Keep in mind that it was all of about 5 degrees below zero when I took these... So I didn't take a whole lot of time lining up the "perfect shot". Still, they didn't come out that bad.

This the is Gateway computer factory in North Sioux City, South Dakota. Although it is technically in South Dakota, it is about 2 miles north of the Iowa / South Dakota state line. This is where Gateway's worldwide headquarters was based, until they moved the executive offices to San Diego a couple of years ago. Apparently, they couldn't talk enough execs into moving to the land of corn, beans, and sub-zero wind chills. Imagine that.

If you order a new Gateway computer, odds are pretty good that it will be built here by hard-working, dedicated, smiling people who don't mind the occasional tornado, flash flood, or other tortures thrown at them by Mother Nature.

Besides being the home of Gateway computers, North Sioux City isn't known for much, except for fireworks that would normally be illegal in most every other state, and...
...Video poker / Keno casinos!!! Of the dozen or so "casinos" in North Sioux (please don't come expecting Caesar's Palace, my friends...), I thought this one was appropriately named, so it earned a place on our site.

This is the view from the War Eagle park in Sioux City, overlooking Nebraska, which is just across the Missouri river. Not much to look at from up here, but hey - the view is nice.
And look! Here is the War Eagle himself!
This is the (in)famous Sioux City Stockyards. Hogs go in one side, bacon and ham come out of the other. The morning news every day includes the estimated slaughter counts for the unfortunate pigs, cows, sheep, and occasional turkey that meet their fate here. I don't know if they give tours or not, but it doesn't matter... I already have enough images in my mind to give me nightmares already, thankyouverymuch.

Trust me - this is not a place you want to drive past on a hot day with your windows rolled down. The smell is enough to make you vegetarian.
Sergeant Floyd is some sort of local hero. I'm ashamed to admit that I have no stinkin' idea who Sgt. Floyd is, or why he has his own monument, river boat, and a boulevard named after him. That's what you get for not growing up around here, I suppose. Anyway, here is Floyd's combination river boat / tourist information stop.

Sergeant Floyd's actual memorial monument is on the South side of town. I suspect that they couldn't come up with an original idea, so they just copied the Washington monument. What do you think?

This is the Mighty Mo itself. Yes, the Missouri River, the lifeline of the old West... Well, today it's frozen.

The Mighty Mo has never frozen all the way over for as long as I've lived here, but it certainly has its share of ice chunks to share its waterways with the river boat casinos. There are 3 river boats on the Missouri between here and Council Bluffs, IA, about 90 miles South. I imagine that sometimes they must feel like the Titanic dealing with icebergs, although on a much smaller scale.

Of course, just across the Missouri River is Nebraska, home of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. The world revolves around the Huskers once you cross this bridge, so be careful wearing your Oklahoma or Tennessee shirt when visiting. At night they light this bridge up with black light type lighting - it looks cool, even if there really isn't much point in doing so.
Besides being home to Gateway, Sioux City is also home to Jolly Time Popcorn.

Sioux City is also home to the Sioux Honey Association, makers of...that's right, Sioux Bee Honey. See how well this all works out? So if you ever have an urge to spread some honey on your popcorn, you right ahead, and be sure to think of Sioux City (and the beans!) while you do it.

And here the beans stop to say Hi to the official Sioux Bee Honey logo, who also just happens to have a thing with the world. But you have to wonder why she's pointing towards Nova Scotia - do they have a lot of honeybees there or something?