Hi, I'm Pat and welcome to my blog, Life's A Trip!
I love traveling, food and getting a great deal on anything - which is what this blog is about.
I'll share not only my travel destinations including accommodations, dining hot spots, and top (and weird!) travel attractions with you - but how to make any trip more budget friendly.
When hubby suggested we travel to South Dakota, I couldn't help but wonder What would South Dakota have that I'd possibly want to see? Turned out I absolutely loved South Dakota. It's my favorite state in the U.S. - even more so than my own state.
Hubby and I had decided we'd drive cross country from Wisconsin to California. Unlike other trips we didn't set any itinerary. We were just going to go where the wind blew us. That only thing we planned was the route we were going to take.
We'd just bought our conversion van and decided this trip was how we'd "break it in", saving a whole heck of a lot on motel/hotel rooms by camping in our van.
We threw out screenhouse to cook in and relax into the van and off we went!
If you want budget friendly accommodations, it was the way to go. Not great mileage if you get into the mountains but still cheaper than renting a motel/hotel.
We weren't interested in just seeing all of the usual tourist traps on this trip. We wanted to explore more of the weird attractions one doesn't normally visit. And South Dakota has plenty of weird and different attractions to visit where you won't fight crowds of tourists and/or pay high admission fees.
Sioux Falls
The Buffalo Ridge 1880 Cowboy Town is totally weird, and totally great because of it.
Anyone who likes weird travel attractions will want to stop here.
Seen from the interstate, the attraction looks abandoned. Yellow caution tape is strung around rusty hay rakes and corn planters parked in the Town's main street. Paint is peeling from the buildings, windows are broken. It's what an 1880 cowboy town probably really looked like, minus the caution tape.
Built as a little attraction in the ‘60s, it’s a single street of buildings, filled with robots.
There’s a saloon, a Chinese laundry, a fort, a haunted mine, etc.
The robots are dressed as period men and women (and there’s even a version of Abraham Lincoln), but most are in serious disrepair and are falling apart in a very eerie but almost comical way.
You can take a self-guided tour of the town, no problem, and explore all of the creepy, nearly abandoned weirdness for yourself.
Don't miss Singing Sam the Gorilla Man in the entrance building next to the elaborate animated saloon scene.
The only explanation we could conjure for this monstrosity is that it was made by the same wandering robot craftsman who created Wall Drug's old Singing Sam the Gorilla Man. Both are coin-operated animations with a badly stitched gorilla pawing "Pop Goes the Weasel" on a piano.
You can take a self-guided tour of the town, no problem, and explore all of the creepy, nearly abandoned weirdness for yourself.
Address: 46614 W. Hwy 38, Buffalo Ridge, SD
Directions: Out behind the Buffalo Ridge Country Store. I-90 exit 390, then drive east a quarter-mile on Hwy 38. Admission is $8
Update: Dean Songstad, the creator of the ghost town passed away December 23, 2016; 1880 Cowboy Town has since been renamed Buffalo Ridge Ghost Town and continues to operate.
We also made a stop at the Sertoma Butterfly House & Aquarium located at 4320 S Oxbow Ave, Sioux Falls.
The Butterfly House is a balmy 80 degrees with 800 butterflies floating around the 3,600 square feet of space. These aren't just butterflies native to SD, there are species from all around the world, including Africa, Asia, Latin America and Australia.
Yes, they'll land on you.
In September 2022, the board of directors for the Butterfly House & Aquarium and Great Plains Zoo voted unanimously to merge the two organizations so there's now a combination butterfly house, zoo and aquarium where you can touch bamboo sharks and stingrays.
BHA Admission Pricing
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Infant (Under age 2): Free
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Youth (Ages 2-17): $11 + Tax
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Adult (Ages 18-59): $15 + Tax
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Senior (Ages 60+): $13 + Tax
Open year-round from 10 am - 4 pm (final admission at 3:30 pm)
You can purchase tickets online here
mitchell
We were basically just passing through Mitchell but did stop to see the Corn Palace.
Believe it or not, the entire exterior facade of the Corn Palace is decorated in corn kernels. Murals and all are corn kernels! And they change it every year.
The interior has a stage and yet more corn murals, mostly Native American in theme.
Definitely something unique to see. 604 N Main Street Mitchell, SD
The Corn Palace is open year round and is free to visit.
Our next stop was the Dakota Discovery Museum. I'm part Native American (Sioux - Lakota) so have always been interested in anything NA. Hubby's grandmother was full blooded Seneca so we both had an interest in anything NA.
The Historic Village was very interesting, featuring an expanded railroad history of local rail operations of the Milwaukee Railroad in the Dimock Depot. The Sheldon School illustrates education during the homesteading era of the Great Plains. The Beckwith House was home to the co-founder of the World’s Only Corn Palace, founded in 1892. There's also an old church and variety of old farm equipment.
Inside the History Gallery you will be immersed with the history of the Middle Border Region (North Dakota, South Dakota, and parts of adjoining states). You will be able to learn more about the lives of the Plains Indians, the Fur Trade, Dakota Territory, Railroading, Farming and Ranching, and the 1930′s Great Depression.
The Dakota Discovery Museum is located at 1200 West University Ave. Mitchell, SD
(Located on the Dakota Wesleyan Campus)
Admission:
Seniors (63+): $6
Adults (18-62): $7
Youth (6-17): $3
Children (Under 6): Free
9:00am - 4:00pm - Weekdays
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Our last stop in Mitchell was at the Prehistoric Indian Village archeology dig. (While that may sound boring to some of you, I started out in college as an archeology major.) And the tour wasn't boring in the least!
A guide will help you explore the ancient secrets while walking in the footsteps of a people who lived 1,000+ years ago. The Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village is your opportunity to travel back to the time of the ancestors of the Mandan, the tribe that Lewis and Clark encountered in the winter of 1804. Investigate the shelter construction, innovative hunting tools and agricultural techniques of these resourceful people.
Your tour will include an introductory movie in our theater, museum tour where you can walk through an earth lodge and view the ongoing excavation of the village at the Thomsen Center Archeodome. There are special hands-on activities for children. Kids 12 and under, dig for a free arrowhead! Special events like live digs, storytellers, Archeology Days, Native American Lore & Games and more are scheduled throughout the summer and fall.
The center has some pretty cool activities for kids. Check their website for scheduled events.
The Prehistoric Indian Village is located at 3200 Indian Village Road Mitchell, SD
From exit 332 or the Corn Palace:
Follow signs to Corn Palace, then continue north on Main Street to 23rd Avenue West (there will be a Ford dealership on east side of Main Street). Turn west (left) on 23 Avenue North. Turn north (right) on Indian Village Road. The parking lot will be about 1/3 of a mile north.
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Adults $10, Senior Citizens (65+) $5, Students (18+ w/ID) $4, Children (17 & under) FREE
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Group (10 or more people) Adults $5, Students ($2)
keystone
The highlight of our trip was our July 4th visit to Mt. Rushmore. We actually went to the monument twice that day - once in the early morning to see the sun rise on Rushmore while having breakfast in Carver's Cafe
and then at sunset into night to see the July 4th program.
If you ever get a chance to see the evening ceremony at Rushmore, by all means do so!
I don't think there was a dry eye in the amphitheater by the time it was finished and I mean that seriously.
Not only is Mt. Rushmore beautiful when lit up at night (It has a whole different appearance to it),
re-enactors of the 4 Presidents carved on its face did a musical presentation that was phenomenal, followed by fireworks and the playing of our national anthem.
The one mistake we did make was taking a helicopter tour of Rushmore. Now it was nothing as tame as shown in this video...
ON CONTRARE! Now mind you...my hubby was a helicopter pilot and I'd dated a pilot before I was married and had flown in just about anything...so neither hubby nor I were the least bit skittish about flying in choppers. Normally.
Somehow we managed to find the only Korean war vet chopper pilot that I'm sure was discharged from the military on a Section 8 to fly us up to Rushmore. And we were not in anything resembling today's choppers where you have doors on the aircraft. We were in one of those M*A*S*H* babies with no doors and only one thin seatbelt going across the laps of all 3 of us.
This pilot was certifiably looney tunes.
This was pre-911 so he did all but fly us right up George Washington's nostril.
Then he'd tip that sucker totally on its side and I'm hanging onto John for dear life so we don't lose him and end up scraping his remains off Lincoln's face.
Then this pilot put the chopper into a straight down nose dive. From takeoff to just before landing I'm screaming at the top of my lungs at this suicidal maniac "GET...US...DOWN!"
Of course the rotor wash was way too loud for anyone to hear each other...or maybe he was just getting his jollies off scaring the living HELL out of both of us...
Moral of the story: Skip the helicopter tours! Rushmore looks just fine from a distance, you don't have to fly up Washington's nostril to see and enjoy it.
Mount Rushmore sits in the Black Hills region of southwest South Dakota. The address is 13000 Highway 244, Building 31, Suite 1, Keystone, SD.
Mount Rushmore is free to visit year-round. An entrance fee is not collected; you do not need a pass. Reservations are unnecessary to visit or participate in any park programs.
However, the park site charges a parking fee by vehicle. Cars, RVs, and motorcycles each pay a $10 fee to park. Seniors, age 62 and over, pay $5, while active duty military members park for free.
You can pay parking fees with cash or most credit cards. Your parking ticket is valid for one year from the date of purchase.
You don't need to pay for a guided tour to Rushmore, just explore on your own.
The Mount Rushmore Audio Tour: A Living Memorial is a recorded audio guide at Mount Rushmore National Memorial incorporating narration, music, interviews, sound effects and recordings of Gutzon Borglum, Lincoln Borglum, American Indians and workers.
It's one of the better audio guides I've heard.
The audio tour is available to rent by visiting the bookstore located inside the Information Center. Rental fee is $6.
The tour is also translated in Spanish, German, French and Lakota.
For additional information on the audio tour: Contact | Mount Rushmore Society
Our next stop in Keystone was at the Big Thunder Gold Mine. If you want to experience what gold mining was like, this is the place to do it.
Located just off the hustling and bustling Keystone strip, Big Thunder Gold Mine invites visitors of all ages and abilities to join us as you explore the mining history of the Black Hills as told throughout an immersive tour of this authentic 1890’s gold mine.
After you’re done exploring the mine, head over to the Mining Museum where you’ll find the largest collection of equipment and artifacts from the Black Hills Gold Rush. Stop by their on-site gold panning beds afterwards and try your hand at panning gold.
There is a Big Thunder Bar & Grill on site as well as the Big Thunder Coffee Cabin.
Mine tour rates are separate from panning rates and are:
Adults: $16.95
Children, Ages 6 – 12: $13.95
Children, Ages 5 and Younger: Free
Check the website for panning rates and also for current hours.
The mine is located at 604 Blair St. Keystone, SD
We were actually looking for a place to stop and have lunch when we stumbled upon a pretty unique shop called Holy Terror Antiques.
The store opened in May 2005, after Pam Brodine, Dennis Kling, and Westly Parker custom designed the building in which the store is located, to replicate an old mine building.
They did a great job! The interior does indeed resemble an old mine building and products are uniquely displayed.
They have an eclectic array of furniture, pottery, glass, country store items, advertising, and much more. With over 40 years in the trade, this has allowed them to put together a collection rarely seen in one place.
The Holy Terror Antique Store is located at 1201 Old Hill City Rd.
Keystone, SD just 2 miles west of town.
They're open every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
We always ask the locals the best places to eat and the good folks at Holy Terror Antiques steered us to Cruizzers. 110B Winter St. Keystone, SD
I was pleasantly surprised to find out it resembled a 1950's diner...took me back to my younger days.
Cruizzers serves mainly pizza and sub sandwiches but the pizza was delicious and they sure didn't skimp on the toppings!
Stuffed full of pizza, we headed off for Deadwood, an Old West town where Wild Bill Hickock was shot during a poker game and buried, Calamity Jane being buried right next to him.
Stuffed full of pizza, we headed off for Deadwood, an Old West town where Wild Bill Hickock was shot during a poker game and buried, Calamity Jane being buried right next to him.
Today Deadwood is a mix of modern and Old West. We decided to forgo camping and checked into the Historic Town Hall Inn in nearby Leeds. The Town Hall Inn is a boutique B&B that once housed all of the old west government offices so we had the Municipal Judge's Chamber as our suite.
The inn owners are kind and welcoming, the rooms are both spacious and spotless, and the building has an interesting history as the center of town operations starting in 1912. The rooms are also named for their former purpose, so you could be staying in a former courtroom.
Our accommodations were very nice and included a kitchenette as well as continental breakfast. I don't remember the exact price we paid but it was under $75 - a far cry from the current $186.
The Inn is located at 215 West Main St. Lead, SD
We took a stroll down Deadwood's main street where Saloon #10 still stands. This was where Wild Bill Hickok met his demise.
It's a recreation of the Nuttal & Mann's Saloon, the original having burned down. The current No. 10 Saloon is not at the same location as the original Nuttal & Mann's. However, it is a working saloon serving drinks.
During the summer on Mondays through Fridays there's a free re-enactment of the shooting of Wild Bill that takes place in the No.10 Saloon.
Just a couple of doors down was a building with a big sign advertising BROTHEL. I tried the door but it was locked so my guess would be it's not a brothel anymore.
Wild Bill's Trading Post is still a functioning saloon and the real location where Wild Bill was shot. (Downstairs from the bar) Back then you could go down there for free but now I guess they nick you $10 to $20 to go downstairs and look around as long as you want.
Deadwood's interesting but it is a tourist trap now, which kind of ruins the ambiance in a way. We did hike up to Mt. Moriah Cemetery just to get a photo of Wild Bill's and Calamity Jane's graves. I found it kind of odd though in that the the cemetery is in the middle of a residential neighborhood of houses.
Above: Wild Bill Hickok's grave
Left: Calamity Jane hams it up at Wild Bill's grave
We'd seen all of Deadwood we wanted to see so decided to drive 14 miles over to Spearfish just to see the scenery. Again we stumbled on one of those oddities whose billboard screams at you from the roadside - FISH CAR NO. 3
What in tarnation was a fish car??? Our curiosity got the better of us.
On the site of the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery & Archives in Spearfish, South Dakota, visitors can marvel at how thousands of fish traveled in style, aboard a replica of “Fish Car No. 3.” Over the span of 66 years, from 1881 to 1947, the United States government made use of 10 custom rail cars to shepherd billions of fish across millions of miles at the behest of the United States Fish Commission (a predecessor to today’s Fish and Wildlife Service).
Before the custom-built trains’ debut, fish had had to roll through the prairies however they could—with mixed results. In 1873, a repurposed fruit car tried to deliver a hodgepodge of trout, catfish, and lobsters from New Hampshire to California; six days later, a bridge collapse in Nebraska released dozens of confused shellfish into the middle of the Cornhusker State.
Each new car came with more bells and whistles than the last: When the original Fish Car No. 3 rolled into service in 1884, it came not only with specialized ice compartments to keep its underwater passengers chill en route, but also with the capacity to hatch fish eggs while on the move. In 1886, No. 3 left the Susquehanna River in Maryland with more han half a million shad eggs, which would become thriving fish fry by the time they reached their new home in Oregon’s Columbia and Willamette Rivers.
Unfortunately, by World War II, both trucks and airplanes would prove the fish cars’ undoing. Each of the fish cars soon found themselves disassembled, and their equipment parted out to the hatcheries they once served. But in so many of the lakes and rivers throughout the country, countless descendants of those roadtripping rainbow trout and perch are still swimming today.
Being the railroad fans we were, I'm surprised neither of us knew what a Fish Car No. 3 was.
We do now!
South Dakota is truly a remarkable state with lots to see and do, even the weird and offbeat.
