July 19, 2025 (Sat.) - Parades, Corn Palace and Rodeo
It was a full day in Mitchell, and thanks to the camp host’s tip when we checked in, we knew about the weekend parade and rodeo. Normally, parades aren’t really our thing, but we figured—small town, sunshine, and something to do? Why not!
The parade kicked off at 10:30 AM, and we rolled in at 10:15 with zero parking drama (even with our beast of a truck), and somehow scored a bench right on Main Street. No camping chairs? No problem. Gotta love a town where you can show up minutes before an event and still land prime seating. We lasted about an hour before the heat got to us, and ducked into the cafĂ© behind us for lunch. Bonus: we sat by a window overlooking our former bench, so we still caught the tail end of the parade—in glorious air conditioning. Our favorites: the patriotism, parade of tractors, Corn Palace Hillbillies and people handing out bottled waters, ‘otter pops’ (as Lynn knows them) and ice cream sandwiches! And of course, candy. Cost = Free.
After lunch, we swung by the Corn Palace, a return visit since our first time in 2020. The theme this year was “Wonders of the World” (last time it was “Home Grown”), and while the layout was familiar, the fresh designs made it worth the stop. This time, the palace floor was filled with souvenirs, unlike the empty space we remembered. Also, the weather couldn’t have been more different—sunny and hot in July, a far cry from the rainy September visit years ago. Cost = Free.
Back at the RV, Lynn worked on the blog catch-up, while Kirk napped and attempted to watch a movie called Bad Thoughts. It started off funny, then veered into bizarre territory—so bizarre we bailed halfway through.
By 7:30 PM, we headed to the Annual Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo—Lynn’s first ever! It sounded like a blast, and fun fact: her youngest son is named after a rodeo rider (not intentionally, just loved the name “Cash”). We scored great seats, high enough for Lynn to see the action without peering through fences. The rodeo was fantastic… until the rain rolled in. We toughed it out through the drizzle but eventually had to call it early. Still, what we saw was awesome, and we’d absolutely go again as there are still many more events to see! The crowd was massive, easily the biggest we’ve seen in our travels. And the best part? A full rainbow appeared during the rain—picture-perfect, even if the photos didn’t quite capture it. Rodeo tickets were $22 each, and worth every penny.
On the way back, we saw a beautiful sunset over Lake Mitchell and made a pit stop at Walgreens stop for more Benadryl—between Lynn’s allergies and Otis’ needs, we’re flying through it. And finally, a Red Vines victory! Kirk’s been lamenting the Twizzler-only world we’ve been living in, so finding a bag of Red Vines felt like a small miracle.
We wrapped up the night exhausted but happy, with one more moth added to the tally. We thought we’d left them behind in Custer, but apparently not. We’re estimating the count at around 40 now, mostly appearing in the bathroom at night, and always when Lynn’s in there. She’s starting to take it personally.
Heads up: Photo overload incoming! Get ready for a full-on photo dump!
Weather – High 81*, Low 69*. Winds 5-15 mph. T-storms 45%.
Traffic – None.
Food – Nothing notable.
Notable – Parade, Corn Palace, Rodeo & Rainbows.
Screen time – Bad Thoughts – not a fan.
Moth death toll – ~40.
