South Dakota Vacation Guide - SD Vacation Guide 2017
Road Trip Along I-90 & I-29
Carson Walker 2017-01-14 01:25:29
Needles Highway
THE OPEN ROAD AWAITS.
THE ADVENTURES ALONG THE WAY ARE UP TO YOU.
ROAD TRIP ALONG I-90
From farm fields and rolling prairies in the east to the rugged Black Hills and grasslands in the west, Interstate 90 connects many of South Dakota’s most popular destinations, including those rich in Native American and pioneer history and others that are simply fun and quirky stops along the way.
Falls Park
SIOUX FALLS
South Dakota’s largest city has morphed from a sleepy agricultural town to a bustling center of businesses and entertainment. There’s a lot going on and plenty of places to stay.
MUS T-SEE STOPS
Walk on pink Sioux quartzite formations and feel the rumble and spray of the Big Sioux River at the city’s namesake waterfalls at Falls Park. Grab a ride on the trolley or walk downtown to experience unique restaurants, bars and shops. Many buildings are made from the pink rock, including the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science. Viewing the outdoor SculptureWalk pieces is a great way to see the heart of the city. Watch the buffalo and other animals roam at the Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History. See butterflies and fish from around the world at the Butterfly House & Marine Cove. Learn about the region’s history at the Old Courthouse Museum and the Pettigrew Home & Museum, which houses artifacts from the era of the city’s founding. Breathe in the fresh air on a nature hike at The Outdoor Campus. More on pages 251-252.
Culinary scene
MITCHELL
Mitchell has a bit of everything, from a prehistoric dig site to one-of-a-kind attractions.
MUST-SEE STOPS
The World’s Only Corn Palace hosts entertaining events year-round inside, while the exterior displays artistic murals made out of corn, grains and grasses that are changed and unveiled semi-annually. This makes it the perfect stop for unique, fun selfies. Visit during the annual Corn Palace Festival when locals bring their best produce to be judged and Mitchell’s Main Street fills with carnival rides, food and games. Learn about Native American and pioneer art and history— including the fur trade, railroads, farming, ranching and the Great Depression—at the Dakota Discovery Museum, which also has a historic village with a depot, church, school, Victorian home and horse-drawn farm equipment. To go even further back in time, visit Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village. It’s a true archaeological site that’s home to freshly unearthed clues to the people who lived in earthen lodges, grew a variety of crops and processed bison on a large scale more than 1,000 years ago. More on pages 250-251.
Corn Palace
ROAD TRIP ALONG I-29
I-29 stretches 252 MILES down South Dakota between North Dakota and Nebraska.
From Sioux Falls, take a cruise up the cultural corridor of Interstate 29. In Brookings, the South Dakota Art Museum reflects the art of the region and the Children’s Museum of South Dakota offers hands-on activities. Take in the state’s rural history at the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum, or enjoy the outdoors at McCrory Gardens, Sica Hollow State Park and the Nicollet Tower. See what military outpost life was like at Fort Sisseton Historic State Park. The Terry Redlin Art Center in Watertown features more than 150 paintings by the famous artist. To the south, the National Music Museum in Vermillion has one of the greatest collections of musical instruments in the world.
Dignity sculpture
CHAMBERLAIN/OACOMA
Chamberlain on the east and Oacoma on the west offer breathtaking views of the Missouri River as it snakes through South Dakota. The trip between the two via the Chamberlain Bridge gives you a sense of the true width of the “Mighty Mo.”
MUST-SEE STOPS
Located between exits 263 and 265 off of I-90, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at the Chamberlain Information Center is home to panels and murals that depict the story of the amazing 1804-1806 expedition. And, don’t miss seeing “Dignity,” the 50-foot-tall statue of a Native American woman holding a star quilt. The sculpture allows the sun and wind to play through the diamonds of the quilt, and it is beautifully lit every evening. See how many celebrities you know in the South Dakota Hall of Fame; famous members include former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw and Olympic gold medal runner Billy Mills, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Lakota culture and history also run deep at the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, which houses a gallery with works by Native American artists. Al’s Oasis lives up to its name as the perfect travel stop, with buffalo burgers, homemade pie and 5-cent coffee. More on pages 205-206.
MURDO
Change your clocks from the Central to Mountain time zones, and step back into the past at the Pioneer Auto Museum for a look at the antique, rare and unusual motorcycles, cars and tractors on display. More on pages 120-123.
WALL
Anyone who doubts the effectiveness of roadside billboards doesn’t know the story of Wall. The small town near Badlands National Park greets visitors with an 80-foot-long dinosaur, which has attracted traveling passersby for decades.
