10/12/2014 Family Travel to Black Hills, South Dakota | GoGirlfriend

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the famous Mount Rushmore

the Black Hills Mountain Range

Family Travel to Black Hills, SouthDakotaGG Staff | Oct 12, 2014 - 09:05

by Brette Sember, GoGirlfriend contributor

Finding the WOW factor on my home turf

When my family decided to vacation in the Black Hills area ofSouth Dakota, I was not excited. We had traveled to Paris andIreland the year before and this trip felt a little underwhelming incomparison. Yes, I was acting like a Euro-snob. And I got itcompletely wrong. The Black Hills has the entire package –stunning natural beauty, historical sites, great shopping andplenty of family fun.

Monumental reasons to visit Black Hills

The Black Hills, asmall, isolatedmountain range thatrises from the GreatPlains of NorthAmerica in westernSouth Dakota, extendsinto Wyoming and ishome to the famousMount Rushmore.Three million peoplevisit the area a year

and although it was on our bucket list, I was having troublemustering enthusiasm. Wrong again.

The entrance, a grand walkway lined with state flags, opens tothe monument that rises demandingly above, overwhelming insize and detail. It’s much taller than we expected and morebeautiful as well. We couldn’t help but be inspired by the workthat was done here and the reasons behind it. Definitely takethe path under the monument for a closer view. And hit up afellow traveler to take a photo of you and your travelcompanions in front of the monument.

We also visited theCrazy Horse Memorial,which isn’t yetcompleted but the faceand outline of thefamous chief’s arm areclearly visible. Thevisitors center is opento help understandwhat the finishedproduct will look likeand why we shouldcare about this Native American who famously said, “My landsare where my dead lie buried,” and refused to sign any treatieswith the American government. The site houses an impressivemuseum of Native American arts as well as an extensive giftshop. Stay for the laser show but be prepared to be a littlebewildered at the odd veer into patriotism while honoring a man

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State Game Lodge in Custer StatePark

Badlands National Park

visit the presidents inRapid City

who refused to cooperate with the government.

Awed by the natural beauty of Black Hills

The Hills truly doappear black, densewith pine trees, andthey rise suddenly outof the prairie with greatmajesty and grace asyou approach them.The roads in the areawind through the Hillswith all their crevicesand hidden beauty –take time to hike andsee the interior of this

protected forest. It’s a place of deep peace that seeped into mybones as I listened to the stillness.

The area is home to Custer State Park, which offers a glimpseinto the past with bison, wild burros and prairie dogs. Plenty offishing and boating opportunities abound here as well. Travelthe Needles Highway and enjoy the raw geologic formations ofthe region. Don’t miss dining at the State Game Lodge insidethe park – President Coolidge summered here and the food isfantastic, with lots of local game options.

As if all that beautyisn’t enough, drive anhour east to BadlandsNational Park. Takethe Badlands LoopRoad to truly enjoy thecolors and shapes ofthe eroded rockformations that fill thispark. We kept pullingover to take photosand every spotprovided a better and better shot – the colors change with eachangle of the sun. There’s lots of hiking here as well so bringwater and snacks. Although restrooms are scattered throughthe park, there are no refreshments for sale.

Exploring Rapid City

Rapid City lies to the north of the Black Hills area. While theHills have lodges, motels and campgrounds, in Rapid City thereare plenty of mid-level modern, newer chain hotels. There’s ahip downtown area with lots of restaurants, outdoor activitiesand shops.

The downtown area has life-sizestatues of presidents on thecorners, and it’s definitely fun towalk up to Ronald Reagan orHarry Truman and look them inthe eye. There are plenty ofgalleries in town and the one notto miss is the Prairie EdgeTrading Company, filled withnative crafts, from museumquality to souvenirs.

As you head back down to theBlack Hills area, be sure to stopat Reptile Gardens, whichsounds like the worst type of

tourist attraction, but is in fact a world-class reptile zoo. It’sworth a stop to see the silent gianthundred-year-old tortoises alone, who roam freely in theirgarden and can be touched and photographed. There are alsoshows where snakes, birds, or alligators are handled but don’tmiss the rain forest

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Keystone's cowboys

Rapid City's Reptile Gardens

visit the Mammoth Site ofHot Springs

dome, which is a thingof beauty with flowersand greens in additionto small free-roamingcreatures.

I must confess we alsovisited OldMacDonald’s Farm andwere proudly the oldestfamily there with ourtwenty-something daughter and teenage son, all of ussquealing in delight as we got to pet and feed goats, donkeys,sheep, cows, chickens and pigs.

Discover the Mammoths

Haven’t had enough brusheswith the natural world yet? Blockout a few hours to visit theMammoth Site of Hot Springs inthe southern part of the BlackHills area. At the beginning ofthe 20th century, the town of HotSprings was a tourism magnetbecause of the healing waters ofthe springs and the now mostlyrundown town is truly beautifulwith its buildings of quarried redrock.

The Mammoth Site is the world’slargest Columbian mammoth

site with an ancient sinkhole filled with preserved mammothbones. Walkways through the dig site allow visitors to standclosely by as paleontologists painstakingly uncover skeletons –61 have been found to date – and all have been left intact in theground to be seen.

Small town shopping

When I travel, there’snothing I love morethan shopping fortreasures. A walk onthe boardwalk inKeystone will deliverthe typical t-shirts andcheap souvenirs – inan authentic feelingWestern town. If you’relucky you’ll catch aglimpse of the seven-foot cowboy with guns and lassos who seeks to bring guestsinto a show. But the best shopping in the entire area is on HillCity’s main street filled with eclectic galleries and artisan shops.Don’t go home without buying a piece of Black Hills gold jewelry(distinctive pieces featuring green, rose, and yellow gold usuallycrafted in grapevine designs). The Mount Rushmore gift shophas the best selection of this unique gold. In nearby Custermake sure to stop at the Purple Pie Place, for some homemadepie.

If you venture out to the Badlands, it’s a crime to visit withoutstopping in the town of Wall (situated at the edge of the park),where you’ll find the famous Wall Drug – truly the kitschiestplace you’ll ever visit. What started as a drug store became acrazy empire after campy signs along the highway drewcustomers. Today it’s roadside heaven, complete with arestaurant, outdoor play area, room after room of souvenirs andnumerous boutiques. You’ll find your t-shirt and shot glass, butyou also might find some native art or artisan-made treasure.

The Black Hills had more to offer than I imagined. It’s far morethan just another jaded tourist destination. The stunning beauty

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Brette Sember ~ @brettesember

of the area paired with so much to do makes it a great place tovisit.

Have you had the pleasure to visit Black Hills, SouthDakota? We'd love to hear what you enjoyed most aboutyour visit. Drop a comment below or connect with us on

Facebook or Twitter.

About Brette Sember

Brette grew upfascinated with thetreasures hergrandparents broughtback from their travelsas they visited everycontinent butAntarctica. Her passionfor travel includesunique shopping finds,local foods, andbreathing in the air ofnew places. Sember is the author of more than 50 books aboutfood, divorce, organizing, credit, business, pregnancy,parenting, as well as college textbooks. She is also aprofessional indexer, ghostwriter, and freelancer. She blogsabout food, travel, organizing, decorating, and gardens atPuttingItAllontheTable.com and is the author of The Gluten-Free Guide to Travel. She lives in Clarence, NY with herhusband, two children, two golden retrievers and tortoise. Catchup with Brette on Pinterest, Twitter or Facebook.

Check-in Date12 October '14

Check-out Date13 October '14

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