South Dakota

This blog post is all about South Dakota. We spent two full days in North Dakota and 3 full days in South Dakota.

The next stop on our Dakota tour was the city of Deadwood! It is such a cute town with lots to see and do! We really wanted to see a shoot out, but there are "no killin's on Sunday's" so we missed out. :( 
You could probably spend a full day here if you wanted to, but we were only there for a couple hours. 

The city of Deadwood

On our way to Mount Rushmore we drove past a sign that said CandyLand so of course we had to stop! It's claim to fame is that it's the largest candy store in South Dakota. They serve ice cream, coffee, italian sodas, hot chocolate, and of course tons of unique, nostalgic, and traditional candies and chocolates! 

Huge selection of candy at Candyland

Someone suggested going to Mount Rushmore after 3:30pm so it was less crowded and we probably got there around 3pm. Crowds weren't bad at all and we probably spent 1-2 hours there. We learned so much and it was exciting to see such an iconic sculpture. Mount Rushmore took 14 years to complete and had about 400 workers. From NPS.org,

"Gutzon Borglum (a famous sculptor) chose four presidents to carve on the mountain, because to him they represented the first 150 years of American History.

• George Washington, the first President of the United States from 1789 to 1797, represents the birth of our country.
• Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States from 1801 to 1809, symbolizes the expansion of the United States made possible by his purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803.
• Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States from 1861 to 1865, embodies the preservation of the nation in confronting the challenges of the Civil War.
• Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909, represents the development of the country because of his support of the construction of the Panama Canal."

Beautiful day for Mount Rushmore

That night we stayed at Keystone boardwalk inn and suites which was very centrally located! So many shops and dining options were within walking distance. One fun surprise of staying at the hotel was that there was a place called Dahl's Chainsaw Art right next door. 

The two Dahl brothers are award-winning and internationally recognized chainsaw artists. They create amazing chainsaw carvings and we were able to walk through a selection of their work. SO COOL!

What an amazing display of art!

Largest Big Foot!

The next day was probably my favorite -we went to Custer State park. 

We started out with the wildlife loop road which was about a 1-2 hour drive. We saw lots of bison, prairie dogs, etc. Definitely fun to be so close to the animals again! (Just remember to stay safe and keep your distance!! Don't get out of your car like some idiots did when we were there.)

A bison saying hello

Then Needles highway was next which was about an hour drive roundtrip. It was so scenic and beautiful! There were winding roads, forests, meadows, mountains, tight curves, tunnels, and more.

One lane only in some tunnels

Another tunnel

The "needles" from Needles Highway

We then took a break and went to the Crazy Horse Memorial. I didn't know much about it and I honestly don't even think I had heard of it before our trip. Crazy Horse is the world's largest mountain carving located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. "The Crazy Horse memorial honors all indigenous people of North America and stands as a reminder of the importance of reconciliation, respecting differences, embracing diversity, and striving for unity." 

Crazy Horse himself (Tasunke Witco) was born as a member of the Oglala Lakota. He is known for his bravery and humility both as a warrior and as a person. 

The craziest part of this memorial is the fact that it was started back in 1948 and it is still a work in progress. They're hoping to have it completed by the year 2035, but I'm a bit skeptical of that. 

This is what the sculpture should look like when finished

Crazy Horse Memorial now (2023)

After Crazy Horse we headed back to Sylvan Lake. Sylvan Lake is probably the most recognizable and most popular of the five Custer State Park lakes. After doing a hike around the lake I could see why. It's absolutely beautiful! 

That night we stayed at Comfort Inn and Suites Custer. 

Our final full day was spent at the Badlands National Park which was about an hour away from the hotel. We might have gotten a little lost - we kept entering and exiting the park which was a tad confusing.  :)

The scenic drive is about an hour long, but of course you can get out for scenic overlooks and hikes.

My favorite part - love the yellow color

As the water level dropped and the sea floor became land, the Pierre Shale crumbled into soil and created the yellow mounds formation.  

Part of the scenic drive

Had to get a picture of the Badlands sign!

And finally, on our final day in the Dakotas, we stopped at the famous Wall Drug. I don't even know how to describe it. Yes, they have a drug store, but it's also filled with tons of gift shops, eateries, and more. It's 76,000 sq. ft. and, for me personally, I would say it's slightly overrated, but maybe that's because it was just really overwhelming. 

Overall, we had a great time in the Dakotas! I think I prefer South Dakota to North Dakota just because there was a lot more touristy things to do, but I would say both states are severely UNDERRATED.