As promised, I am going to give you a quick run-down of some great South Dakota travel destinations as well as where to eat and stay while you are there.
Lodging:
Rock Crest Lodge and Cabins
We stayed and these adorable little cabins located right off of the road in the city of Custer, SD. While the cabins were located in town close to all of the attractions in the city, the cabins were nestled back off of the road enough so that noise or privacy were non-issues. Each cabin has a large deck as well a queen (or two queens, depending on the size of cabin) bed, and beautiful bathroom. They also have wireless internet and continental breakfast – and a pool. The only downside was that the reception area was way too small to be serving breakfast to all of the people staying there. Otherwise, great place to stay while in South Dakota. Check out their website for details on reservations and more.
Dining:
Pizza Works
This little place in the city of Custer appeared to be open only seasonally – it also appeared as though the same owners owned the coffee shop next door which was closed for the season. What initially appeared to be a sort of mediocre pizza joint actually turned out to be quite wonderful. The building itself is a repurposed old movie theater and the walls are adorned with old movie posters and pictures of the place in its heyday. The pizza was delicious – one of the best I’ve had in a while, in fact. We had a pesto pizza with roasted chopped garlic and it was completely devoured before we left. A great place to grab a quick and delicious bite for a low price.
Desperado’s Cowboy Grill
This restaurant is about 15 iminutes from Custer in Hill City. We were on our way to eat Mexican food when we saw the sign for sweet potato fries outside of this place and had to stop. While the food was ok – I had a buffalo burger and some others had the chicken fried steak – the prices were very high for the quality of food and service. Also, they only take cash or checks – which made it a bit of an inconvenience to eat there. I would not recommend dining here unless you’ve exhausted some other options in the area.
Buglin’ Bull Restaurant
Located in Custer, this little restaurant and sports bar was a great find. Again in search of Mexican, we asked the receptionist at the lodge if there were any places in Custer that had good Mexican food. She said there were no actual Mexican restaurants in town but that this place had a few Mexican dishes. And did they ever. I had a to-die-for beef chimicanga with refried beans and Spanish rice. Even better than the chimichanga were the refried beans, which I actually ended up asking the waitress where they came from because they were so good. Not only was the food great, but they also had very cheap beer – including $3 bottles and $2 draught beers. The service was pretty slow, but overall, it was a great little place to have a relaxing family dinner.
Wineries:
Stone Faces Winery
This was a newer winery located outside of Hill City and while it had free wine tasting (up to three varieties), they did not have much to choose from and the wine they did have was not spectacular. We did buy a bottle of Rushmore White – a white table wine. But aside from that we were a bit underwhelmed. However, it was a cute little place and definitely has the potential to grow its selection.
Prairie Berry Winery
This winery was just down the road from the Stone Faces Winery and it also had free wine tasting (up to five varieties). The wines there were exceptional, including the Wild Plum Fusions (a semi-dry white), the Gold Digger (a semi-sweet white), and their best-seller, the Red Ass Rhubarb (a semi-sweet rhubarb wine). They also had a great gourmet food selection – which is what we ended up purchasing to take to the cabin for dinner that night. I definitely recommend going to this winery if you have the chance to get a bottle (or two) of the Red Ass Rhubarb.
Outdoor Activities:
Badlands National Park
It was over 100 degrees F while we were here – so it ended up being much like the desert. But it was definitely worth stopping and doing a little climbing and walking. It was very cool to see this sort of New Mexico-like structure in the North. It costs $15 to get a pass for your car to get into this sprawling desert area, but it is well worth it. The pass lasts for a week from the day you buy it so you can go through on your way there and on your way home.
Mt. Rushmore
Another must-see while in South Dakota, Mt. Rushmore is a great piece of American history to take in. While I enjoyed it even more since seeing its appearance in National Treasure 2 – Book of Secrets, it was still a cool place to see one of the marvels of architecture. The cost to park there (mind you they cannot charge to actually see a national monument) is $10 per car, and again, it’s worth it for a fun few hours or a whole afternoon.
Sylvan Lake/Custer State Park/Harney Peak
Custer State Park – and the Sylvan Lake/Harney Peak area in particular, is just breathtaking. A day pass for Custer State Park costs $10, but the cabins we stayed at offered a free pass to their guests. We took several hikes in the Sylvan Lake area and it was beautiful each day were were out there. Also within Custer State Park we saw a lot of wildlife, including a herd of wild buffalo that blocked the road we were on for quite a while. We also drove Needles Highway, which was fun, if not a bit scary in some areas. A definite must-see area/park while you are in South Dakota. You could spend anywhere from a few hours to a few days exploring the area without ever seeing the same thing. Lots of fun for families or couples.
Pactola Lake
The U.S. Forestry Service has an office right next to Pactola Lake, so we stopped to get some trail information as well as to see the lake. The lake was beautiful and looked to be a great place for bikers (motorcycles) to stop off and enjoy the scenery. A fun place to stop on the way to Deadwood.
Deadwood
Deadwood is a town in South Dakota that is known for it’s glory days during the gold rush. This historical mining town is filled with history – including the burial sites of Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane – as well as infamy. The town was known for its wild, lawless ways – including gambling, drinking, and prostitution. Today, the town has many casinos, which are said to have saved the town which is actually a historical landmark, as well as many little museums and shops. A great place to stop for gambling is Saloon 10 and a great place to stop for chocolate truffles is the Chubby Chipmunk – a renovated filling station. It can be fun for families, but it is very much geared towards couples and singles.
We will be back to Minnesota Travel spots in the coming posts, but if you are looking for a fun long weekend getaway, the short drive (from most places in Minnesota) and plentiful activities makes South Dakota an ideal vacation destination.
