South Dakota is beautiful! We are in awe of the majesty of the views, the stunning panoramic wonder that is the Black Hills, the Great Plains and the Badlands!
But … I confess, I was unprepared to explore this vast land. Thank goodness for friends! When I mentioned I was coming here, a very dear friend who grew up here sent me a lengthy list of things to do and see. It is only because of his suggestions we knew to drive the Wilderness Loop through Custer State Park. The only buffalo we saw were off in the distance, but a family of pronghorn sheep pranced across the road in front of us.
Tony also suggested we head out to Wall and take the diversion along Badlands Loop Road. We were enthralled by the spectacular views, enchanted by the prairie dogs and enjoyed the fun of Wall Drug.
Then again, he failed to warn us this is NOT wine country. Several advertise on billboards and the one we chose was interesting, fun, comfortable and utterly lacking in pretension. It was also a little short on great wine. We tasted a dozen wines, enjoyed a glass each of two we (sorta) liked while we ate our lunch on the shady, dog-friendly patio, but wrapped up our visit to Naughti Winery faster than we’d expected. I guess we’re truly wine snobs! If you’re a beer-lover, however, this is your kind of place. There seems to be a brewery on every corner.
We have one more day and are venturing across the border to Wyoming to take in Devil’s Tower. We plan to drive through Spearfish Canyon on Tony’s suggestion and will undoubtedly cruise through Deadwood, perhaps stopping there for a hearty lunch.
I am so grateful for all the friends who offered up ideas of things to do and see and am joyful for the opportunity to take in this spectacular piece of this great country.
There’s a whole world out there just waiting to be explored. You never know which direction some good advice will take you.
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