The Rerouted Skytress

I remember the first time I went to Sioux Falls. Half my crew thought we were going to Fargo. Ah, city codes. We don’t always know them like we should. Luckily we have crew briefings before our trip and we can sort these details out. In the long run it didn’t matter if we were going to Sioux Falls or Fargo. It was cold and dark when we landed. It was cold and dark when we departed. That trip was in stark contrast to my latest Sioux Falls trip. I had a 30-hour Sioux Fall layover and I was extremely excited. I was so excited, I did some research before my trip. Well, maybe “research” is a bit of an exaggeration. I watched a couple YouTube videos of Sioux Falls. But, it was more research than I have done for other layovers. So, I felt well-prepared. Well-prepared might be an exaggeration, too. I knew I was going to go see the Falls…..and get a tea at a local coffee shop and maybe get a macaron. I decided I’d figure the rest out once we got there.

I was, also, happy about my trip because I was flying with a Skytress friend, Darnell. Darnell was excited for our Sioux Fall layover, too. The Skyter that was originally on our trip was replaced with another Skyter. No, it wasn’t our Skyter friend JJ. This Skyter was named Orlando. Orlando was really cool. He, also, conducted some Sioux Fall research. He found a restaurant that overlooked the Falls. I don’t know how I missed this restaurant in my YouTube research. But, I immediately knew I wanted to go to there. I said a silent prayer that we made it to Sioux Falls. Skytresses and Skyters know if you get really excited about a layover, the reroute gods can hear it in our voices. Before you know it, your anticipated layover is rerouted into a junk layover. Fortunately for us, the reroute gods must not think too much of Sioux Falls. Heck, we even landed twenty minutes early.

The one thing I remembered about my prior Sioux Falls layover was the hotel lobby. Nothing else. I didn’t even remember the tall bronze Pilot sculpture in the airport. It was huge! Nope. I just remembered the hotel lobby. Weird, I know. It’s a peculiar Skytress trait of mine. Remembering hotel lobbies. I didn’t remember if the Sioux Falls hotel had a map of the city. So, I asked. Fortunately, the hotel had a marvelous map. The gal at the front desk circled the hotel on the map, too. I love when they do this for me. Yep, just another peculiar Skytress trait of mine. Darnell, Orlando and I exchanged cell phone numbers before we headed up to our rooms so we could meet up the next day and explore Sioux Falls. I barely got inside my hotel room before I started to study the map. I felt responsible for coming up with an action plan for the next day. After all, I was the only one that had done the YouTube research.

Darnell and I met in the lobby the next morning at 11am. Orlando was already out and about taking in the city. Since I had done my YouTube research and Darnell had not, I was the designated tour guide. Our first stop was a coffee shop I saw a couple on YouTube visit. They raved about the shops specialty drinks. I threw caution to the wind and instead of ordering my regular chia tea latte, I got a lavender and matcha iced tea. It was a pleasant surprise. It was like drinking a cup of lavender potpourri….but, in a good way. There was a sightseeing sign on a lamppost outside of the coffee shop. Darnell and I studied it. Then we immediately headed out in the wrong direction to the Falls. This would be the first of many directionally challenging moments for me in Sioux Falls. Yes. I did have my map from the hotel. I didn’t look at it once that day. In retrospect, maybe I should have. Oh well. Thankfully, a kind police officer on his patrol bike came to our rescue and directed us down the right path to the Falls.

I can’t explain how surreal and exciting it is to see water falls in the middle of a downtown city. But, there they were. They we mesmerizing. And beautiful, to boot! Darnell and I decided to head to the lookout tower first to take it all in. There was a lovely breeze when we walked outside. The breeze and scenery were euphoric. Although I was looking right at the Falls, I still couldn’t fathom the oddity of it all. All I knew was I was happy. Darnell was happy, too. Heck, as I watched the people milling about the park, it seemed everyone was happy. Yes, it was… Sioux-weet to see this!

