Summer road trip - North and South Dakota

[Anonymous]

If you haven't been to Glacier National Park and Waterton / Banff Lake Louise area in Canada, do that instead.

Signed, someone who has family in ND and has visited dozens of time.

That said, the buffalo are cool. Many places to see them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did SD as we drove cross country. Custer State Park and Badlands are excellent. We car camped at the free sites in Badlands, there are port a potties and you wake up to bison all around.

Didn't see anyone mention Wind Cave National Park but I would definitely add that to the list, right by Custer State Park.

Not much else to the state on our drive, we did stop by the Mitchell Corn Palace festival, the corn building was interesting but the food sucked.

I liked seeing the Corn Palace.

Wall Drug near the Badlands was fun to shop/see.

We also visited Devil's Tower when we were out that way.

Devil’s Tower is super doable from that neck of the woods. I’d definitely include it on your itinerary.I would add there is a Minuteman Missile National Monument that was super interesting…if I remember correctly it’s nearish Wall Drug. ReP who mentioned Wind Cave: they had issues with their elevator last summer, and the cave was closed. We instead went to Jewel Cave National Monument —it was super cool. We’ve traveled as a family quite a bit, and our South Dakota trip was an absolute favorite.

One last Wall Drug tidbit: the bookstore has an extensive selection of books about the American west…If you are a history buff, it’s definitely worth a peak.

One final thought about Mount Rushmore: we ended up there at sunset and stayed for the lighting. My 13 year old son, who was being a bit of teen that trip, really enjoyed it. I had been to Rushmore as a kid on a daytime trip -definitely preferred the nighttime.

[Anonymous]

We did this a few years ago. ew from Dc to Minneapolis, mall of America, Nickelodeon, juicy Lucy burgers, gold medal flour tour, Minnetonka falls.

Then off to Fargo and Theodore Roosevelt national park, mt Rushmore, Custer state park, jewel cave national park, wind cave National park and the badlands. Then back to Minneapolis for the Renaissance festival and Minnesota state fair. The biggest state fair in the country.

This was in august. So much fun and fantastic memories.

[Anonymous]

Skip Corn Palace. It’s a tourist trap and a waste of time. Kinda lame. Art made with corn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just SD and ND? Popular to include Yellowstone and Grand Tetons (that’s what we’re doing).
Fly to Bozeman- overnight
3 nights Yellowstone
3 nights Jackson (Grand Tetons)
3 nights Rapid City/ Badlands
3 nights ND (air bnb near TRNP).
Fly out of Bismarck ND

Unless op is flying between all those destinations, it’s a bit crazy for a 10 day trip with 2 kids. They’d just be on the road all the time.

[Anonymous]

Also check out crazy horse near Custer

[Anonymous]

SD native here. Please visit Crazy Horse. It's larger than Mount Rushmore and unfinished. It doesn't get as much publicity since they didn't take government money. Please take some time to appreciate native culture in SD - the Lakota Sioux have festivals and events. This looks like a good place to start: https://lakotavoice.com/lakota-sioux-events.php

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did SD as we drove cross country. Custer State Park and Badlands are excellent. We car camped at the free sites in Badlands, there are port a potties and you wake up to bison all around.

Didn't see anyone mention Wind Cave National Park but I would definitely add that to the list, right by Custer State Park.

Not much else to the state on our drive, we did stop by the Mitchell Corn Palace festival, the corn building was interesting but the food sucked.

I liked seeing the Corn Palace.

Wall Drug near the Badlands was fun to shop/see.

We also visited Devil's Tower when we were out that way.

Devil’s Tower is super doable from that neck of the woods. I’d definitely include it on your itinerary.I would add there is a Minuteman Missile National Monument that was super interesting…if I remember correctly it’s nearish Wall Drug. ReP who mentioned Wind Cave: they had issues with their elevator last summer, and the cave was closed. We instead went to Jewel Cave National Monument —it was super cool. We’ve traveled as a family quite a bit, and our South Dakota trip was an absolute favorite.

One last Wall Drug tidbit: the bookstore has an extensive selection of books about the American west…If you are a history buff, it’s definitely worth a peak.

One final thought about Mount Rushmore: we ended up there at sunset and stayed for the lighting. My 13 year old son, who was being a bit of teen that trip, really enjoyed it. I had been to Rushmore as a kid on a daytime trip -definitely preferred the nighttime.