MUST-SEE STOPS
Signs around the world point would-be visitors in the direction of and distance to Wall Drug Store, a legendary business that grew from a tiny pharmacy into a popular tourist stop with the initial offer of free ice water. It’s full of fun, history, nickel coffee and famously delicious donuts. The National Grasslands Visitor Center is a place to learn in-depth about prairie plants, animals and Great Plains history. It’s also a resource for all the activities available on the wide-open prairie, including camping, hunting, fishing, rock hounding, hiking, biking, horseback riding and the viewing of wildlife that includes black-tailed prairie dogs, burrowing owls, swift fox, numerous birds of prey and elusive black-footed ferrets. More on pages 116-119.
Wall Drug Store
Off-the-Beaten-Path A leisurely drive along the Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway will take you through a unique landscape of colorful spires, delicate pinnacles, massive buttes and deep gorges. You may also spot coyotes, prairie dogs, deer, bison, butterflies, vultures and eagles. Numerous overlook areas make it convenient to pull over for that perfect photograph. Enter the 31-mile-long Badlands Scenic Loop from Exit 131 if going west on Interstate 90 or Exit 110 if going east on Interstate 90.
DON’T MISS
Stop at the visitor center (Exit 131) of the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site to see exhibits about this missle program from the Cold War, schedule a ranger-led, guided tour of Launch Control Facility Delta-01 (Exit 127) , or take a selfguided tour of missile silo Delta-09 (Exit 116).
RAPID CITY
Rapid City lies at the center of most activities in the Black Hills and has something for everyone.
Main Street Square, Rapid City
MUST-SEE STOPS
Main Street Square hosts special events year-round, including live concerts, interactive fountains, ice skating in the winter, and all sorts of arts and culture. Located throughout town, the City of Presidents collection is an impressive series of detailed bronze sculptures of U.S. presidents. The Journey Museum & Learning Center tells the story of the Black Hills, including its geology, archaeology and people, while the South Dakota Air & Space Museum boasts historic artifacts as well as modern aircraft. Kids can ride the train and see their favorite storybook characters at Storybook Island or see re-creations of prehistoric creatures at Dinosaur Park, which sits atop a hill offering 100-mile views where real dinosaurs once lived. More on pages 96-111.
Bear Butte State Park
STURGIS
Sturgis is synonymous with motorcycles because of its annual rally that draws hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world, but you’ll find plenty to do year-round.
MUST-SEE STOPS
Harley-Davidsons and other motorcycles (and their history) are on display at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame. For a glimpse of military history, the Old Fort Meade Museum shows what it was like to be in the U.S. Cavalry in the late 1800s. Rows of white gravestones at the Black Hills National Cemetery offer a place for somber remembrance of those who have served. Bear Butte State Park juts up from the prairie and is sacred to many Native American tribes. It’s a relatively easy hike to the top of the mountain, but don’t disturb the prayer cloths and other items left by Native people. End the day with a relaxing view of the Black Hills and a taste of its wine at the Belle Joli’ Winery Sparkling House. More on pages 114-115.
SPEARFISH
Life slows down in Spearfish, so it’s the ideal spot to spend some time taking in nature and history.
Roughlock Falls, Spearfish Canyon
MUST-SEE STOPS
Take a leisurely drive through the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway and pull over along the way to view the rock walls, creek and waterfalls. Autumn is especially breathtaking when the trees explode with color. Afterward, relax and check out the beer selection at the Crow Peak Brewing Co., which includes the 11th Hour IPA and Pile of Dirt Porter. See one-of-a-kind spherical paintings by artist Dick Termes at the Termesphere Gallery. Feed brown and rainbow trout while learning about the history of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, which still produces fish for nearby lakes and streams. The High Plains Western Heritage Center gives visitors a good understanding of what life was like for the pioneers who settled in South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska. More on pages 112-113.
DETOUR
Off-the-Beaten-Path
Smaller towns near I-90 offer a variety of fascinating attractions. According to Old West lore, Garretson is where outlaw Jesse James escaped a posse by jumping on horseback across Devil’s Gulch. De Smet is the hometown of famed author Laura Ingalls Wilder, whose family home is open to visitors. The 1910 State Capitol in Pierre is a refurbished and awe-inspiring architectural marvel well worth a stop. Fort Pierre, just across the Missouri River from the capital, is where the Lewis and Clark Expedition first met the Teton Sioux. Those stopping at Interior may opt for a prairie trail ride on horseback or an aerial view of Badlands National Park from a helicopter. Kimball is a favorite for pheasant hunting lodges and is also home to the South Dakota Tractor Museum.
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