I'm taking in trip to South Dakota in July and need advice

[D. D. Olson]

The last time we went to SoDak, in 2003, we stopped at the usual places (Mt. Rushmore, Wall Drug, Crazy Horse). This time we're planning to see the Badlands and Custer State Park.

Can you tell me about some other, not so popular places that we should check out? We haven't charted our route yet, but I'm assuming we'll be
driving out on I-90 from Minnesota. But we'd be game to change that if we hear about something to see in another area.

[Chez moi]

Gee, DD, I don't know, I imagine there are a lot of not so popular places in South Dakota!

;-D ;-D ;-D


I understand that tourist accomodations are easy to find...

I s'pose you've looked, but here's a site...
http://www.southdakotabeautiful.com/#blank

Good luck and have fun!

[D. D. Olson]

Thanks for the link, Chez. I'm adding it to my research.

[Stir Young]

Well, I haven't been to SoDak(I just love saying "SoDak" out loud) in 41 years, and you've listed all the places I've been to.

I might suggest that you jump up to NoDak(I just love saying "NoDak" out loud, as well) for your return, and see the Teddy Roosevelt National Park. I went all the way across NoDak last summer, and I might mention, I found the people to be very polite, but a bit reticent (I guess a few of those Scandihoovians from Minnesota moved westward at some point in the past).

SoDak and NoDak are like a set of salt and pepper shakers.....its not complete without the pair.

[D. D. Olson]

Ha ha! Ya, I think those Scandos are all the way up into NoDak. (My boss is Italian. He calls us "Scandos".) I like your salt and pepper shakers analogy - "Please pass the Dakotas."

Thanks for the Teddy Roosevelt Nat'l Park referral, Stir. I drove through that area in 2005, but didn't get to stop. I think that's near Medina, where you can get barbecue on pitchforks. It wouldn't even have to taste that good. I just wanna be served a meal on a pitchfork someday.

[D. D. Olson]

Thanks so much, WendyLynne for the Wind Cave Nat'l Park referral. I love SoDak, too. I love the wide open spaces. The first time I crossed the Missouri, I was struck at how dramatically the topography changes. To the east of the Missouri is farmland. To the west is rangeland. I live in eastern Minnesota, so by the time we get to western SoDak, I'm really somewhere else!

[Aggie]

I thought you was a Yankee. I have been to Northeast Texas.

[Aggie]

When I grew up everyone north of Waco was considered an Yankee.

[Goldilocks46]

Have you been to Pennsylvania yet, WendyLynn?

[stillgoing]

Here's an interesting place. I was there a few years ago visiting my sister in Rapid City. We went here to dinner one night, it seemed an interesting place, Deadwood SD.
http://www.deadwood.org/OfficialGuide/

Although you could just drive around Mt. Rushmore and hang with the buffalo.

[D. D. Olson]

Thanks for the link, Still. We've thought that we should visit Deadwood to at least tour the graveyard. We watched the series Deadwood, and developed an interest in the history of that town.

[Aggie]

I once got as close as fourty miles from the S Dakota border then former wife and kids want to go back home.

[Aggie]

Custer once camped about 5 miles from the ranch were I grew up on after the Civil War. More Yankees died on that plantation than anywhere else in Texas during the Civil War.