Enter through the gates of Devils Tower National Monument, shoot some pictures of prairie dogs wreaking havoc just inside the gates, but then don’t turn into a sheep. You don’t have to follow the herd of cars headed to the visitor center parking lot. Instead keep a lookout for Joyner … Read More
Remember — the Black Hills extend into Wyoming. Northeast Wyoming’s longest running rodeo is held annually the second weekend of June, in a town where streets are named after residents’ grandfathers, horses are parked outside the bar, and traffic lights don’t exist. No stadium seating or security checkpoints at this … Read More
Mount Rushmore, it’s fair to say, overshadowed the earlier career its sculptor, Gutzon Borglum. He ranked among the nation’s most distinguished artists the first half of the 20th century. Today his work is found across America in galleries, public parks, churches, the U.S. Capitol building, and even in a National … Read More
Okay, let’s be honest. You’re twelve or younger, and you’ve been stuck all day in a car moving across South Dakota’s vast expanses. Even the amazing games on your tablet have lost their power to excite. Upon reaching Mount Rushmore, the four stationary granite heads may not pull you from … Read More
Here’s that “big” theme again. The world’s largest collection of reptiles — snakes, alligators, crocodiles, giant Aldabra tortoises — is found at Retile Gardens, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Reptile Gardens is located just outside Rapid City on highway 16, the main route to Mount Rushmore. Of … Read More
Come because you love vintage architecture. Or wood carvings. Or for religious reasons or because you want to celebrate your Norwegian roots. Whatever your reason, come and marvel at the Stavkirke, an exact, full-size replica of Norway’s 850 year-old Borgund Church. The majestic yet intimate structure, also known as the … Read More
The Black Hills have always inspired music. Two 20th century hits that stood the test of time, still recognized anywhere in the world, are Doris Day’s Take Me Back to the Black Hills, and the Beatles’ Rocky Raccoon. You can get into an argument in South Dakota about who best … Read More
The most unexpected museum item in the Black Hills is an ancient receipt for a dead animal. We’re talking really ancient, like 4,350 years old. It’s found in an unlikely spot, on the Black Hills State University campus, on the first floor of the library, right next to the Einstein … Read More
If you’ve never considered yourself a bird-watcher, there’s no better place to start than Spearfish Canyon. It’s home to 130 bird species, including some you’re unlikely to find in your backyard. This is where eagles launch themselves from the high rimrock and glide on canyon air currents, then suddenly drop … Read More
Nothing lasts forever except maybe Black Hills granite, some of the planet’s hardest rock. But everything else disappears eventually, including some Black Hills summer attractions you may recall from your youth. Remember summer nights spent watching greyhounds run at the dog track between Rapid City and Black Hawk? Yes, you … Read More