BBC Pop Up heads west to Sioux Falls, South Dakota

TO SEE VIDEO, GO TO:

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30437954

My friend Ron , who is now an architect living in Oakland CA, (

along with his wife Deb and their Cat Mr. Pinky) go at least once

a year to South Dakota to visit Deb's parents, who used to

manage an amusement park there ( near Sioux Falls, I believe).

From his drive from CA to South Dakota, Ron emailed me a

whole bunch of great photos, starting with Idaho...

I have emailed Ron the BBC story and asked him for his opinion

on it which , if he answers, I will include later ( I have never been

to South Dakota).

11 December 2014 Last updated at 19:12 GMT

The BBC Pop Up team has left Pittsburgh to drive west to its destination for December: Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Located on the Great Plains, the city is both culturally and geographically in Middle America. You would have to drive just over 1,500 miles to reach either Portland, Maine or Portland, Oregon.

That distance from the densely populated coastlines means South Dakota is also one of the so-called "flyover states" which most Americans have not visited and therefore know little about, beyond Mount Rushmore and perhaps the Badlands.

The BBC's first mobile bureau wants to change that by exploring the community's distinct culture and identity. We are asking locals what stories they want to share with a global audience.

Produced by Matt Danzico, Benjamin Zand, Anna Bressanin and Hannah Gregg

You can find out all about the aims of the Pop Up project and see all the videos from the first three months. Check out Pop Up's behind-the-scenes blog to see how to get involved.

RON REPORTS:

I've never been to Sioux Falls. I know that it is the most populous city in South Dakota. Besides farming and cattle ranching, the main industry in South Dakota is tourism. This is obvious from the multitude of roadside attractions, from cave tours to the Reptile Gardens (which is actually a very well run reptile zoo with lots of opportunities for interaction with the animals.) South Dakota, like several neighboring states, is rich in prehistoric fossils.

South Dakota is generally a red state, with very conservative elected officials. They routinely try to outlaw abortion in the state. Over the decades, they must have spent tens of millions of taxpayer dollars defending their anti-abortion laws in federal court, to no avail.

South Dakotans' anti-tax sentiments are fed by allowing machine gambling in any storefront that chooses to call itself a casino. Every bar is a casino.

Flying over South Dakota drives home how empty it is. Some parts are farmed, and the circular irrigation fields are evident, but most is too poor for raising crops. That land is used for cattle. It is true that much of South Dakota is Indian reservations. My impression is that the native Americans are always around, but always in the background.

Driving through South Dakota on the main highway, US80, requires almost no turning of the steering wheel for the whole transit.

There are historic old west towns that are well preserved, and the famous, or infamous annual Sturgis motorcycle rally.

A surprising activity in South Dakota is the neutrino detector in Lead (pronounced "Leed") in an abandoned gold mine where mine shafts descend nearly a mile to where only the most energetic cosmic particles (neutrinos) can reach.

Speaking of pronunciation, the capital of South Dakota is named "Pierre" and is pronounced "Peer." Go figure.

Things that made an impression on me include: spectacular lightning displays, and the brilliant red soil.

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