I Took A Life-Changing Road Trip Through South Dakota – Here's Everything I Did
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Road tripping through South Dakota is a dream.
A very important aside: I usually hate driving. But the roads in South Dakota are wide and smooth, traffic is nonexistent, and the sites you see along the way are breathtaking. I made a road trip through half the state in September and hit up as many spots as possible — here's my full itinerary.
Monday, 3:00 p.m. — Arrive in Rapid City
3:30 p.m. - Check in at the historic Hotel Alex Johnson (historic being code name for haunted). When deciding what room to put me in, the concierge casually asked "are you a fan of ghosts?" to which I said please bite your tongue and don't tell me any spooky stories until I've safely checked out plz and thank you. A lady in white and the ghost of Alex Johnson allegedly roam one of the floors.
4:00 p.m. - Lunch at Independent Ale House! Delicious personal pizza options like the Lucky Luciano, a circle of tomato sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, crumbled Gorgonzola, and olives.
5:00 p.m. - Rapid City is home to Art Alley, a community gallery with an ever-evolving showcase. I made several loops because there's large murals at the surface but upon closer inspection, you'll see tons of smaller features in every nook and cranny.
5:30 p.m. — Weave in and out of local shops
5:30 p.m. - Downtown Rapid City is home to local businesses like Prairie Edge Trading Co., a two-story space dedicated to showcasing the work of Native American artists and honoring the traditions of the Northern Plains tribes. There's also Karma Boutique for fun gifts and trendy clothes *plus* vintage stores like Younique Finds where one can unearth a ton of cool baubles.
7:00 p.m. - Dinner at Firehouse Brewing Co.! Solid pub food and craft beer, the latter of which I did not have due to intense jet lag.
8:00 p.m. - Face is washed, teeth are brushed, pajamas are on, laptop in front of me, anxiety induced due to the little ghost issue.
Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. — Brunch brunch brunch
10:00 a.m. - Checked out of Hotel Alex Johnson and safely stuffed my carry-on into the back of my rental car. I also got Starbucks from the hotel lobby as my brain cannot function without at least a sip of caffeine first thing in the morning.
10:30 a.m. - Tally's Silver Spoon did. not. disappoint. Folks on Yelp were raving about how amazing the brunch was here and yes, they're right, it's great. I had cinnamon swirl French toast with a side of bacon and can attest to its greatness.
11:00 a.m. - Set up my GPS and started the hour-long journey to Badlands National Park.
12:30 p.m. — Badlands National Park
12:30 p.m. - Badlands National Park is truly stunning and there are several hiking trails to choose from. My first instinct was to pick the easiest, which Google informed me was Notch Trail... and Google was sort of right. It wasn't a difficult path but you did have to climb up and down the rope bridge pictured above which, wow, those heights. But the views once you got to the top were breathtaking. 10/10 recommend and make sure you wear very grippy shoes.
3:00 p.m. — The Ranch Store
3:00 p.m. - I saw this place while driving into the Badlands and made a mental note to stop and stock up on water. There was a giant mural of a prairie dog dressed in a motorcycle 'fit and I didn't think anything of it at the time, but when I stopped by for said water, I saw one prairie dog... and then another.... and then another... and then realized there was a legitimate colony of prairie dogs hanging out next to the store. Adorable is an understatement. I 3:45 p.m. - I spent more time here than necessary but it brought me such joy. Off to my next destination, which is about 15 minutes away! Editor's note: This place is closed for the season but will be reopening in April 2022.
4:00 p.m. — Explore Wall Drug
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4:00 p.m. - I was STOKED to finally see Wall Drug. What is Wall Drug, you ask? Umm... it's complicated to explain but picture a long stretch of land dedicated to gift shops, restaurants, a CHURCH, an apothecary, a museum, several kitschy animatronics... it's an interesting place and definitely a must-see if you find yourself in South Dakota.
5:15 p.m. - Check in to my next hotel for the night! It's only about a five-minute drive away.
5:30 p.m. — Frontier Cabins
5:30 p.m. - Frontier Cabins is exactly what the name would imply: a little community of private traditional cabins with a lovely porch patio. Each cabin is equipped with a kitchen and living room area, local artwork, cozy beds, and views that overlook uninterrupted patches of green. Serene is an understatement.
6:30 p.m. - Back to the Wall Drug strip! I had dinner at Badlands Saloon & Grille where my life was changed forever by chicken fried chicken. Hand breaded chicken breast smothered in gravy + a dinner roll + a salad + a side of macaroni and cheese = divine.
7:45 p.m. - After walking around Wall Drug and reading a book at dinner because why not romanticize my life (Ghosts by Dolly Alderton), I went back to Frontier Cabins and said a little prayer because sleeping in an isolated cabin is slightly spooky (I hate the dark.. you can read about my paranoia on another trip here).
Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. — A cup of five cent coffee
9:00 a.m. - Let me give you a little more history about Wall Drug (not an ad, just a fan). It was 1931 when Ted and Dorothy Hustead bought a drugstore in the small town of Wall and there wasn't much foot traffic. One day in the hot summer, Dorothy tried taking a nap but couldn't fall asleep due to the noise of trucks driving on Route 16A — that's when Dorothy came up with the idea of creating signs on the highway that advertised free ice water. The business took off from there! Wall Drug still follows the tradition of free ice water and huge highway signs, but *now* they also offer .05 cent coffee and handmade donuts.
