Going with a huge posse of relatives on a car camping expedition to the Black Hills in mid July. any suggestions would be helpful. Even stuff like a good burger joint or the best Dairy Queen on the way. The more cheesy Americana the better.
thanks
Don’t miss Mt. Rushmore!!
Take the scenic drive through the badlands – it’s gorgeous.
In spite of all the highway signs – avoid Wall Drug!
Are you kidding me?!? Wall Drug was an integral part of our family vacations. Of course, that was a quarter century ago, but still…has it gotten that much worse, or is touristy-trappy-schlockiness just not your thing? The singing cowboys, the dog with that big damned bug on him, the silver dollar bar, and all the signs…free ice water and free bumper stickers and free signs…If I ever take a trip through the Black Hills again, I am definitely stopping. Depends on how many kids are along, I guess. It’s got lots of memories for me, though.
Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park is nice. For cheesy Americana[sup]TM[/sup] you can’t beat the Corn Palace, though. The Needles Highway beats the Badlands for scenery, IMO. Don’t miss the Crazy Horse Monument. Back when I was there, he had no face.
Devil’s Tower is only a couple of hours west and is a must see. Wind Cave National park is worth the time, too. Mount Rushmore was a bit of a disappointment for me. It just seems like an over-developed tourist trap. The Crazy Horse Monument might be worth a look; it was still under construction when I was up there three years ago and looked like it had quite a way to go.
More on Devil’s Tower: When we drove up to it, it was just after dawn and the way it looked in the early morning sun was just incredible. I have never seen anything more beautiful. We stopped and hiked around the base and had a tailgate lunch in the parking lot. We were under intense time pressure but decided to take the time anyway. (My best friend and I drove from OKC to Buffalo, WY to meet my sister coming down from Seattle and trade out cars. We left early Friday afternoon and had to be back Sunday evening. The little side trip through the Black Hills was worth the effort even though we were dead tired and had little time to enjoy the sights).
I loved the Black Hills. Things to do there or near there include:
Mount Rushmore
Flintstones Bedrock City
Black Hills Reptile Gardens
Black Hills Caverns
Badlands National Park
Custer State Park, especially the Needles area.
There was also a gold-jewelry making place that gave tours, whose name I don’t recall.
If you’d like to post where you’re driving from, I could possibly recommend attractions along the way as well.
Thanks for the suggestions.
I’m personally quite bummed that the Bedrock City doesn’t have any room vacancies left.
Does Wall Drug have jackalopes? If yes, I’d like my 1 year old daughter to see one. If tame enough, to also pet one. (She’s too young to ride one though).
Please add suggestions for interesting things along the way.
Actually, I spent the first two years of my life in Morecroft Wyoming, which I believe is deep in the badlands. It was in the move Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Unfortuantely, I think we don’t have enough time to visit, but then again if you blink on the way through town you’d miss it as well.
Well, Carhenge has some novelty value. It’s not on a direct route from Boulder to the Black Hills, but if you’re considering a detour to Badlands National Park as many of us have suggested, it might not be so far out of the way between there and Boulder.
Chaim Mattis Keller
I haven’t been there for about 20 years, but I remember some kind of wild west show in Jackson Hole, WY making quite an impression on me as a kid. Also Deadwood, SD has the bar where Wild Bill Hickok was supposedly gunned down and I think they also have an art gallery where the original painting “All is Vanity” by C. Allen Gilbert is housed. That’s the picture with the woman sitting at the mirror that looks like a skull when viewed from a distance. :eek:
Um, jackalopes are mythical, so any specimens that your daughter could pet are going to be stuffed… But heck, you knew that…
That said, my favorite stop on a recent Rushmore/Crazy Horse trip was the Black Hills Institute, in Hill City, SD. They are the for-profit fossil outfit that dug up tyrannosaur “Sue”, and they have a very interesting museum/store on the main drag in Hill City. When we were there, a month or so ago, there were four t-rex skeletons (two real, two replicas) and a whole load of other interesting stuff.
You might be interested in paying a visit to the Pine Ridge reservation, where you can drop lots and lots of cash on my pals, the Oglala Sioux Tribe. I can assure you they will appreciate the business.
You might want to bring your own water with you, too, seeing as President Bush has decided that the Oglala don’t need potable water anytime in the next five years.
Carhenge was pretty cool. We came across it on the way back from South Dakota and stopped for a few minutes to snap a few pics. I don’t know that it would be worth a side trip on the way back to Denver.
Well it looks like everyone has listed all the major daytime attractions.
Now… make sure you hit Deadwood on one night of your trip. I would suggest staying at the Silverado Hotel. It has a fantastic buffet and a great atmosphere. After dinner walk down the street to Saloon #10 and order up your favorite beverage. This is the bar that Wild Bill Hickok was shot to death in and his chair is hanging above the entrance. It is imperitive that you purchase a “Saloon #10” baseball cap! Dirty Nellies Bar and Grill (I love that name) is across the street and Black and Tans are in order here. Nightlife is hoping up and down mainstreet any day/night of the week. Enjoy!
