Small Town Gems: Sioux Falls, SD

Life on the road can be grueling. Joining the Book of Mormon Jumamosi tour has been like hopping on to a moving train that gets swept up by a glittery tornado. We get the opportunity to tell an amazingly important story with tens of thousands of people every week, but, as I learned from ABC's Once Upon A Time before I lost interest, "all magic comes at a price." That price is being away from loved ones and living out of a suitcase.

The trick is to be grateful for what is in front of you. I get the opportunity to live in places I never even dreamed up, in only for a week at the time. Big cities like Washington DC, Toronto, and Chicago are incredible because they are so rich with many cultures coming and existing together. While each big city has its own flair, there is a certain universality that comes from being chocked full of transplants. 

In a smaller town there is usually one very clear accord coming from people making the best of what they have. That's what I found in Sioux Falls, SD. I couldn't get a margarita on Cinco De Mayo after 10pm, but I did get a glass of wine in a chic boutique with a live band softly playing the hits. I had the best mousse from a patisserie of a world renowned pastry chef. The entire cast and crew couldn't get enough of the Phillips Avenue Diner, morning, noon, or night. Also, the serenity I found walking through a quiet neighborhood and siting beside the sweet rushing waters of the Sioux Falls restored my spirit on a Sunday afternoon. 

Brilliant Beauty is everywhere, but it likes to play hide and seek.