Get the hot roast beef sandwich from the cafe at Wall Drug. It’s huge and covered in gravy but freshly cooked/made and worth the gut punch later! And pick up a half dozen donuts to go. They’re huge and delicious.

[Anonymous]

I enjoyed ND more than SD because it’s so much less visited and commercialized. I liked the Enchanted Highway, TRNP, the town of Medora which has a French connection, and the ND state capitol building in Bismarck is an insane art deco creation that was phenomenal. Additionally I found the people in ND far friendlier and welcoming because they were glad to meet someone interested in their state.

While SD is beautiful and certainly worth visiting, it is also full of kitsch. Some might say this Americana nostalgia is part of the charm. Servers in period saloon costumes, helicopter rides, reptile museums, mini golf, cheap t-shirt shops. Quality places are mixed in but you must research to find them. Many SD workers are from other places because they are seasonal workers. Sadly I found an apathetic attitude fairly common. This visit was two weeks in 2019 and I flew between them.

[Anonymous]

If anyone in the family is a Laura Ingalls Wilder fan, the Ingalls Home in DeSmet, SD is worthwhile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If anyone in the family is a Laura Ingalls Wilder fan, the Ingalls Home in DeSmet, SD is worthwhile.

I would like to see that. Been to the Wilder farm in Malone, NY and really enjoyed learning more about Almanzo's family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SD native here. Please visit Crazy Horse. It's larger than Mount Rushmore and unfinished. It doesn't get as much publicity since they didn't take government money. Please take some time to appreciate native culture in SD - the Lakota Sioux have festivals and events. This looks like a good place to start: https://lakotavoice.com/lakota-sioux-events.php

+1. I did Crazy Horse on my trip. I liked the artifact museum onsite at the Crazy Horse park.

I enjoy projects that get done over long periods of time. A fair bit of progress has been made in my lifetime.

[Anonymous]

How adventurous are you?

My kids - same ages as yours - and I did this as part of a longer road trip and had a great time. Favorite parts were a hike to a gorgeous hidden swimming hole and rock hounding on Buffalo national grassland. More standard things were fun too: Wind Cave is awesome (arrive early to secure a spot on a tour then go kill some time watching prairie dogs), Mt Rushmore at night, a gold mining place (great on a rainy afternoon - didn’t think we’d enjoy it so much. The Badlands are incredibly scenic. I’ve heard Custer State Park is great, especially if your family hasn’t been to Yellowstone (ie hasn’t already been wowed by bison watching). I’ve been to Teddy Roosevelt NP in the past too which is gorgeous and much less touristy but not with kids.

[Anonymous]

Why would you go to North Dakota for a vacation?

I have to make the drive across ND a few times every year and I dread it. I don't think any of the 'tourist attractions' are worth it at all.

Theo Roosevelt NP: It is not that great. You have to remember, just because it's a national park does not mean it is a wonderful vacation destination. It's a designation that was put in place to give the land specific protections, not to serve as a vacation checklist. (Not saying that you're doing this OP! But a lot of people do).

You can get the gist of the NP at a rest area off of the interstate -- it's free, there is a gift shop + restrooms, nice viewpoint of the badlands, and they even have a few short hiking trails. You do not need to spend days on end here unless you REALLY like buffalo, which you will get your fill of quickly when visiting SD or the west in general. The scenery isnt that spectacular -- and you'll see better 'badlands' in Badlands NP.

Canola in bloom (as well as sunflowers): I mean... they're yellow flowers, growing in private farms and you can see them from the interstate. You can't do anything with them lol. It's pretty, sure, but doesn't warrant a trip out here.

Enchanted Highway: Meh. Big sculptures in the prairie. It's a gimmick to get people to visit but again, doesn't necessitate a trip out here.

If you haven't been to Glacier, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain NP, Tetons, Banff, etc. GO THERE. Don't waste time in North Dakota.

Also, the corn palace is lame, but worth seeing if you've never been. Don't have high hopes for it. It's essentially a mural on the side of community gymnasium.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did this a few years ago. ew from Dc to Minneapolis, mall of America, Nickelodeon, juicy Lucy burgers, gold medal flour tour, Minnetonka falls.

Then off to Fargo and Theodore Roosevelt national park, mt Rushmore, Custer state park, jewel cave national park, wind cave National park and the badlands. Then back to Minneapolis for the Renaissance festival and Minnesota state fair. The biggest state fair in the country.

This was in august. So much fun and fantastic memories.

Glad you had fun, but I think Texas and Iowa State Fairs trump Minnesota’s.