Rapid City, S.D. Spring 2021

We had a lot of fun walking around the downtown area and looking at the President's Statues. As we approached each corner, we tried to guess the name; sometimes we needed to read the information plaque. Oh-by-the-way, the best restaurant of the week was Que Pasa? a fun Mexican place. It's on the corner of Main and 5th.

For those of us who live in a big city, a trip to Rapid City might be a good chance to look at the night sky. Since there's NOT a lot of light pollution in Rapid City, you should be able to get a good view of stars on a cloud free night. It's an easy drive drive east on IS 90. Shelby says a 20-30 minute drive east of town should do the trick. So, hope for a clear night or two!

It's easy to get a map of the area, so we asked Shelby Solano at VisitRapidCity.com to give us a "locals" view. Shelby told us not to go to Mt. Rushmore first, but to "drive by" Mt. Rushmore and continue to to the Custer State Park/Needles highway. As you pass the Mt. Rushmore entrance on your way to Custer park, the road will take you RIGHT UNDER George Washington's sculpture. There is a viewing place right off the highway. The maps are easy to read, plus the road signs are accurate.

Remember, there is a gate fee at the Custer park.  We heard about the Needles highway which has unique rock formations and several NARROW tunnels to drive through. Here are a couple of videos:
Hood Tunnel:  https://vimeo.com/554555758

And a 360 degree view of the Needles Highway:   https://vimeo.com/554556556
After the Needles highway, we continued to the wildlife loop in Custer Park. Even though we didn't see any Bison for a while, the drive was very peaceful. We did see a Wild Turkey that didn't mind us at all and walked right in front of our car. Seeing the Bison was worth the wait (they were on the last 1/4 of the drive) and we even saw several young calves. Photos below.   

BONUS: If you do the Custer Park wildlife loop, you'll drive by the Iron Mountain Road Cafe and gift shop. They were very friendly. https://www.ironmountainroad.com/ 24631 Iron Mountain Rd, Keystone, SD 57751 605-666-4609. This a nice break from the scenic driving. Remember: It's a cafe.

After a brief stop at the Iron Mountain Road cafe, we finished the counterclockwise circle and  drove right into a great view of the Mt. Rushmore sculpture. 

Then we went to the Mt. Rushmore Memorial, and it was VERY inspirational. You'll probably learn a lot you didn't know about the history and construction of the memorial. We did take the "President's Trail" which is a pretty vigorous hike that will take you right under the sculpture. If you can do the hike, it's worth it.  

While the drive is about 90 minutes, the destination was well worth it. You will pass through Sturgis on the way. We are not motorcycle people, but it was fun looking at the Sturgis area. 

TRAVEL NOTE: While you are still in South Dakota, exit IS 90 to highway 85 at Spearfish, and go north to Belle Fourche. Get on highway 34, going west to the Devil's Tower area. Shelby and her team at VisitRapidCity.com (512 Main St, # 240, 57701) can give you a map and some advice. Their office opens at 8 am.  

BONUS: On your way to or from Devil's Tower you MUST stop for a few minutes and visit the General Store in Aladdin, WY (Population: 15). This General Store in Aladdin was built in 1890! Get ready to step back in time!

Devil's Tower. We stopped at the KOA gift shop, which is outside the Devil's Tower park. You'll find a nice selection of souvenirs AND maybe see an alien! (For those who remember the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", the alien space ship was behind the Devil's Tower) 

Well, we must say, this is a VERY impressive geological formation. You'll find out more, but it's 50 million years old. There is a paved hike around the Tower, but you are at elevation, and the hike includes rolling hills, so be sure you are physically up to it. We had to stop a few times.

Deadwood, SD. On the way back, you'll see exit 14A (Just past Spearfish). This road will guide around to Deadwood, and has views of some nice waterfalls. The town of Deadwood became famous after the 1876 gold rush, and is the resting place of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. 

Disclosure: We had already driven so much we didn't stay long in Deadwood.

Recommendation: On our next trip we will make Deadwood a separate day trip so we do it in a leisurely manner. 

We talked to Shelby about this day trip and she recommended adding a visit to the Minuteman missile museum. Good choice.

First a DRIVING TIP: Take some music! It's a long drive to the Badlands, and having some music helps.

Minuteman tips:  Drive past Wall Drug (you'll see it later) and take Exit 116. There won't be a sign on the freeway, but this is the location of a Minuteman silo that is preserved with a plexiglass cover so you can see inside. It is immediately off the freeway at the bottom of the ramp. You can't miss it. 

TIME: probably not more than 10 minutes.

Next, exit exit 131. On the left is the Minuteman museum. It's free and the staff is friendly. The building is only about 1200-1500 square feet, so this is not a long experience. There are lots of displays and history. They also have a 25 minute movie to see, but we just bought the DVD for $15 and watched it when we got home. It was a nice history.

Next, the Badlands. Go across the freeway from the Minuteman museum and about 3 miles to the park entrance. If you have a National Parks pass, you'll get to use it! I don't know the exact dimensions, but I think the park is about 40 miles by 15-20 miles. The drive is fascinating! There are a number of dedicated viewing stops. We enjoyed this a lot. Don't forget the gift shop for your magnets and souvenirs!

Next, Wall Drug. Now that you have driven (from East to West) through the Badlands, you'll come out at Wall, SD, home of the famous drug store. You must go in!

A pharmacist named Hustead wanted to buy a pharmacy in a small South Dakota town, BUT also wanted a place that had a Catholic church. He picked Wall, but the locals told him, "There are only a couple of hundred people here, and everyone's broke because of the depression... What are you doing here?"

Well, Hustead started giving out Free Ice Water to the motorists coming down the highway, and the rest is history. 

Wall Drug is now about 3 city blocks and once you get inside there are hallways connecting all the MANY shops inside. (It can get mighty cold in the winter, so it's all self-enclosed.) 

There is SO MUCH here, but one thing I'll tell you is that the dinning area seats 530. Enough said. 

TRAVEL WARNING: The speed limit in Wall is 20 mph, and the police are waiting for you. 

Remember to get your "Free glass of ice water"!

Here's a short trip to add to your sight seeing in Rapid City. The Chapel in the Hills was finished in 1969 and is a replica of a Norwegian Chapel that was built in 1150 A.D. and is still standing in Norway! A local businessman wanted to honor his father, a minister and got the plans from the Norwegian government. 

There are no nails in the construction of either chapel; just holes and wooden pegs. We were satisfied after about 15-20 minutes and feel you can easily add this to your vacation day. It's located west of downtown Rapid City off highway 44 (Jackson Blvd.) 

3788 Chapel Ln, Rapid City, SD  57702 

Here is a video from The Chapel in the Hills. I gave the wrong year of the construction of the Norwegian chapel; it was actually built in about 1150 AD.   https://vimeo.com/554558053 

The Badlands. This is about a 360 degree video of the rock formations in the Badlands.

 https://vimeo.com/554559385 

Wall Drug animated mannequin.  We could tell the owners of Wall Drug have re-invested a LOT of money into their business. This is one of the animated features on display.  https://vimeo.com/554559944