KristineIN Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 There's a good chance that we will be traveling to S.D. in June. We have family in Roscoe and friends in Pierre, Mt. Rushmore is another 3 hour drive from Pierre, but wondering if we should go and see it. Or other things to see while in S.D. it will be our only trip out there that we ever take. Thanks, Kristine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umarider Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 We had to move cross-country and went through SD. Our stops inlcuded De Smet, (Laura Ingall's homestead), The Corn Palace (in Mitchell, SD), The Badlands (very cool from a geologic point of view, probably the quietest place I've ever been), Custer State park is wonderful! Great camping, Great jeep-tours right through the buffalo herds! Lots of trails, scenery, too. Custer is close to Mt.Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument. I recommend seeing both, but do Rushmore before CH, because CH is so HUGE it will make Rushmore a bit of a disappiontment. Custer St. Park also offers a chance to try panning for gold (the park has to keep any gold you find, though:mad:) All-in-all, we loved SD. It started out as just someplace we were going through and ended up being one of our favorite stops on the trip! I would gladly re-do everything we did there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kRenee Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 I would say it depends on the age of your kids. If they are too young to marvel at the enormity of the project, read a little about the construction and time it took...then I would skip the 3 hour drive. Basically, you park, walk as close as you can and look at the mountain side. Sometimes the park gets too full and they close it to new traffic. And sometimes there are traffic jam going in and out. If you go, get there early. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 Custer State park is wonderful! Great camping, Great jeep-tours right through the buffalo herds! Lots of trails, scenery, too. Custer is close to Mt.Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument. I would gladly re-do everything we did there! Custer is absolutely wonderful. We rented a cabin there and were astounded by the wildlife that we saw. In fact, one morning, as we were driving on the loop to have breakfast at one of the old lodges, we watched a coyote stalk pronghorn. Wind Cave was also terrific, as was the nearby Mammoth Site. The Black Hills are truly sacred ground and worth visiting. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chai Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 I wouldn't drive 3 hours just to see Mount Rushmore, but there are so many other things to see in that area--the Black Hills, Reptile Gardens, Storybook Island and much more. We drove through Rapid City on our move last summer and spent two days there. We stayed at a hotel with a waterpark. Our favorite thing was Storybook Island--it's such a cute park--nothing fancy, but really enjoyable for younger children and it's free. Mount Rushmore is fun to see too. We didn't spend much time there, but I would have liked to walk the trails and get closer to the monument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 There's a good chance that we will be traveling to S.D. in June. We have family in Roscoe and friends in Pierre, Mt. Rushmore is another 3 hour drive from Pierre, but wondering if we should go and see it. Or other things to see while in S.D. it will be our only trip out there that we ever take. Thanks, Kristine We saw Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wind Cave, Custer State Park, Bear Country, Reptile Gardens (except for me---I dropped the guys off and went to scrapbooking stores :p), The Badlands, and I don't remember what else. We'd gladly go again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancypants Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 We loved seeing Mount Rushmore. It was very neat. I insisted that we stop and see it and stay for a bit and I'm glad we did. It makes watching North by Northwest more fun. And the area to the west of it is beautiful. The area (i-90) that stretches endlessly to the East, other than the Badlands off in the distance, is the most boring stretch of highway I've ever had to endure. And I've had to endure a lot as I've driven from Eastern Tennessee to TX, from TX to CA, from CA to Alberta (various routes), from Alberta to Arkansas... Other than the awful bumpy roads in Missouri, nothing was as mind numbing as that stretch of highway. The only thing to denumb the numbness was the 1,000 or so signs for Wall Drug (which, do not be mislead by the signs, is possibly the most overhyped tourist trap ever -- made for people who have been numbed by the boringness of that stretch of road! But they do offer free ice water! Yeehaw! LOL) :p :D Does that sum up my feelings about i-90 in South Dakota? We had a running joke for that whole stretch... "Hey kids! Look over there!" and they would say, "WHAT? WHAT?" and I'd say, "It's NOTHING!.... Oh. Oh. And over there!!! It's more NOTHING!" Mind you this was possibly in part due to the fact that we did not have time to take any real sight seeing detours (though we did stop in De Smet... also overhyped in my opinion.) I would have loved to have seen the Badlands up close but we had to settle for a distant view due to time constraints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 I LOVE Custer, too! And the drive through the needles area is lovely. See the Crazy Horse memorial, as well as Mt. Rushmore. Have fun! Snow? Regena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy in Indy Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 I would absolutely drive 3 hours to see Mt. Rushmore. I remember going as a child--it's absolutely magnificient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhesa Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 If it's a three hour drive, I would think it is worth it. I went to Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse monument when I was 10, and I just loved it. It made such an impression on me- but I was kind of romantic about the American Indian- I grew up in Oklahoma. If your kids are old enough, read a few books about it. (Maybe even read one on the way to break up the boring drive?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 although it is impressive I do not like the crowds. It is better to go at night, if you go. What I do love about that area are the caves that you can visit. I can't remember the names of them (Wind cave? Jewel cave?) but they are spectacular and I have been through a lot of caves in my life, including Carlsbad Caverns. The Badlands are quite interesting. We had a good time climbing around and driving through the area one year. But if you really, really want to be impressed...go to the caves! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 we are going to making a trip through S Dakota this summer and dh was looking into stopping at Wall Drug. :-) Maybe we'll have to skip that one! We are looking forward to seeing Mt Rushmore and I would definitely drive 3 hours to go see it. But, we like driving vacations. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShelliR Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 I grew up there and family is still there, so I am very biased. Glad most of you think it is worth the trip, because IT IS!! Unless you don't like the great outdoors that is. Mount Rushmore has a great museum worth the visit and the hike toward the faces is wonderful too. June is not THE BUSYIEST time of year. Never go the first couple weeks of August - bikers run the place... I'm not anti-biker, just anti-crowds. I also love the badlands. There is nothing like camping in the badlands. It is the brightest starry sky ever... Personally I skip the touristy places and go for the outdoors, like Custer State Park.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristineIN Posted February 9, 2008 Author Share Posted February 9, 2008 Thanks everyone, my children are just under 10, 8 1/2 & almost 7 We have a while to figure out what we're going to do, but hopefully I can convince dh to go. Kristine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 And maybe they'll let you go in the hidden caves to tour, now that National Treasure has revealed their existence.....(kidding, kidding.... wonder how many people a day ask them about that.....) Regena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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