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I had no idea when I started planning my senior trip (delayed by Covid!) that I was in for my all-time favorite vacation. Y'all—South Dakota knocked it out of the park! When I started bouncing around ideas for the trip with my mom, a lot of familiar places popped up: the Grand Canyon, Hawaii, Williamsburg, VA. Then Mom threw out Mt. Rushmore (of course the teacher's going for educational). I thought, "That'd be cool, but I think other things are gonna be higher on my list." But I decided I'd look into the area, just in case. I'm an avid researcher, so there's no such thing as just Googling "things to do near Mt. Rushmore." When I decide to research an area, out comes the map, which I scour for every neat little town and nearby geographical point of interest listed. I really go down the rabbit hole tearing the internet apart for anything that seems more than meets the eye. I like taking the road less traveled, which means skipping a lot of the big attractions in favor of a hidden gem. And just a few hours into my Mt. Rushmore area research, I was sold!

Fast forward to mid October, and we were off!

First, we decided to drive from Florida. This took two days, but gas, hotel, and fast food was lining up to be significantly cheaper than plane tickets, so we decided to cut our 10 day trip down to 8 days and go on the ground. This gave us a great opportunity to see some beautiful scenery on the way out, and stop to check out Mitchell's famous Corn Palace. 

We booked our hotel for Rapid City, as this was a central location with super affordable hotels. The hotel offered a free daily breakfast that was excellent, and since we booked a suite, we were able to keep simple, packable lunch supplies that we could have on the go. We planned for one eat-out meal per day, and I scouted out nearby haunts with great reviews! Locals were able to give us several recommendations as well, and they were so worth the visit! 

Our main itinerary goals for our visit were to see Mt. Rushmore; drive the Iron Mountain highway; hike Black Elk Peak (the highest point in North America east of the Rockies!); visit the historic western towns of Lead and Deadwood; and tour Custer State Park and the Badlands National Park. (We're outdoor enthusiasts, if you couldn't tell!) I also was hyped about booking a trail ride in the mountains and finding some great wildlife and scenic photography shots. We also left a little flexibility in our schedule for off the cuff adventures, like driving through Spearfish Canyon and the Needles Highway, hitting the artisan and souvenir shops in Hill City and Custer, and hopping on the 1880s train between Hill City and Keystone.

I don't have the space here to rave about the entire experience the way I want to, but believe me when I say, we were not disappointed one single time. It exceeded my expectations in every way, and then some! Everywhere we looked, the scenery was breathtaking. The little towns were like a step back in time. The people were so friendly. Prices were reasonable. And everything we tried was as advertised, only better! Some of my favorite memories were the little hole in the wall places we stumbled across completely on accident. Summitting Black Elk Peak was a breathtaking experience (in more ways than one!). The view and the tower sitting at the peak was incredible! My least favorite experience was the ill-advised decision to walk to the Mt. Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood. They weren't lying when they said "Mt." My  legs hated me for that decision; however, my head thanked me once the torturous climb was over. (In all seriousness—no regrets!) Seeing the resting place of such legendary historical figures such as Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane was well worth the climb (actually! I decided this in hindsight!) 

Ultimately, those were 8 days I often wish I could relive. It's the kind of place I want to go back to, only take someone else to experience the adventure that I so enjoyed! It's not the kind of place you're going to hear mentioned often, but it's a sad injustice. South Dakota charmed me completely, climbing to a cherished place in my heart and memory!