This day was spent straddling the borders of three states. The next three or four posts will be focusing on South Dakota.

Let’s start with this place in Milbank, SD. The name and sign were recently changed from Manor Motel. You can see the old tubing holes at the top — no idea why they didn’t patch those. Surely, the sign had all neon originally and the “& Extended Stay” panel was added later.

I doubt that it’s coincidence that the sign’s triangle mimics the office’s 1960s-looking roofline. The adjacent restaurant, known as the Millstone Family Restaurant, has the same style roof and was probably built at the same time. Alas, that building is pretty ugly now with crappy vinyl siding.

This sign is in Canby, MN. It’s been missing the neon and has had “Home Painted” letters for years:

Here are three signs in Wahpeton, ND:

The “Lounge” panel had the same neat dimpled plastic pattern as “Sportsman’s” but it was damaged by the weather and the sign co. told the owner that they didn’t make that material anymore:

There’s a little less paint every time I see this sign. It was moved from the front of the building to the back many years ago:

This bar is gone but this sign was saved and installed in the Community Center in the small town of Hankinson, ND. I was able to shoot it through the window in the early morning:

How about a couple of movie theatre marquees? Both theatres still operating. This one in Britton, SD:

The Canby Theatre in Canby, MN:

And now for a few buildings. This odd little former gas station with a Sinclair pole sign is in Watertown, SD:

This former Tastee-Freez is in Hankinson, ND:

This former Harold’s Camera Shop is in Watertown, SD. I’m sure those panels were vitrolite originally:

Let’s close with a trio of statues. This blocky buffalo is in Fergus Falls, MN:

The giant catfish, aka the “Wahpper,” in Wahpeton, ND:

The “Black Viking” high on Pyramid Hill in Fort Ransom, ND:

Back soon with more photos. In the meantime, don’t forget that there are lots of different photos over at Flickr from this trip posted in daily batches as I write these posts:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs