Early last century in Deadwood, probably over drinks late at night, inspiration hit. Why not combine a bar and museum under one roof? Old Style Saloon Number Ten assumed its current form on Deadwood’s Main Street, liberally stocked not only with liquor and beer, but with artifacts from the town’s … Read More
An attribute common to all Black Hills communities are busy athletic fields, often in settings with alpine vistas. But they’re more than pretty. Some are etched deeply into the memories of big-time pro athletes. Considering its relatively small population, the Black Hills area produces a surprisingly big number of sports … Read More
Approaching Rapid City via Interstate 90 from the east, you may notice traffic in addition to the RVs and motorcycles sharing the highway with you. Air Force jets soar overhead, flying into or out of Ellsworth Air Force Base, seven miles from Rapid City. Developed during World War II, Ellsworth … Read More
Accidental Tourist: What state is this again? Local: South Dakota. Accidental Tourist: How far across? Local: Four hundred miles. Accidental Tourist: That’s huge! Local: Yep. Right up there with Montana. Accidental Tourist: Are there service stations? Local: Now and then. Accidental Tourist: I know it snows in the Dakotas. There’s … Read More
Simply put, Custer State Park may be the nation’s very best state park. It is 71,000 acres of forests, lakes, dramatic granite spires, hiking trails, historic lodges, fine dining, a professional theater company, and a bison herd. If this park doesn’t trip your trigger, you should probably consider taking an … Read More
What’s the dumbest thing you can do while visiting the Black Hills? Several things come to mind, including ill-advised encounters with big, nondomestic animals. Also ranking up there would be saying,”Let’s skip Mount Rushmore. I saw it as a kid and obviously nothing’s changed.”Actually there have been big changes over … Read More
What’s the fastest way to land yourself in jail in the Black Hills? Federal trespassing in an attempt to climb up to the Mount Rushmore heads gets the job done in a heartbeat.But it’s an entirely different story at the other Black Hills mountain carving, Crazy Horse Memorial. Twice a … Read More
With an international following, Brule is the country’s number one Native American music and dance troupe. The sound is thoroughly contemporary — a vibrant reminder that native cultures are alive and evolving, not relics of the past. Brule’s summer home is the Black Hills. The group performs at the outdoor … Read More
For 125 years Homestake, the biggest and most technically advanced gold mine in American history, mined and milled the precious metal at Lead. Homestake made South Dakota the number one gold producing state for most of the 20th century. It cut a shaft nearly two miles deep, to a depth … Read More
The Black Hills region is cave country. Officially it’s home to two of the world’s top ten longest caves, but tell that to some locals and they’ll just roll their eyes. That’s because they’re pretty sure the two caves are actually one, although connecting passageways haven’t yet been mapped and … Read More