Family travel in South Dakota
Every Tuesday until we run out of states, I plan to post about family-friendly vacation ideas, attractions and events in each one of the US states, taking input mostly from Twitter and Facebook.
Yes, I know how to search for travel ideas on a destination or attraction Web site, but a tweet or a Facebook Wall recommendation is a much more engaging and public way to spread the word.
Please don’t email suggestions to me; that’s nice but it is one-to-one communication. Tweet me and/or Facebook me, so that all of our networks can see what’s cool about your state.
We’re going in alphabetical order but started with the end, so our first state for the series was Wyoming, then we investigated Wisconsin , West Virginia , Washington, Virginia, Vermont, Utah, Texas, Tennessee and now we’re moving on to….South Dakota!
Their state tourism organization is on Twitter at @travelsd, and you can Fan them at the South Dakota tourism page on Facebook.
When I asked for ideas, here’s what came in….
Twitter Travel Tips for South Dakota
*** From South Dakota tourism on Twitter – As a kid, I loved the classics-Dinosaur Park in Rapid City, Storybook Land in Aberdeen, Corn Palace, Wall Drug, Badlands, Rushmore.
*** From Robert Reid (the Lonely Planet US travel editor) via @reidontravel on Twitter – While in SD, take bizarre two-lane PINK roads (made of quartzite.) Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD = totally hoke.
*** From Nancy Nally via @NancyNally on Twitter – https://www.ingallshomestead.com – I visited in high school…she’s a hero of mine! [the Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead, or claim, in De Smet – I love the Little House books too!]
*** From Emily Westaby via @westaby on Twitter – Best family SD memory: The Wild Horse Sanctuary in the Black Hills made a horse lover out of me. https://www.wildmustangs.com
*** From Lynn D via @LynnToTheRescue on Twitter – Corn Palace in Mitchell, Lake Kampeska in Watertown, Wall Drug in Wall, Falls Park in Sioux Falls.
*** From Antonia Malchik via @amalchik on Twitter – regret I’ve never been, but Badlands Nat’l Park a lifelong dream. I’m a desert and empty-wilderness lover: https://www.blackhillsbadlands.com
*** From Dominique King via @MidwestGuest on Twitter (a bonanza!) – Everyone visits Mount Rushmore, but for best views and photos, make sure you take the 1/2 mile Presidential Trail there. Best part of visit to Crazy Horse Memorial was the Indian Museum of North America – artifacts & crafts. Take the backroad into the Badlands and stop by Roberts’ Prairie Dog Town in the park to visit the cute critters.
Needles Highway drive for great rock formations (picture on my blog of one that looks like Egyptian royalty to me!) Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD was a cool stop–wished we were earlier so we had more time for photos, but scenes in corn amazing! Custer State Park is great for wildlife watching-especially buffalo and the “begging burros.” Wall Drug is cheesy, but fun to browse and have your photo taken on the “jackalope.” I’ve blogged a few times about SD https://www.midwestguest.com/south-dakota/
Thanks, everyone! I didn’t have any input on Facebook, though.
On the BootsnAll Travel Network, here’s the Boots South Dakota Travel Guide, and I talked a little bit about the state in this post: 3 surprising US travel destinations (and an honorable mention.)
Thanks so much for the contributions – the next state in the series is South Carolina.
Send your South Carolina highlights to @SheilaS on Twitter or write them on my Facebook Wall (tell me you’re a 50 state-er if you want to friend me.)
My purpose for this series is not only to highlight worthy kid-friendly vacation destinations in all 50 states, but by using Twitter and Facebook I want to also encourage tourism organizations to learn more about connecting with their visitors using social media and online networks.
Please add your own South Dakota suggestions in the comments below, if we’ve missed anything. Thanks!