If you don’t already have reservations for sleeping arangements I would look into renting a cabin.. There are a ton of people who rent cabins throughout the area and they are perfect for groups of people. Most have several bedrooms and the cost is comparable to hotels! (get one with a hottub and a Hella view!)
Ya, right, next you’re gonna tell me the moon landing was a hoax.
Saloon #10 and carhenge both sound worthy. Will let my brother know so maybe we can sqeeze them into the itinerary.
Sofa King, not quite sure how sarcastic you’re being and who it’s directed at although chances are real high that Mr. Peltier is not going to be dealing backjack any time soon.
Ahh, the Black Hills, something I know about…I just moved from Rapid City to Aberdeen last year and my room mate is a Sturgis native.
Everyone has hit a great deal of the spots to see, but I have a few more to add:
For the best sirloin tips in West River, check out Stadium Sports Bar and Grill in Spearfish.
The town of Keystone, greatest tourist trap in the Hills.
Check out Terry Peak for a view of the hills from up on high. During the summer you can ride the chairlift.
Several Museums to check out:
The Journey in Rapid City is dedicated to the Plains Indians.
The Mining Museum in Lead–Showcases underground mining and exibits from Goldstake.
The museum of Geology at School of Mines and Technology in Rapid, a must if you have any interest in geology.
Just so you know, Morcroft is on the plains of Wyoming, 23 miles east of Gillette. It’s on the opposite side of the Black Hills from Badlands National Park. There is a museum in Gillette as well that is worth a quick stop if you’re going through Wyoming on I90.
Also, when are you hitting the Hills? If it’s in late July, you’re going to be sharing the road with the early arrivals to the Sturgis Rally. Be prepared to see a lot of Harley riders.
If you have any questions about the area drop me a line (my email is in my profile) and I’ll do my best to answer, or find someone who knows.
Again, thanks for all of the suggestions. Bought the plane tickets today for Denver.
I haven’t been to the black hills in around 35 years. I haven’t been back to the US (I live in Shanghai) for almost 3 years. My wife, who is Chinese, has visited the States a few times but has never been anywhere like the black hills. My daughter just turned one and has never been outside of China before.
Anyone want me to post about the trip when it’s over?
Absolutely, I didn’t keep up with my reading of your ACS rant in the pit for nothing…
And now a slight correction:
Goldstake should be Homestake Gold Mine.
I tried to post this yesterday and it didn’t take.
My favorite thing I saw during my only trip to the area a few years back was the Bighorn Medicine Wheel. It may be a little out of the way, but it’s really cool.
http://www.kstrom.net/isk/stars/starkno7.html
That’s the best link I could find with information about it, but there’s no map. You can find it on most atlas maps of Wyoming. It’s a little over a mile hike to get to the site, but I think the view alone is worth it. And the fact that this place has been frequented by human beings as long as there have been humans in North America is facinating. (One estimate of the Medicine Wheel’s age was 10,000 years!) Adding to the coolness of the site was the FAA Air Traffic Control radar that’s on the next mountain over. It’s one of those geodesic (sp?) dome dopplar radar deals. The juxtiposition of the unbelieveably ancient and the coldly modern within a few hundred yards of each other adds to the surreal feeling.
However, since you’ll have a one-year old in tow, it may not be for you. Like I said, the hike to the site is a little over a mile. I remember when I was there, the reverent stillness that hung over everything was broken by some stupid tourist grousing “I walked a mile for that? It’s just a pile of rocks!” Some people just don’t get it, I guess…
El Destructo, that place sounds like a serious mojo. Where is it near?
a mile hike, sure, I’m gonna buy a baby back pack and toss China bambina in the back. Piece of cake.
Beautiful area! I’m jealous that you are going there on vacation. Right now, it’s a front runner for next year’s vacation destination for us.
If you are doing any camping, I enjoyed Angostura Park, which is a little south of the Black Hills area. It’s not as large and spectacular as some of the National parks, but it was beautiful, peaceful, and didn’t have the huge numbers of tourists that we saw in other areas.
http://www.state.sd.us/gfp/sdparks/angostur/angostur.htm
I love Pine Ridge. Since this is your wife’s first visit, she might enjoy learning more about the reservation and the Lakota. The Wounded Knee Memorial is on Pine Ridge, and it is very moving, although also very somber, to say the least. In a more uplifting vein, Big Bat’s Truck Stop is a fun place to have lunch. You might also want to see if there are any pow wows or rodeos happening while you are there. The huge touristy one is in August, so it seems that you will miss that, but I personally get a groove on for the many smaller, more local events that happen throughout the summer.
Wind Cave, which has already been mentioned, is a must see. I should add that there were several small children along on our tour group that were freaked out in a major way by the cave (it’s a little dark). There were also little kids who spent the whole tour saying “WOW”, so YMMV.
I never go on a road trip without consulting http://www.roadsideamerica.com
This site lists all sorts of strange and uniquely American (aka cheesy Americana) sights to see. My only complaint with the site is that attractions are arranged by state, so you need to have your road map next to you as you browse the site, to plot which things are actually along your route.
And yes, PLEASE post a review of your vacation when you return!
Here’s Cecil, with a heavy assist from Jillgat, on Jackalopes.
And on that note, I’m going to shoot this one over to IMHO.