Kris had been to Fargo for a trade show, which actually took place on Sept 11 in 2001. So he drove home from Fargo. Not much vacationing.
Happily, our friends Kate and Matt wanted to come with us! They're great vacation partners, and they were very gung ho about hiking, seeing cities, and driving 1500 miles in five days.
Fargo to Bismarck to Medora
We had a nice flight from Detroit to Fargo via Chicago ... but a few days before the flight changed to going through Dallas. Not on the way, but hey - there's not much flight selection right now! We rented a car from Hertz (tiny airport, desk right there, car steps from the airport - so nice) and drove to the Bismarck capitol building!
I love capitol buildings. It was too late at night to go inside, so we admired it from the outside. We ate at Laughing Sun Brewery, which had both great atmosphere and food. We kept on and slept in Medora at the AmericInn.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Before I planned this trip, I'd never even heard of this park. I loved it! Not only was it beautiful, but there was so much wildlife. For the first time in my life, I saw wild horses. Wow! We also saw prairie dogs, turkeys, bison, a pheasant, a rabbit, and mule deer. Just driving there we saw antelope, a fox, and tons of hawks. It was so cool to see them all.
We were out the door at the crack of dawn and went on two hikes - Wind Canyon Trail and Buck Hill. I strongly recommend them both. Gorgeous sights, great peaks, and beautiful country. I would have stayed longer but we had to hit the next state...
Sturgis, South Dakota
Well, we stopped along the way in Sturgis, home of the world-famous motorcycle rally. This town was happening! Lots of balconies, little cabins, and even motorcycle-related art. Then on to ...
Badlands National Park, South Dakota
The Badlands were like a different world. I felt like I was on another planet. I absolutely loved the layers, the stripes, and that we were looking basically at giant mounds of mud. Again we did two hikes - Notch Trail and Saddle Pass. Notch Trail even has a fun ladder to climb up. The alien nature of the Badlands, plus the cliffs and overlook, made this just a fascinating place. Saddle Pass was also a great hike, since we got to go really, really high, plus see interesting sights along the way. We stopped at lots of pulloffs along the way, and I loved what we saw, but again, I could have stayed here much longer.
We saw bighorn sheep, longhorns, and headed toward our little cabins in Wall, SD. We stayed at Frontier Cabins (adorable) and ate out at the (okay) Badlands Saloon & Grill.
Wall, South Dakota
We went to Wall Drug Store, because every sign for miles around said we had to go there. Also, it was the only thing open. And it didn't even open until 8:00 a.m.! It's hard to wait for coffee until 8:00 a.m. However, coffee is 5 cents there, and it was tasty. We ate a big breakfast, checked out the souvenirs, and left for Mount Rushmore!
Mount Rushmore
As we neared Mount Rushmore, it got snowier. We got out to see it and yes - I loved it! Matt had been there in 1986, but it was the first time seeing it for the rest of us. (It cost $10 to park.) We took some pictures and went in the museum. We decided to watch a 14-minute video about it in the theatre, and I was SO glad! It was so interesting the way they made it, with dynamite and drill bits! Also, even though it took 14 years and tons of people to complete it, no one died. Way to defeat gravity! The video may or may not have made me cry.
We went back out, and I thought maybe it would be less snowy. It was - now fog! Hard to see any faces up there at all. Ha!
Crazy Horse
So, okay. It cost $30 to go here, and it is ... not done. And you can't even get close. Like, if you really want to see it, just check it out before you get to the parking attendant. This will probably be cool someday.
Black Hills National Forest
We drove into Custer State Park ($20. If you average out the $60 we spent for these three activities, and put them at $15/person, it seems totally worth it!) and it was a winding, twisty, pretty drive up to Little Devils Tower Trail. Another gorgeous hike! It wasn't snowing when we started, but by the time we'd finished, we had three inches! This also had a half mile of rock scrambling to the peak, a lot of it between narrow waterfalls. I loved it so much. And then at the top we were rewarded with a view of ... nothing! Just fog and snow, blowing directly back into your face! We laughed and scrambled down. We looked it up on the internet later and pretended we saw it.
We ate at Firehouse Brewing Co in Hill City. We drove to Chamberlain, SD. We didn't think we'd have any problem getting a hotel, but ... it was opening day for pheasant hunting season and people came from ALL AROUND the country! Four hotels we called we full! We were finally able to get a room at the Super 8, and I'm so glad we did, because the clerk told us to go to the Silver Dollar because they had music. It was full of fun, friendly, happy people, and we danced until late in the night. Awesome.
The Corn Palace
I didn't know what to expect at the Corn Palace, but it's made up of murals of vertically cut corn, in 11 different colors. It was so artistic, and they redo it every year! They had a livestream on their balcony, and when I sent it to my family they were all able to see me! That was fun. They also had pictures of all the different years inside. So cool.
We visited Brad and Peggy Greenway, two of my friends who have a pig farm in Mitchell. A trip's not a trip until you visit a friend.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
This was a surprise stop we just decided to make, and I'm so glad we did. The falls were so, so pretty. We walked all around them, saw them from the tower, and checked out the ruins. So lovely, and such a nice, sunny day. We ate here, and also checked out the Arc of Dreams on the way out of town to ...
Fargo
We had an Airbnb in the downtown here, which is what I like to do, because then I can pretend I live in that town. We walked from our cool little condo to the Wurst Bier Company, where I ate a giant pretzel (always a trip highlight), and Dempsey's Public House that had - ready for it? Gambling and cigarette machines. We didn't partake in either, but really - Fargo, who knew?
It was a fantastic time with some of my favorite people in the world. I love national parks, hiking, and seeing places I've never seen. Kris has four more states to go, so we might see those before Alaska so we can do our 50th state together. Until then - here's to the Dakotas!
