– By #Pioneer Auto Show
South Dakota Mail, Plankington, SD
September 1, 2005
The Mail Office acknowledges a most pleasant visit Tuesday morning, August 23rd with two visitors from Spain, who were stopping in Plankington on their way to and from a tour of the Western United States.
Nuria Barreda and Igor Cortazar, of Bilboa (a city of over 300,000) in the northern part of Spain, spent some time visiting with John and Susan Steele, as they made their way through four states, camping, mountain climbing, and seeing the sights of the “wild west”.
This is the second time Nuria has been to Plankington, having been a foreign exchange student, living with the Steeles for three months in 1996. For Igor this is his first time in the United States and, in fact, the first time he’s been out of his native country.
The couple flew into Minneapolis two weeks ago to begin their sojourn. They met up with the Steele’s daughter, Amanda Sieling, and drove to Sioux Falls where Igor and Nuria rented a car. They then trekked across South Dakota to Leadville, CO, where they climbed Mt. Elbert. Then on to Rocky Mountain National Park, where they saw elk, moose, and other wildlife. Nuria said they were not familiar with moose, and thinking they were some kind of horse, had to ask at the visitor’s center why everyone was so excited when it showed up.
From Colorado they drove through Wyoming seeing the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park. Stops in Cody to attend a rodeo in the rain, Jackson Hole, and Devils Tower ushered them into South Dakota’s Black Hills. There they experienced another kind of “wildlife” in Deadwood. They met up again with Amanda and her family in Spearfish. Tours of Custer State Park, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Sylvan Lake, and a drive through the Badlands rounded out the western swing of their “once-in-a-lifetime” trip.
Both Nuria and Igor noted that they enjoyed all facets of their experience, but were most intrigued with the Pioneer Auto Museum in Murdo, the likes of which they had never before seen.
We at the Mail Office with them well on their return to Spain, where they will resume their positions as a hardware salesman (Igor) and photo store employee (Nuria). We hope to be able to see them again visit in our fair city.
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