From Pipestone to Frank Lloyd Wright

Setting out on a solo road trip after a lapse of eight or so years has involved a bit of an adjustment to fully settle into my “groove.” I was fully prepared with my route, sites to visit, places to stay, and snacks to eat along the way, but there were a few new-to-me things that I needed to figure out.

I had planned to use this trip as an experiment on how I might want to take photos in the future. In the past, I’ve always used a high-quality point and shoot camera. This time, I wanted to try the excellent camera on my smartphone. For me, this has involved a bit of a learning curve since I’ve rarely taken pictures with my phone.

Technology has come a long way, and I’m still getting used to all the features on both the phone and the car. I had loaded all my old iTunes music onto my phone, as well as a few audiobooks. I usually just listen to my favorite XM station, but I wanted to try something different.

Trying to use the phone in the car for all its intended purposes was a bit frustrating. How can I use the phone for several things at once? If it’s plugged into the car audio, how can I then use it to take a photo out the window? How can I listen to audiobooks and use Google maps at the same time? I should have figured out those things before leaving home.

Using the phone to take photos was also frustrating at times. The quality was great, but I had to sign into the phone almost every time I wanted to take a photo. Then, it would often reset to video, instead of photos, especially if I was using the phone on a lanyard.  [After I returned home, Tim showed me the settings that would solve these issues.]

These minor frustrations were how I started my day, but things got so much better, especially after I crossed into Minnesota and reached Pipestone National Monument.

The Exhibits at Pipestone National Monument Were So Informative

Pipestone is an amazing park and far exceeded my expectations. Pipestone has been a sacred gathering place for Native Americans for over 3,000 years. This site has been, and still is, the preferred source of pipestone, the red stone for making pipes.

The exhibits at the Visitor Center tell the story of the pipestone and the sacred pipes used in prayer and ceremony, and they helped me understand the cultural and spiritual significance of the site.

Petroglyphs from the Site Were also on Exhibit

Two Indigenous cultural demonstrators were carving pipestone, and I enjoyed talking with them. The gentleman expressed that he was the fourth-generation carver in his family, but that he doubted there would be a fifth or sixth generation one. His children and grandchildren were only mildly interested, certainly not to make it their profession. He saw my phone, since I had asked if I could take his photo, and he said that’s the problem – new technology. Let’s hope this is not a dying tradition.

Carvers at Work

An Eagle Effigy Pipe Bowl Recently Completed

As always, the rangers were wonderful, including one ranger whom I had met last Fall at the Plains Anthropological Conference.

I headed out on the quarry trail and talked to one of the quarriers. He explained that this area had just had heavy rains for the first time in three years. Usually, there is only snowmelt in the quarries. Now, they were full, and he was forced to pump the water out so he could get to the pipestone. I had been surprised to learn that the pipestone layer is under eight to 14 feet of quartzite. Quarriers must remove by hand all that rock to expose the pipestone, and this process can take weeks or months. Slabs of pipestone must be at least one-half inch thick to be useful for carving.

Quarry Layers and Quarry Pit, with Excavated Pipestone Slabs on the Right

I continued following the circle trail, which features several interesting stops along the way. I passed along the Sioux Quartzite cliffs and climbed the steps to view The Oracle, the profile of a face that can be seen in the rocks.

Passing by the Sioux Quartzite Cliffs

The Oracle, Can You See It?

The trail crossed Pipestone Creek below Winnewissa Falls, which had become much more than a trickle after the recent rain. It was interesting to read that George Catlin, an artist who specialized in portraits of Native Americans, had visited the site in 1836 and had sketched the creek and quartzite cliffs.

Winnewissa Falls

Pipestone Creek as Sketched by George Catlin and Pipestone Creek Today

It was soon time to get back on the road, and I had planned to take back roads all the way to Mason City. Unfortunately, technology reared its evil head once more, and my GPS was not cooperating. I gave up and took the interstate instead. I justified this move by reasoning that I would have more time when I arrived in Iowa.

Although the focus of this road trip was visits to national parks, I realized that Mason City, Iowa, was on my route. Why Mason City? This small city is the unlikely location for a wealth of Prairie School style architecture, including two buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, one of which is the Historic Park Inn, one of the few hotels ever designed by Wright. Frank Lloyd Wright is a particular favorite of mine, and I was not about to miss the opportunity of staying in one of his creations.

The Historic Park Inn Hotel

City National Bank Wing

Completed in 1910, the building complex includes both the Park Inn Hotel and the City National Bank, now a ballroom. I was able to wander throughout the hotel and see many of its original features. The skylight room behind the lobby, for example, contains the original 25 art-glass panels that were found in a nearby home and donated back to the hotel.

Skylight Room, Original Art-Glass Panels, and Sitting Area

I had a delicious dinner in the hotel restaurant, which was my first real dinner on the trip. As I was leaving, my server suggested I check out the bar in the basement, which was redesigned as a speakeasy. So, I headed down there, looked around, and went into the back area with the pool table. I started talking with the couple playing pool and learned that they lived nearby and were celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary.

I almost never talk about politics or religion, but our conversation somehow veered to the subject of politics. Surprisingly, I found kindred spirits – in Iowa! They invited me to sit down, and we ended up talking and drinking for almost two hours. I had planned to go to my room and work on the blog, but sitting with them was so much more important. Meeting local people makes these trips especially memorable, and spending the evening with Paula and Eric made the evening quite special.