South Dakota's best road trip, part I

August 6, 11:04 AMMinneapolis Budget Travel ExaminerGina Czupka

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Photo by ashleighb77 via Flickr.

There are few road trips in the United States so family friendly and packed with fun activities, quirky sites, beautiful scenery and pure Americana as a drive through South Dakota. The first leg of this trip takes us through the eastern part of the state, from Mitchell to Rapid City. Stay tuned for part II!

Mitchell

First stop, one of the bastions of Midwestern kitsch, the Corn Palace. Wander around the building and marvel at  its elaborate murals, constructed completely out of corn and made new every year. If you can make it there by the end of the summer, join one of the free, guided tours (entry is free year round) to learn about how the murals are made. While you're in town, check out the Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village, a six-acre site that immerses you in the culture and history of the Plains tribes. It's a National Historic Landmark site as well as being on the National Register of Historic Places, and a great place for getting some perspective on South Dakota's past.

Corn Palace
604 Main St.

Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village
283 Indian Village Rd.

Photo by South Dakota Tourism.

Chamberlain
To delve even deeper into learning about the native inhabitants of South Dakota, make a stop in Chamberlain as you follow Highway 90 west from Mitchell to visit the Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center. The museum houses a collection of art and artefacts, and hosts powwows and other events. They also have a gallery in which local artisan crafts are on display and available for sale. Entry to the museum is free.
Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center
1301 N. Main St.

Photo by geogtheref via Flickr.

Interior
For a prairie state, South Dakota isn't short on spectacular scenery, and one of the best examples of this is the dramatic, harsh barrenness of the Badlands. Go for hikes, drive the Highway 240 Loop Road (a 60-minute jaunt through the park), tour the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, and keep a eye out for wildlife, like prairie dogs, black footed ferrets, bighorn sheep, rattlesnakes, swift foxes and bison. The landscape is also rich with fossils, as it's the site of one of the world's most important Oligocene epoch fossil beds. If you go for a hike, be sure to bring some water and wear sturdy shoes.
Badlands National Park
25216 Ben Reifel Rd.

Photo by puroticorico via Flickr

Wall
You've seen the bumper stickers, right? Wall Drug is another quintessential stop on the kitsch trail. It's a great place to pick up a taxidermied jackalope and some of that legendary free ice water that turned a mom-and-pop drugstore in the middle of nowhere to a beloved destination for generations of travelers.

Wall Drug
510 Main St.

 

Bear Country U.S.A. photo by lifeinflux via Flickr.

Rapid City
The area around Rapid City, the gateway to the state's famous Black Hills, is rife with fun things to do and see. Kids (and parents) have a blast getting a little bit closer to the wild at Bear Country U.S.A. Take a three-mile drive through the wilderness park, or go to the Wildlife Center and get a look at elk, mountain lions, beavers, bob cats, otters, and, well, bears (and more).
Not far from Bear Country U.S.A., the Cosmos Mystery Area is another great family destination. Take the 30-minute tour and see the "natural force" of the area that makes balls roll uphill and makes the whole world look kittywompus.
Bear Country U.S.A.
13820 S Hwy 16
Rapid City, SD

Cosmos Mystery Area
24040 Cosmos Rd.
Rapid City, SD 57702
 
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