For years my family celebrated the Independance Day holiday with a trip to Dell Rapids, SD ,about 20 miles north of our home in Sioux Falls. My dad would attach a bunch of little American flags to the hood orniment of the 1937 Chrysler sedan and pack the trunk with food baskets, picnic supplies, toys and the little sailboats. My brother and I would climb into our usual back seat places for the short trip and squirm and fight all the way.
Dell Rapids (my dad called it Della Rapit) was a favorite place because it had a large city park with a swimming beach in the center of town, right next to US 77. In addition to swimming and picnicking we would spend the day playing and waiting for the fireworks display at sunset. The fireworks were always thrilling with lots of noise, rockets and colorful sprays of fire across the sky. The show always ended with lit display of Old Glory standing at the end of the little lake and a school band playing the National Anthem.
Part of the day's activities included sailing the little boats across the pond. The boats were hand made to scale and were replicas of sailing vessels complete with cloth sails, rigging, wooden deks and unbelievabl details. My dad spent weeks making them and was very proud of thier apperance and performance. The game was to set the sails and tiller and, depending on wind direction, turn them loose in the water. Almost by magic the little craft (about 12 inches long) would slowly navigate the waters and end up on the opposite bank, where someone was waiting for it. Then sails and tiller re-set, it would cross back to the other bank. It was a great show, attracting a sizable crowd that would sometimes cheer one or both boats.. Often men would ask my dad, "How do you do that?" My dad wondered why decendants of Vikings couldn't figure that out.
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