"Rock Star" road tripper checking in! Self-proclaimed anyway! Road trips and visits to all 50 states are my game. Find your next road trip destinations here. Fill your bucket list with fantastic US journeys. I love road trips and spare no effort in making my travels and experiences inviting for members of the road-tripping family! Pick a trip you want to take, or get inspired to plan your own. - - The Driveby Tourist (or call me Stan!)
Is South Dakota the best Midwest state to visit?
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While South Dakota may be the best for some, “best” really depends on what you want to see or do. Or as they say, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” 👀✨ I’m planning to write posts about each state eventually, starting with a road trip through South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado. That’ll give me plenty of chances to dive deeper into South Dakota’s gems! 🚗🗺️ The Black Hills in western South Dakota offer incredible vacation attractions. Sure, Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial come to mind first, but there’s so much more to explore. 🏞️🗿 The name “Black Hills” might make you think just hills, but some peaks soar over 7,000 feet—higher than any peak east of the Mississippi! 🏔️ The tallest is Black Elk Peak at 7,244 feet, with hiking routes ranging from moderate to challenging, including some rock scrambling at “Little Devils Tower.” 🧗♂️🪨 Nearby, Custer State Park rivals many National Parks with stunning scenery and diverse terrain. Don’t miss the Needles Highway—14 miles of breathtaking spires and narrow tunnels. 🚙🌲 Rapid City is the largest city and a great base, but smaller towns like Deadwood, Custer, Hill City, and Sturgis (home of the massive motorcycle rally!) offer unique stays. 🏙️🏍️ In 2023, the Sturgis Rally drew over 600,000 attendees! 🎉 There’s so much more to see and do in South Dakota—you’re sure to have an unforgettable trip. I’ve already shared a couple of posts about the state, including one on the quirky Corn Palace in Mitchell. 🌽🎨 Check it out here! [Link]The other one is about Badlands National Park. Here’s a link to the Badlands post. "I love to drive in the Black Hills of Wyoming and South Dakota with Mount Rushmore as the central stop.” Classic Rock song: "South Dakota Morning” by the Bee Gees Please email me about your favorite Midwestern state! Here is the Premium Subscription page: You will get early access to new blog posts, one extra weekly newsletter, and access to all past newsletters. And occasionally, I'll ask for votes on content! Stan Featured Post: I already linked to the featured post, but here is the link to Badlands National Park again. |
Stan Wiebe
"Rock Star" road tripper checking in! Self-proclaimed anyway! Road trips and visits to all 50 states are my game. Find your next road trip destinations here. Fill your bucket list with fantastic US journeys. I love road trips and spare no effort in making my travels and experiences inviting for members of the road-tripping family! Pick a trip you want to take, or get inspired to plan your own. - - The Driveby Tourist (or call me Stan!)
Two of my four stops weren’t open! ☹ And the visitor center was closed on the third one. More ☹ However, Horseshow Bend made up for some of it! And Little River Canyon’s scenic drive was likely what I was going to see, even if the visitor center had been open. Oh, by the way. Here’s the link to the preview post about this trip. Sloss Furnace National Historic Landmark Sloss Furnace dates back to the 1800s when steel processing began here. The current 32-acre historic site preserves the...
Yes, I visited six places today AND drove on a National Park-supported trail! Here’s a quick rundown and a few pictures to go with it. Too many to include pictures for every stop. Oh, by the way. Here’s the link to the preview post about this trip. Upon leaving Hattiesburg, MS, this morning, I set up my GPS for the places I wanted to see. I knew most of them were relatively quick stops. Hot Coffee, MS While traveling, I look for strange, odd, unusual places and objects. There actually is a...
So. What do they have in common? Typically, you would say hitting the beach at Normandy. Well, I didn’t hit that beach, but I did hit the beach in Gulfport, MS! Oh, not the same. Sorry, Normandy was necessary for the war effort. After “hitting the beach” at Gulfport, I decided I didn’t need to see much more beach. Ok, I’ll just drive on to Biloxi, not that far. When arriving in Biloxi, I saw a sign that said “Mobile – 60 miles.” Ok, that’s not very far, so I headed that way. About an hour...