South Dakota: The Surprisingly Beautiful State

We spent over 11 hours total driving through South Dakota and were consistently amazed by the beautiful (and vastly different) scenery. We encountered everything from grassy prairies to the rocky Badlands to hilly forests. What a beautiful state! Claire and I both agreed it would be worth vacationing here in the future.

We took many a pitstop in South Dakota during our drives. Some highlights include seeing waterfalls in Souix Falls, visiting the Corn Palace, and other random stops along the way!

We HAD to stop in Wall, South Dakota to see Wall Drug. The Wall Drug Store opened in 1931 and survived the Depression by offering free ice water and 5 cent coffee to travelers. It’s most famous for its ridiculous marketing campaign of having billboard signs for hundreds of miles along the road. A bit cheesy (America at its finest), but worth the stop.

We don't really know how this relates to anything about Wall Drug

 We were excited for our first of several bouts of camping. What started off as a pleasant evening, however, turned a bit gusty….

Claire freaked out a bit....

On not quite enough sleep, we trekked over to the Badlands National Park. WOW! Though most people simply drive through, we decided to hike a deserted trail for the afternoon. 

Then popped over to Mount Rushmore before settling into Custer State Park for another night of camping. Some stove-cooked food, a hearty bonfire (yup, we used to be Girl Scouts!), a bit of thunderstorms, and a scenic hike around Lake Sylvan summed up our time in South Dakota.

Until next time, South Dakota!