
As many of you may know, my husband is from South Dakota. We are planning a trip to go see his parents and spend some time with them this fall. Sadly we won't be able to take Harley with us (cost, hassle, and too long of a flight) so he will be spending a fun time with our friends and their puppy. We are really lucky to be blessed with some friends who are actually excited to puppy sit for us for a few days. Harley is such a charmer. Anywhoo- Kyle has been planning out the trip and what we will do while we are there. I have been there I think 3 or 4 different times but always at Christmastime in the dead of winter. I am talking -14 degrees here folks! And we live in Florida so it is quite a shock to kick off those flip flops and pull on 2 layers of flannel and snow boots! This will be my first time to go before it gets all frigid up there! So I am going to get to see some of the sights that are usually blanketed by a few feet of snow during my visit. So, here are 13 things that I will be doing in South Dakota:
1. Going to see the Badlands Badlands National Park
Did I mention my husband is from Deadwood, South Dakota? Did anyone see the HBO series called "Deadwood"? It was based on his hometown. It is an old western gold mining town famous for being the place where the legendary Wild Bill Hickock was killed in the Number 10 saloon. For a brief history:Deadwood
3. Mouth Mariah CemeteryI am not going to lie and say I want to go here. It creeps me out and I am against it.
However my husband insists that it is a part of the history of the town and a necessary visit.
4.White Rocks "White rocks are the rim rocks that look over deadwood" - Kyle in an email to my after I could not find info for this description. It is a favorite local site.
5. Southern Hills
6. Mt. Rushmore I took this picture! I had been once when I was younger so we didn't go inside the Memorial when Kyle and I went. I kind of hope we do this time. Anyone seen National Treasure 2? Yeah...I want to treasure hunt!
I did not take this one!
7. Devil's Bathtub

8. Spearfish Canyon

"This is Spearfish Canyon, a breathtaking 20-mile-long gulch at the northern edge of South Dakota’s Black Hills. Treasured in summer by fly fishermen for its blue-ribbon stream and prized as a haven for cross-country skiers in winter, Spearfish Canyon becomes a leaf-peeper’s paradise in between, clothed by a veritable rainbow of fall colors. " (borrowed from above link)
9. Terry Peak Lookout
A few fun Terry Peak facts:
- Terry Peak is 7,076 feet in elevation with a vertical drop of 1,100 feet.
- Terry Peak is one of the highest peaks between the Rockies and the Alps.
- Terry Peak receives an average of 150 inches of snow each season.
- Kyle and I carved our names at the top the first time he took me there! We plan to go back and visit our initials. When we carved them we were just dating and now we have almost been married a year!
10. Homestake Gold Mine
The Homestake Gold Mine was one of the early enterprises associated with the Gold Rush of 1876 in the northern Black Hills of what was then Dakota Territory.
11. Crazy Horse Memorial
Crazy Horse Memorial, home of the world’s largest mountain sculpture in progress, is in the Black Hills of South Dakota on U.S. Highway 16/385 just 17 miles southwest
"The Old Style Style Saloon #10 is a living museum - maybe the only one in the world with a full bar - where you can view of historical western and mining camp artifacts spanning over 100 years that we've collected during our 50-plus years in business. "
13. Main Street

For a timeline of Deadwood's unique history ( I know you are out there history buffs!)


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