We are currently in Rapid City, South Dakota (well, just outside of the city at Ellsworth Air Force Base). It’s always fun to stay at military campgrounds. They are almost always less expensive, usually have more spacious sites, often offer free washers/dryers to campers, and have lots of things to do right on the base (movies, pool, shopping). Even with all there is to do on base, there is also so much to do off base in this area.
Our first little adventure was to Mount Rushmore. This doesn’t take a ton of time, but it’s a must do when in this area. There is a short trail that circles around the presidents. There’s also a spot called “The Sculptor’s Studio,” where a park ranger explains how the presidents were carved into the side of the mountain, and visitors can see the tools used and view exhibits of the process. We also learned that Thomas Jefferson created the first recipe for ice cream, so we stopped in at the ice cream shop on site. Ray tried Jefferson’s original recipe flavor, but the rest of us went with our personal faves.
On a separate day, we went over to Badlands National Park. It was hot as Hades out there, but the girls really enjoy any hiking that involves climbing rocks. While the hikes we took were super short, the views were spectacular.
We were still on the lookout for elusive bighorn sheep, but we didn’t spot one in Badlands, either. We did see lots of prairie dogs, however. We also saw a pronghorn and a coyote just outside of the national park gate. We thought the two were going to face off, but the coyote turned and went the other way at the last minute.
Another cool stop near Badlands is Wall, SD. The top tourist attraction is Wall Drug Store (Since 1931). Main Street is a great place for western souvenirs. There are several photo ops for tourists, as well. And, of course, we took advantage of those!
The girls are loving South Dakota, because we took a little excursion to Chuck E. Cheese’s and did our Friday night movie night at the local drive in theatre. They also got to see a movie at the base theatre, so their impression of this area has been really great.
They also got to visit the best park they’ve ever set foot in today: Storybook Island. This park is full of storybook characters and playgrounds. It also has a carousel, train, and bounce houses. The park is free, but the carousel, train, and bounce house cost $2 per person. The girls loved this place! I have to admit that Ray and I thought it was pretty cool, as well!
We still have a couple of days left here in South Dakota, and we have lots of fun things planned to fill them up.
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