Help with South Dakota Itinerary

Any Advice on my plan? Too much? Too Little? Driving times reasonable? We will want to take some nature walks but we don%26#39;t do any serious hiking.

Day 1 Land MSP, See Le Sueur %26amp; Stay New Ulm

Day 2 - Rt 14 to Brookings, to Sioux City Stay Mitchell

Day 3 - To Eastern entrance to Badlands, see a bit, then highway to Wall.

Day 4 = Do the rest of badlands-Scenic 44 to Custer (optional side trip to Hot Springs %26amp; maybe Mammoth site if time) quick look at Crazy Horse in the evening.

Day 5 - Needles Highway to Wildlife Loop to Iron Mt Rd to Mt Rushmore to Keystone and back to Custer.

Day 6 Hill City, Lead, Spearfish Canyon Scenic drive, Spearfish, Deadwood, Sturgis, Stay Rapid City.

Day 7 - Restful day, Reptile gardens, Skyline drive,

Day 8 - Drive to Pierre, route 14 to Huron for the night.

Day 9 Long drive most of the way back to the airport.

Our flight isn%26#39;t until Noon the next day - any place sort of interesting to stay an hour or so away from MSP?

We%26#39;d also like to do a chuck wagon show or 2 during the trip. Who has the best cowboy music and bluegrass?

Which town in Central or Southern Badlands has the best after dinner strolling?

Thanks so much!!

Help with South Dakota Itinerary

Tripplanning,

I checked some of your other posts. Do you have children coming on the trip? I assumed you might when you mentioned doing Skyline Drive in Rapid. One of the highlights here is supposedly Dinosaur Park; however, we have yet to experience this.

I don%26#39;t know if I would move to Rapid City on Day 6. You could remain in Custer. I personally would not stay in Rapid City; you just don%26#39;t feel like you are ';really in the hills';---a little too urban for me.

The best town for after dinner strolling would be Hill City, IMO. The Alpine Inn is a great dinner spot, and the shops are some of the nicer ones of the Hills.

You will be busy, but all in all, it%26#39;s not a bad plan. I%26#39;d include at least one of the caves, (Wind or Jewel). Have a wonderful trip!

Help with South Dakota Itinerary

Thank you. No kids, just two middle aged folks who like WPA art and silly roadside attractions. Hill City looked really small, like you could stroll the whole thing in 5 minutes. Is it?

Hill City isn%26#39;t majorly large, but there are several shops to browse in. We took the 1880 train from Keystone to Hill City, had lunch at the Alpine Inn, and then walked the town. We took the train back around 2:30-3:00 p.m. I would say by the time we had lunch, we spent about an hour or so browsing. Many of them have Black Hills gold. Keystone also has shops, but they are more touristy..lots of t shirt places, mood rings, etc. It%26#39;s more fun for kids.

Also, since you like ';roadside attractions,'; I%26#39;d recommend seeing Bear Country the same day you go to the Reptile Gardens. They are practially right next door to each other. Bear Country is a small drive through zoo with walk-around exhibits at the end of the driving route.

Have fun!

';Everything Prehistoric'; (at least I think that%26#39;s the name) in Hill City will take you at least an hour. Browse around the store, then go into the back/side section and there are dinosaur skeletons that you will not BELIEVE! All for free. Read the newspaper postings on the wall. The family that runs this has a VERY interesting story.

You can also spend lots of time poking around the roadside ';rock shops'; and ';country stores'; that are all around Hill City and Custer. You%26#39;ll see what I mean when you get there. Endlessly fascinating! :)

On day 2, do you mean Sioux Falls, SD instead of Sioux City, IA?

Pipestone, MN is an interesting place to tour the quarry.

There really isn%26#39;t much to see in Huron so you could drive farther on day 8. This would mean a shorter drive the next day.

neutrogena