Home to Madison, South Dakota

At Life on Wheels, we attended a seminar on choosing a home base state. South Dakota was the top choice and we met a couple who recommended My Dakota Address in Madison as a forwarding agent. We used them to register our coach in South Dakota. But we had to appear in person to get drivers' licenses and to register to vote.

Originally, we had wanted to drive the coach to Madison. But with winter coming, and because October 20 was the last day to register to vote in the presidential election, we realized we had run out of time. So on Monday, October 13, we flew to Sioux Falls, South Dakota and drove the 50 miles to our adopted hometown.

Madison is a wonderful little town with a population of 6,540 (in the 2000 census) and a thriving main street. It is the home of Dakota State University, which was founded in 1881 as the first teachers' college in the Dakota Territory. Today it continues that proud tradition, and is also renowned for its leading edge computer/information systems degrees, and several other disciplines. There is a large ethanol plant east of Madison, and a huge grain elevator on the west side of town. The surrounding area is mostly agricultural.

There are many glacial lakes in the Madison area, providing great natural beauty and abundant recreational opportunities. Madison is located in the eastern prairie lands of South Dakota, with which you are already familiar if you have seen "Little House on the Prairie" or "Dances With Wolves." Mount Rushmore, and the stunning "Badlands," are located in the western half of the state, and we look forward to visiting those areas the next time we go home.

Dakota State University

110 East Center Street

Looking south on Egan Avenue, the main street.

Lake County Court House

We registered to vote at the Lake County Court House on Tuesday and were able to vote on Wednesday. Glenn joined the local VFW Post and Jill joined the VFW Auxiliary. We put some money in a local bank and got a lawyer to prepare South Dakota wills for us.

Everyone we met welcomed us and made us feel right at home. But our concerns about winter were not without cause – Tuesday night eastern South Dakota (“East River”) experienced the first hard freeze of the season.

Halloween is coming!

Lake County is mostly agricultural.



Less than five miles outside of town!

Moon over Lake Madison.