There was a gift shop inside the lookout tower. We were about to exit and head down towards the Falls when I remembered to ask about a Christmas ornament. Ah, yes. Me and my Christmas ornaments. The lady in the gift shop told me they didn’t have a huge selection of ornaments. Well, actually she said they had one Christmas ornament in stock this time of year. She walked me to the back of the gift shop to show me the ornament. It was a beautiful etched-glass ornament of the Falls. It was perfect….or rather, I should say it was ….Sioux-weet! Sorry. I couldn’t stop my fingers from typing this again! When I went to the counter to pay for the ornament I asked the sales clerk about the Falls. I wanted to know where the water source started. I swear she told me it started in a pond. I looked this up later and I couldn’t verify the pond source. I did discover the Big Sioux River starts in a low plateau known as the Coteau des Prairies and eventually flows southward miles around the city and meets up with the Missouri River. Still as I watched the water flow slowly around the park area I liked to believe I heard the sales clerk correctly and that the water started in a pond. I like to think it started in a farmer’s pond. That makes a much Sioux-weeter story. Don’t worry folks. I’m not done with my new saying!

Darnell and I knew we had to get closer to the Falls. More importantly, we needed to get some pictures taken in front of the Falls. Talk about a Kodak moment. The crazy thing about the Falls is you can get very close to it to get a fabulous picture. Heck, dogs actually frolic in the water. The best thing about the Falls. There are several beautiful water falls to stand in front off to get a Sioux-weet picture. Fortunately, Darnell and I got some really Sioux-weet ones!!

The only logical thing to do after getting your pictures taken in front of the Falls is to walk over to the Falls Overlook Cafe. You can order lunch and sit outside and look at the Falls. Or you can do what Darnell and I did. We got ice cream! Let’s all say it together, shall we? Sioux-weet!!!The ice cream is produced from the milk of local cows. The lady in the gift shop said there are a thousand cows that help produce milk for the ice cream. I don’t know if her numbers are as accurate as the pond source story. But, I’m all for supporting local cows. Especially if they are in the business of making ice cream. I got the cherry ice cream. It was delicious. I highly recommend it. Yep. Those local cows know how to produce great cherry ice cream! I’m not sure if they picked the cherries that went into the ice cream. The lady at the gift shop didn’t tell me this. What I can tell you though is… My cherry ice cream tasted even more spectacular as we sat outside looking at the Falls.

Darnell and I decided to walk around the city after we ate our ice cream. There were eclectic shops and restaurants in the downtown area. There was a cupcake shop that infused it cupcakes with booze. The shop is called, Intoxibakes. How Sioux-weet is that name? We didn’t get any cupcakes. Heck. I already drank a lavender potpourri ice tea and devoured a local cow cherry ice cream. I didn’t need a cupcake with booze in it. Oh, I wanted it. I just didn’t need it! Plus, Darnell, Orlando and I were going to have dinner together. At least that was the plan. Darnell and I walked all around the city several times…. because I was directionally challenged. Thankfully it was a beautiful day for walking. We estimated we walked a million miles. Then again, Skytresses don’t like math. So we could have walked even more than that. We did get a Sioux Falls tan in the process. Which really means we got sunburned. We did try to meet up with Orlando later in the day. But, we got the distinct feeling he wanted to do his own thing. Which was fine by us. We were on an adventure. Yes. A directionally-challenged Skytress layover adventure. Eventually, Darnell and I decided where we wanted to have dinner based on the TripAdvisor recommendations for Sioux Falls. Don’t laugh. TripAdvisor is a go-to source for airline people. The TripAdvisor didn’t mention the restaurant specialized in huckleberry fare. No it did not. But, all the dinner specials included huckleberry. So, of course I chose to get a hamburger with huckleberry sauce. Well, actually it was a huckleberry and jalapeño sauce. Need I say more? I highly recommend this meal, too. It was yummy, yummy…in my tummy! Admit it. You’re a wee bit sad I didn’t say it was Sioux-weet….aren’t you?

I realize Sioux Falls isn’t the biggest city out there. Ironically, it is the biggest city in South Dakota, though. Yes. Darnell and I walked a million Skytress miles around the Sioux Falls. However, there are still some interesting shops I want to go back and check out. World champion Pastry Chef, Chris Hanmer, has a patisserie shop that I long to eat a macaron from on my next visit. And the outdoor amphitheater beckons me to come sit a spell and watch a show. I, also, learned on Saturday in the summer there is a downtown farmer’s market. I can only imagine what marvelous items they sell there. Incredibly, there is a lot more to Sioux Falls than I learned about in my YouTube research. I definitely need to go back. Yes, Sioux Falls may not be on the list of cities our international Skytresses and Skyters want to fly to. That’s okay. This just means it will be easier for me to bid Sioux Falls trips again and hold them. Paris in the springtime is undoubtedly special. However, Sioux Falls in the summer is a surprisingly Sioux-weet secret. Come on….I had to say it!!!!