Finding South Dakota

As I mentioned in the last post, Christian Living in the Mature Years Magazine, the inspiration for this blog, will no longer be published. 

Today you can read the Winter 2021 travel story, which features a road trip through South Dakota. I hope you enjoy it.

We entered South Dakota in a cloud. We drove across the plains where snow blanketed the fields. The sky was bright white, and a curtain of fog hung around us. It was the perfect introduction to the winter wonderland vacation we had planned.

 

Falling for Sioux Falls

As the fog cleared at dusk, we began our adventure in Sioux Falls, the largest city in South Dakota. We arrived just after the holidays, and the city was still festooned with brilliant light displays. We drove through downtown, near Washington Pavilion where skaters glided across a seasonal ice rink and the giant Christmas tree held court over the square. Then we drove to Falls Park (home of city’s namesake waterfalls). The entire park was lit up with twinkling lights, and while the falls were mostly iced over, the sound of rushing water mixed with carols in the air. We climbed the lookout tower for a grand view of the entire park.

 

After touring the park in freezing weather, we retired to our hotel for a warm night in. We were fortunate enough to spend two nights in Sioux Falls at two wonderful properties: The Home2 Suites and the Holiday Inn and Suites Airport. Both places were conveniently located near downtown, and both felt like home. We took advantage of the hot tubs at each location after cold days sightseeing in the city.

 

After our night of lights, we decided to spend the next day on indoor activities. We started with breakfast at Josiah’s (named for the city’s founding father), a lovely café in downtown. From there we walked to the Washington Pavilion. The Pavilion is home to a number of theaters and the Kirby Science Center, an interactive museum wonderful for children. A short drive away was one of my favorite spots in the city: the Butterfly House and Aquarium in Sertoma Park. We entered a balmy garden filled with more than 800 flittering butterflies from all corners of the world. Lush vegetation, a gurgling waterfall, and the colorful insects made us feel as though we’d been transported to the tropics.

 

Our final museum stop was the Stockyard Ag Experience back at Falls Park, where I learned a great deal about the history of agriculture in the area and how it shaped (and reshaped) the city of Sioux Falls. There is a wonderful restaurant inside the park, Falls Overlook Café, that, well, overlooks the falls. We chose to drive a little further out of town, though, to Looks Marketplace. Looks, a Sioux Falls institution since 1883, is a farmer’s market under one roof. You can purchase meat at the butcher, scrumptious desserts at the bakery, local culinary souvenirs from the grocery, and have a delicious sit-down meal at the restaurant. It was the perfect way to fill up on dinner and grab gifts for friends back home before continuing west.

 

Only 250 Miles to Go

It seemed like the minute we started on I-90 toward Rapid City, we began seeing signs for Wall Drug. Their billboards for 5¢ coffee and free ice water dotted the prairie every few miles. By the time we reached Wall, South Dakota, about an hour from Rapid City, curiosity got the best of us. We exited the interstate to see what all the fuss was about. What started as a small mom-and-pop pharmacy in 1931 has become a monstrous, sprawling tourist complex with gift shops and a large restaurant. It is the epitome of the American roadside attraction, a glorious tourist trap full of novelties, t-shirts, and the worst coffee I have ever paid for (even though it was only 5¢). It was a fine spot for stretching our legs and buying some wacky souvenirs, but an hour there was more than enough time.

 

Speaking of wacky souvenirs, another roadside attraction that caught our attention was the Corn Palace in Mitchell. Advertised as the “World’s Only Corn Palace,” this event center is home to regional festivals, basketball games, a farmer’s market, and a number of other annual events. The thing that makes the building unique, however, is on the outside. The walls of the Corn Palace are decorated with murals made entirely of corn and other local grains and grasses. The murals are replaced each year as a new theme is chosen. Across the street from the palace itself is the gift shop. I was so pleased with all the “corny” souvenirs I purchased there.

 

A Monumental Road Trip

The thing I love most about traveling in winter is the lack of crowds. In summer, national parks are flooded with tourists, traffic, and long waits. In winter, it’s hard to find any of those things. The day we visited Mt. Rushmore, we didn’t wait in a single line. Snow had fallen the night before, making our monumental sightseeing day one for the scrapbook. Even though we were touring the site in freezing weather, we didn’t skip Thomas Jefferson’s famous vanilla ice cream in the café. The former president brought the recipe back from France, and it tasted phenomenal!

 

From Mt. Rushmore, we continued on to the Crazy Horse Memorial. This tribute to Native American history is a work in progress. When we visited, the mountain showed the Lakota leader’s face and outstretched arm. It was a thrill to see such a gigantic work of art as it was being created. The site is home to the Indian Museum of North America, a large collection of art and artifacts reflecting the diverse histories and cultures of the American Indian people.

 

The final part of our monumental road trip was a driving tour of Custer State Park. We took the Wildlife Loop in the hopes of seeing some local wildlife. In summer, bison, deer, elk, coyotes, and a variety of other animals surround the road. In winter, the residents are less likely to be seen, but we still spotted bison, deer, and burros on our drive. And since no one was around honking for us to get out of the way, we were able to stop and admire the scenery whenever we liked.

 

Back at our hotel, the Hampton Inn and Suites, we settled into our comfy room to plan the next day’s activities. Uncharacteristically, I handed the reins over to my husband who chose all of our events for the next day, which began with a delicious breakfast at Tally’s Silver Spoon in downtown Rapid City. The restaurant features modern takes on classic diner fare. From there, we walked through the downtown area to see the City of Presidents. Bronze statues of past presidents stand on street corners holding court, just asking to be featured in selfies. From there we headed to the Journey Museum, which featured educational displays on Black Hills history and Native American culture, including the digs that have produced countless dinosaur bones and fossils.

My husband had one last thing on his list, and it took us out of town about half an hour north to Sturgis. The only thing I knew about Sturgis was that in the summer they host a rally for thousands of loud, raucous bikers partying all hours of the day and night. What I didn’t know is that in the winter, Sturgis is a sleepy little town with a quaint Main Street. The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame pays homage to the history of motorcycling and honor those who have made a significant impact on the sport. As someone who is a far cry from a “biker chick,” I still enjoyed the museum immensely.

 As we drove back across the prairie, this time ignoring the signs for cheap coffee and free ice water, snow began to fall again. We left South Dakota in the same dreamy fog that we entered it in. I felt like we were driving out of a snow globe, back to real life.