We are getting closer to the time of our 56th WBCCI International Conven-tion/Rally in Huron, SD. The word from those “in the know” is that Splash CentralWaterpark will be opening in May 2013,so it will be waiting for us when we arrivein June!! However, when you begin wish-ing for “warm” weather, just remember later what you wished for.A number of famous people have lived in Huron and one of those was a formerVice President of the United States, Hubert Horatio Humphrey. His father owned a pharmacy in town and the building still stands with the name Humphrey DrugStore on it. The business today is run by Humphrey’s nephew, though there is no longer a pharmacy, just a gift store.  When Mr. Humphrey was attending the University of Minnesota, his father had to call him home to help manage the pharmacy because of the great depression. Be sure to visit the Humphrey Drug Store in downtown Huron.  Mr. Humphrey then attended the Capitol College of Pharmacy in Denver,CO and in 1933 became a registered pharmacist. After his marriage to Muriel Fay Buck in Huron in 1936, he returned to the University of Minnesota earning a B.A. degree in 1939. He received a M.A. in political science from Louisiana State University and later returned to the University of Minnesota to teach and do further graduate study.  He made an unsuccessful run for mayor of Minneapolis in 1943, then returned to teaching while working other jobs at a radio station and managing an apartment building. He ran for mayor of Minneapolis again in 1945 and won, serving until 1948. He was elected to the U.S.Senate in 1948 serving as Democratic Whip from 1961 to 1964.  President Lyndon B. Johnson selected Mr. Humphrey to run as his running mate in 1964 and Mr. Humphrey became the Vice President of the United States in a landslide victory. Mr. Humphrey ran for President in 1968 on the Democratic ticket losing to Richard M. Nixon by a narrow margin.  He returned to teaching at the University of Minnesota and Macalester College. In 1971 he was returned to the U.S. Senate and served until 1978 when he died from cancer. His wife, Muriel, filled his Senate seat until November 1978 and did not run for the unexpired term.  While you are in Huron, you can take a trip to the nearby town of De Smet,SD. De Smet is known as the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder, who wrote the “Little House on the Prairie” books. De Smetis 33.9 miles east of Huron on US-14. In the winter of 1879-80, the Ingalls family resided in a railroad surveyor’s house.  In 1880 Mr. Ingalls filed his homestead and in 1887 Mr. Ingalls built the house that the family would reside in. The activities open Memorial Day weekend and include such activities as covered wagon rides, 1880s school session, ponies and horses, exhibits, etc. There is something for everyone. The Ingalls Homesteadis located at 20812 Homestead Road,De Smet, SD 57231. Phone number is 800-776-3594.  There are sixteen other sites around the town of De Smet that were mentioned in Laura’s books including the cemetery where Laura’s parents, three sisters and baby brother were buried. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society, 103 Olivet Ave SE, De Smet, SD 57231,phone number 605-854-3383, offers a one hour guided tour of some of these sites that were mentioned in the Laura Ingalls Wilder books.  June 29, 2013, there will be stock carraces at the State Fair Speedway located in Huron. You can walk to the races, but check with the Rally Information Desk or at the Huron Tourist Bureau for more information.  Huron’s 4th of July celebration will be occurring at Campbell Park at the State Fairgrounds.  Activities will include a parade, barbeque, vendor fair and fireworks. Check with the Rally Information Desk for more details.  Other towns within an hour to an hour and a half distance will be having celebrations as well.  Check the South Dakota Tourism site on the Internet to find where they are.  Calling all birders! If you are interested in birding, you can call Glacial Lakes & Prairies Tourism at 1-800-244-8860 for a free SD Birding Trail brochure. The closest places to Huron are just outside of town west on US-14 and is called MagaTa-Hohpi WPA or east on US-14 near DeSmet is the De Smet Forest and LakeThompson Recreation Area.  For those of you coming to the rally with young children, you might choose to visit Aberdeen, SD, north of Huron on US-281 prior to arrival in Huron. There is a Wylie Park Campground as well as Storybook Land including The Land ofOz, rides and other attractions. Check the Internet for rates and hours.  Anyone who will be staying in or around the Huron area until July 13 and 14, 2013, you might consider heading over to Brookings, SD, at the junction of US-14 and I-29, for their Summer Arts Festival located at Pioneer Park on US-14/6th St. between Western Ave. and First Ave. Parking is off site at First Bank & Trust parking lot at 6th Street and 22nd Ave. Shuttle buses will run continuously during the festival. Public parking is available on side streets and public parking lots downtown as well as pay-to-park lots north and northwest of festival.  In addition to over 200 artists from all over the USA with their handcrafted works of art, there will be gourmet and ethnic food booths, children’s area for fun and educational activities and entertainers throughout Pioneer Park. Goto Brookings, SD Summer Arts Festival on the Internet to find out more. We just happened upon this festival on our way to Huron last year and would have loved to have stopped if we could have found a place to park. I would recommend going early. Parking is off site at First Bank & Trust parking lot at 6th Street and 22nd Ave. Shuttle buses will run continuously during the festival. Public parking is available on side streets and public parking lots downtown as well as pay-to-parklots north and northwest of festival. RV parking appeared to be at a premium.  I hope that you have enjoyed reading these articles on Huron and it has peaked your interest in the many things that there are to do and see around the town as well as nearby. See you in Huron!