9:30 a.m. - Time to drive to Deadwood! It's about 1.5 hours away so I've set up my rental car Apple Play (my car at home doesn't even have a functioning aux cord so this took me some time to figure out) and put on a true crime podcast.
11:00 a.m. — Arrival in Historic Deadwood
11:00 a.m. - A full podcast later and I have finally arrived! The Deadwood main strip matched the image in my head perfectly; the only thing missing was a large tumbleweed drifting in the wind. My first stop is a five-minute drive past at the Days of '76 Museum, an awesome place for historical context, artwork, and memorabilia.
12:30 p.m. - A quick beer seems fitting at this time, right? Right. Saloon No. 10 Bar is also covered in memorabilia and artwork, which means you'll feel like Wild Bill Hickok whilst sipping on fancy craft brew.
1:00 p.m. - The beer made me ravenous so to Jacob Brewhouse & Grocer I go! This space is two-sided: one portion is the restaurant where I had a deliciously fresh salad (my body was still reeling from donuts and chicken fried chicken), the other portion is an adorable cafe. Did I get a salad in the name of proper digestion? Yes. Did I then proceed to get a Fruity Pebbles donut from the bakery? Yes. An excellent decision on my part.
2:00 p.m. - I'm heading to Mount Moriah Cemetery before leaving Deadwood for my next destination. This is where Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are buried and the cemetery overlooks all of Deadwood.
3:15 p.m. — Mount Rushmore
3:15 p.m. - I have finally made it to good ol' Mount Rushmore! It is indeed a very cool site and I can't help but wonder, in an extremely Carrie Bradshaw way, *how* someone was able to carve the likeness of four presidents into the side of a mountain. I also consumed vanilla ice cream that used Thomas Jefferson’s original recipe from 1780.
4:30 p.m. - Time to check in at the hotel I'll be staying at for the duration of my trip: Bavarian Inn. This lovely hotel has quaint rooms and a romantic outdoor common area lit up by string lights.
6:30 p.m. - Ordered dinner, got some work done, and am promptly going to bed as today has been busy and tomorrow will be... equally busy!
Thursday, 9:30 a.m. — Custer State Park
7:45 a.m. - Breakfast before a big day! The Feel Good Cafe is an adorable little ~guest home~ outside the Bavarian Inn where one can fuel up on caffeine and fresh baked goods. There's several unique coffee options like the Honey Bee Latte (organic honey, espresso, steamed milk) and the Zebra Mocha (espresso, dark and white chocolate sauce, steamed milk).
Editor's note: Feel Good Cafe is closed for the season but will reopen in April 2022.
9:30 a.m. - And now, the moment I've been waiting for all week... mama is finally going to see some bison and I am mama in this context!! I was fortunate enough to receive an invite for the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup (more on that later) so I'm attending a media tour of Custer State Park. The wildlife was stunning and if this park isn't on your travel bucket list, add it. It's surreal.
2:30 p.m. - Light packed lunch from The Feel Good Cafe. While we were eating our sandwiches under the tent of the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup, a bison very casually strolled by and it's now the only interesting story I'm able to muster up at parties.
*proof*
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3:30 p.m. — Hike Little Devils Tower
AnaMaria Glavan / BuzzFeed
3:30 p.m. - The climbing path on Little Devils Tower is sometimes narrow and uneven, but the views at the top were worth every heart palpitation. I definitely recommend grippy shoes that won't slip and slide. A strange observation was whole colonies of ladybugs swarming at the top? Can someone please explain this?
7:00 p.m. - The food at Skogen Kitchen was so. damn. good. It's a fancy affair that requires reservations and has a constantly-changing menu, one that hones in on seasonal ingredients. And the dessert? If you don't get the salted caramel pudding with toffee crumble, mint, and lemon whipped cream... you'd be a fool.
9:00 p.m. - Get ready for bed and pack up all of my belongings, as I'll be checking out of the Bavarian Inn and heading home tomorrow afternoon.
Friday, 6:00 a.m. — Breakfast
6:00 a.m. - Stuffing my carry-on into the trunk of my car, checking out of the Bavarian Inn, and grabbing a quick coffee and pastry at The Feel Good Cafe before departing for the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup.
7:30 a.m. - More breakfast in dessert form? Why not. Cinnamon rolls are HUGE in South Dakota and apparently people like to pair it with chili. A strange combination that I'm not exactly opposed to.
9:00 a.m. — Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup
AnaMaria Glavan / BuzzFeed
9:00 a.m. - The Buffalo Roundup Arts Festival happens annually on the last Friday of September, where approximately 1,400 bison are gathered and moved to maintain rangeland forage levels. It's a tradition that's been around for five decades!
12:00 a.m. - Drive back to the Rapid City airport, drop off my rental car, and make my way back to New York.
Have you been to South Dakota? If so, tell us your favorite spots in the comments below!
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