Itinerary

Could I get some input on this itinerary? I don%26#39;t want to overplan but don%26#39;t want the kids to be bored. (two teenagers) If anyone has any specific ideas for teens, that would be great. One boy and one girl. Thanks.

Wed: Leave 2-3, arrive in Mitchell, SD.

Thursday: Badlands, Wall Drug, arrive in Keystone

Friday: Crazy Horse, Custer State Park

Saturday: Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood, Devil%26#39;s Tower

Sunday: Edgewood (husband wants to watch trains) President%26#39;s Wax Museum and Miniature Golf, Mt Rushmore at Night

Monday: Mt Rushmore and Museum, President%26#39;s slide, 1880%26#39;s train

Tuesday: Mammoth Discovery Site, Hot Springs, Wind Cave

Wednesday: Open for suggestions? See what we have missed. Maybe another cave. Maybe go back to Custer.

Itinerary

Overall, this looks really good. You have obviously done your homework and have grouped the attractions well. I will just make a few minor suggestions.

The kids might be bored with the train. We did it, but our daughter was 8 when we visited. I think it may be more interesting for the younger set. You mentioned Edgewood (forgive me...I%26#39;m not familiar with this), so maybe you are going because he%26#39;s a train lover. If so, by all means, keep it in the schedule. The kids can always check out the shops in Hill City when they get off the train, which I found to be more sophisticated than the abundance of ';t-shirt shops in Keystone.';

If you enjoy mini golf, Putz %26amp; Glo on Rt. 16 outside Rapid City is really fun, and best of all, it%26#39;s indoors, so if it rains, no biggee.

Your teens might like the Cosmos Mystery Area, where no one stands straight, balls roll uphill..all sorts of ';strange'; phenomenon occur. We haven%26#39;t seen it yet, but it%26#39;s something older kids would find fun, I think.

When you go to Hot Springs, and if you don%26#39;t mind a splurge, I%26#39;d recommned the Wild Horse Sanctuary. The tours aren%26#39;t cheap (I think they are around $50 per person), but you take a bus ride out to the horses. The tours are very small and really provide guests with a lot of personal attention. You really get up close with the horses, so if you love mustangs, you will enjoy it. The tours are around 2 hours.

I also recommend adding Jewel Cave on your open day. You have time, and I really deem both caves as must sees. You would also have time to return to Custer SP if you choose.

There are many privately owned caves in the area that your teens might like, and there%26#39;s an indoor waterpark in Rapid City (WaTiki). We visited Rushmore Cave and enjoyed it; we didn%26#39;t get to WaTiki. Your kids may also like gold panning. Wade%26#39;s Gold Mill in Hill City is highly recommended on this site. You can also pan at Big Thunder in Keystone and Broken Boot in Deadwood.

In Rapid City, you have 2 roadside Americana attractions--Bear Country and Reptile Gardens. I enjoyed both of them as an adult, but your teens may or may not find them geared more toward younger children. I think it depends on the teen.

Have a great trip, and please post a report when you return!

Itinerary

I also agree good trip! If it was me, I would want to see Mt Rushmore by day prior to the night ceremony!

Watch National Treasure 2 and visit the places in the film! Teens might like that. www.travelsd.com/nationaltreasure

Thanks for the advice. Yeah the kid know that when we go anywhere there is a train near, we are going to go see it. They are ok with it. I think we are going to add the other cave. How far in advance do you guys recommend ordering the tickets? I wanted to wait at least until I had a weather forecast to see what day to plan those for. Maybe I%26#39;ll just have to plug them in and go for it.

Thanks again!

I would think you%26#39;d be ok reserving the tickets for Jewel Cave once you arrive. However, if you do hear of a rainy day, I%26#39;d book them ASAP. We visited on a rainy day without reservations and had to wait about 2 hours for a tour. Thank goodness for the Jr. Ranger Program, which was a godsend for our then 8 year old! Other than the visitor%26#39;s center, there are no surface activities at Jewel. You shouldn%26#39;t need advance reservations at Wind Cave; they seem to have more tours for some reason.

Let us know if we can help you in any other way!

If you want to do a day tour on Wednesday, you might head to Devil%26#39;s Tower. From Keystone I would estimate about 5 - 6 hours round trip depending on how long you spend at various places that are on the route to and from. You can take the highway and stop at Alladin and take the freeway coming back. It%26#39;s a fun day trip.