Keystone & Beyond

My wife and I are planning a trip in June in our Odyssey minivan making the following stops: Greendale, WI, Plymouth, MN, Keystone, SD (all Northern stops)returning on a Southern route taking us through Chanute, KS, and Parke County, IN. We have a general idea of the highways and byways to take but would like some input from those who have been there and done that. We aren%26#39;t going to hurry ourselves, would be willing to explore alternate destinations along the way, will be using a GPS %26amp; AAA TripTiks and are open to all suggestions.

We are most interested in clean, comfortable and safe accomodations.

Points of interest are welcome. We%26#39;re not campers/hikers, night clubbers, prefer suburban rather than urban.

Thanks in advance to all who share - this will be our first trip farther than Parke County.

D%26amp;J H.

Keystone %26amp; Beyond

Can you tell us how long you have for the trip? Keystone is a great base for exploring the Black Hills--definitely fits your bill of suburban (most of SD will fit the bill compared to here in the east, however.)

I always provide people with a list of my ';must sees'; of the area:

Badlands National Park (could be been enroute from MN to Keystone)

Mt Rushmore

Crazy Horse

Custer State Park

Wind Cave Natl. Park

Jewel Cave Natl. Monument

Devil%26#39;s Tower

With a 3-4 day stay minimum, you could see these highlights. There%26#39;s much more to see and do, depending on how long you plan to stay.

Also, do you have any children coming?

As for accomodations, I really liked the Roosevelt Inn in Keystone (rosyinn.com). K Bar S Lodge is also highly rated on this site, but it doesn%26#39;t have a pool, so that%26#39;s a consideration if it%26#39;s important to you.

As a side note, Keystone is one of the more touristy bases with its boardwalk and endless souvenir shops. However, it%26#39;s a fun place for families, as it has mini golf and an even an alpine slide. Some people prefer Hill City or Custer, as they are a little quieter and less touristy. I felt very safe when we visited the area, and the people are wonderfully friendly.

Have fun planning, and please feel free to ask more questions.