HOME

A Summer Trip To South Dakota

A Summer Trip To South Dakota


I’ll be the first to admit that South Dakota wasn’t high on my vacation bucket list. But I ended up there this summer on a dad-and-daughter trip I took with some family members: and WOW, we loved it. It was a surprising and wonderful departure from our usual family trips, so I wanted to share some highlights in case anyone else is interested in breaking out of the more typical beach or theme park vacation routine.


Horseback Riding Outside Badlands National Park South DakotaHorseback Riding Outside Badlands National Park South Dakota



Growing up on the East Coast and now living in Florida, I haven’t spent much time in the upper Midwest. So these sights may be old hat for some of you. But just like our trip to the California desert earlier this year, this was a chance for us to soak up some new-to-us geography.


Kids Exploring Rock Formation In Badlands National ParkKids Exploring Rock Formation In Badlands National Park



Why We Vacationed In South Dakota

South Dakota is home to lots of epic vistas, charming towns, and outdoor adventures. They have six major national parks, monuments, memorials, and historic sites including Badlands National Park, Wind Cave National Park, Mount Rushmore, and the Crazy Horse Memorial. There are also iconic “Western” towns like Sturgis, Rapid City, and Historic Deadwood. So there’s no shortage of places to explore.


Kids Walking On Boardwalk Hike In Badlands National Park South DakotaKids Walking On Boardwalk Hike In Badlands National Park South Dakota





But our reason for going was also personal. When my grandfather immigrated to America as a kid, his family landed in South Dakota. He moved away as a teen, long before my father was born, so it has been easy to forget that my family has roots in the state. So my dad suggested this trip to see some sights AND reconnect with extended family still living there.

The plan blossomed to include my uncle and cousins on my mom’s side, including one cousin whose daughter is close friends with our daughter – even though they live several states apart. So it became a chance to give the girls quality time together, while some other family members got together without being too huge of a travel group. (Sherry and I have also learned how great one-on-one trips with our kids can be – highly recommend).

Where Did We Go In South Dakota

We were only in South Dakota for 3 nights, so it was a pretty quick trip. Still, we managed to squeeze in a lot. My dad and uncle were in charge of the itinerary (which was a nice change of pace for me) and they did a great job of making the most of our time there. Here were our main destinations:


Musk Thistle Sweet Clover In Badlands National Park South DakotaMusk Thistle Sweet Clover In Badlands National Park South Dakota



Our daughter and I didn’t get to see much of Rapid City or Custer State Park because of our flight schedule, but the others seemed to really enjoy them. At Custer State Park they even had to wait for a herd of buffalo to cross the road!

Where We Stayed In South Dakota

One of my dad’s goals with the trip was to stay on a working farm and the whole trip came together once he found Circle View Guest Ranch. It’s about 60 minutes from the Rapid City Airport (where we all flew in) and just about 5 minutes outside the entrance to Badlands National Park. I can’t say enough good things about this place.


Circle View Guest Ranch Sign in Interior South DakotaCircle View Guest Ranch Sign in Interior South Dakota



It’s a bed & breakfast with several rooms in the main house and a separate “bunkhouse” that sleeps 8. There’s also an 1880s homestead cabin with no running water or electricity if you want to really rough it! (spoiler alert: we didn’t). The spaces were all clean, comfortable, and more than well-stocked with amenities like coffee, books, games, and even foosball and ping pong.

The highlight for us adults was the breakfast every morning. The Kruse family, who operate Circle View and live on the lower level, invite all guests downstairs for a generous hearty family-style breakfast in their kitchen. This picture does not do it justice, but it’s the only one I got because I was too busy stuffing my face. They truly outdo themselves and I would come back for the food alone.


Hearty Midwest Breakfast With Eggs Sausage Biscuits GranolaHearty Midwest Breakfast With Eggs Sausage Biscuits Granola



As much as the kids loved the breakfast (pancakes! smoothies!), they enjoyed the farm and the animals even more. There were dogs, puppies, cats, chickens, and even some hilariously vocal peacocks roaming around. At one point while I was on the phone with Sherry, one was screaming in the background.


Albino Peacock In Front Of Red Barn At Circle View RanchAlbino Peacock In Front Of Red Barn At Circle View Ranch



The Kruse children even showed our collective kids some of the chores they do, like gathering eggs and cleaning out the chicken coops. I’m pretty sure more than one of our kids wanted to sneak a chicken home on the airplane.


Basket of multicolored eggs collected on farmBasket of multicolored eggs collected on farm



Mostly it was nice seeing our daughter and her cousins having fun together against the beautiful backdrop of the Badlands.


Kids Playing On Swing At Ranch Badlands National Park South DakotaKids Playing On Swing At Ranch Badlands National Park South Dakota



They probably could’ve stayed at Circle View the whole time, just enjoying each other’s company and chasing chickens around.

What We Did In South Dakota

One of our days in South Dakota was mostly spent road-tripping a few hours to visit my dad’s cousin’s ranch. We learned a bit more about the cattle business, visited my great-grandfather’s grave, and had a fascinating chat with my dad’s uncle, who is a WWII vet. So while that was a high point of the trip for us personally, here are the other things we loved.

Badlands National Park

Since Circle View was so close to the park entrance, we went there (or through it) a few times.


Kids Walking On Boardwalk Hike In Badlands National Park South DakotaKids Walking On Boardwalk Hike In Badlands National Park South Dakota





During our main visit, we did a couple of short (and flat) hikes from the Notch Trail parking lot. The views were spectacular and the kids loved scrambling up the rock formations.


Kids Playing On Rock Formations in Badlands National Park South DakotaKids Playing On Rock Formations in Badlands National Park South Dakota



Even if your kids don’t love hiking, these were crowdpleasers because there was so much fun terrain to explore.

Wall Drug

About 45 minutes from Badlands is the town of Wall, home to the famous and kitschy Wall Drug.


Interior View Of Shops In Wall Drug Wall South DakotaInterior View Of Shops In Wall Drug Wall South Dakota



It’s definitely a bit of a tourist trap, but it was still a fun stop (and lunch spot) for our group. This “drugstore” is more like a maze-like mall with souvenir shops, western gear, toys, books, and much more than we had time to explore.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

I had visited Mount Rushmore once in high school on a family road trip (we’d also stopped at Wall Drug then), but it wasn’t until this visit that I realized it’s more than just a carved mountain.


View Of Rock Debris Under Mount Rushmore National Memorial South DakotaView Of Rock Debris Under Mount Rushmore National Memorial South Dakota



40-something me appreciated the educational displays MUCH more than 17-year-old me did. It was interesting to learn the complicated history and engineering behind the project. There’s also a short but stair-heavy hike (seen below) that offers some different angles of the site.


Hiking stairs at Mount Rushmore National Memorial South DakotaHiking stairs at Mount Rushmore National Memorial South Dakota



I wouldn’t say this stop was a huge hit with the kids, so we could’ve probably spent more time in Badlands instead.

Overall, I didn’t go into this trip expecting much more than just some quality time for my dad, cousins, and the girls – but I was so pleasantly surprised by how beautiful it was, how many new experiences we crammed into our three days there, and how much fun the kids had. My dad isn’t always known for his trip planning, but he knocked this one out of the park.

Other Kid-Friendly Trips We’ve Taken


Gird of Six Kid-Friendly Family Vacation LocationsGird of Six Kid-Friendly Family Vacation Locations



If you’re interested in our take on other destinations or are in search of family-friendly trips, you might also enjoy these posts:



Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *