder Ed Lemmon.
Detail of the bonsai tree
Grand River Museum
A museum started to show off dinosaur fossils discovered in the area by family members of the owner. The have expanded the museum to include some Native American, homesteading and ranching history. The museum is also home to John Lopez’s Hugh Glass Sculpture.
