Car Rentals South Dakota

Discount Car Rentals in South Dakota

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Things to do in South Dakota

• Mount Rushmore National Memorial
  Near the town of Keystone, South Dakota, the granite sculptures of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt look down upon the plains of this great state keeping a watchful eye over the grand democracy that they helped to build, guide, defend and die for.  This is the biggest monument in the nation, sitting over 5000 feet above sea level and representing the first 150 years of this great country's history.  Gutzon Borglum was the main sculptor and designer, while his son Lincoln did some finish work after his untimely death due to surgical complications.  Over 400 men and women were involved in the actual work, using Borglum's smaller sculpture to go by.  It was one twelfth the size of the huge monument.   Dynamite was used to help carve out some of the rock at Mount Rushmore with a process known as honeycombing next.  About 90% of the mountain was carved out using dynamite to remove unnecessary rock.  This dynamite was used to blow all but 3 to 6 inches of rock away from the mountain, then the drillers and assistant carvers would drill numerous holes in the rock close together so that the pieces could be taken away; thus the term honeycombing.  From 1927 until 1941, the workers created this colossal monument to the country's finest Presidents and it has been a magnet for people from all over the country and world.  The mountain was originally known as the Six Fathers to the Lakota Sioux and then renamed after Charles E. Rushmore, a well known New York lawyer that explored the area in 1885.  The first reason for the carving was to bring more tourists to the Black Hills of South Dakota, but after Congress got involved and President Calvin Coolidge, it got Congressional approval.  There were some people that got hurt, but no one died.  The sixty foot sculptures were supposed to go to the waist, but funding ran out in 1941 and the second World War put a complete ending to the massive project.  A controversy is going on between the Lakota and the government, but the Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1868, stated the tribe would have the Black Hills forever, but it was not resolved.  There is some controversy among the Native Americans also, as the Lakota took the land from the Cheyenne in 1776.
   

• Museum of Geology
  The museum of geology at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, is saving the wonderful heritage of the state and the Black Hills by housing, saving and collecting the sometimes rare and unique resources that have been discovered.  Their paleontologists have a lot of experience in the field because of the many excavations they have found; including almost 350,000 specimens of fossils, minerals and rocks that show the Dakota life so long ago.  Fantastic minerals from around the world have been arrayed by the Dana System and are on display.  The South Dakota hall concentrates on the extensive minerals in the Black Hills area, including fluorescent ones.  Lapidary examples of the local agates, meteorites and native gold finish this spectacular collection.  The main exhibits are the minerals of the world, the Black Hills minerals, plant fossils, meteorites, vertebrate fossils and invertebrate fossils.  Some of the magnificent fossils include; edmontosaurus, duck-billed dinosaur, alzadasurus, sabre-toothed cats, mosasaurus, triceratops, tyrannosaurus, turtles, rhinoceroses, three toed horses, giant pigs, camels, birds eggs, alligators and many other incredible fossils.
   

• Mammoth Site in Hot Springs
  The world's biggest mammoth research facility is in Hot Springs at the Mammoth Site and it is here that you can visit an paleontological site that is currently active.  You will be able to see the fossils as they are found and dug up, as well as view other fossils that belong to the camel or giant short faced bear.  There is a warm spring, where animals would come to drink and then because of the softness of the nearby limestone, they would lose their footing and fall into the sinkhole.  So far, 55 mammoths remains have been discovered, along with the bear, camel, fish, wolf, prairie dog, llama and other invertebrates.  The site sponsors a visiting scientist program that lets the scientists research and visit the sites for study in their various fields of expertise.  Summer internships are encouraged so that future scientists will have the same opportunities to study and discover new fossils and remains in the area.  The internships are involved in the lab work, bonebed study and cleaning as well as conducting tours of the site.

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• Crazy Horse Memorial
  This memorial to the chief of the Oglala Lakota is being carved out of the Thunderhead Mountain about 8 miles away from Mount Rushmore.  The Lakota consider the area to be sacred and since the monument at Rushmore is on their sacred mountains, they thought that they should have one also.  Besides the carving, the Indian Museum of North America and the Native American Cultural Center are located here.  It is located between Custer and Hill City and the finished dimensions have it being 641 feet wide and 563 feet high with Crazy Horse riding a horse and pointing out onto the plains.  The head of the chief will be 87 feet high in comparison to the 60 foot high Presidents heads.  It was started in 1948 and when it is finished, it will be the biggest in the world.  Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski started the carving after having worked with Gutzom Borglum, and had gotten a letter from Chief Henry Standing Bear that said the red man had heroes also.  It receives no federal funds or state money, and the sculptor received offers from the government but refused them.  The whole complex is owned and funded by the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation which sponsors cultural events and educational programs related to the Native American lifestyle and in June each year, they host a Volksmarch allowing visitors into the mountain area.  More that one million people come to the area each year and help with the funds for the memorial, as well as visitor fees.  A huge container of rocks from the memorial is free for people to take, as long as they will contribute something.  Crazy  Horse didn't like being photographed and no one knows where his burial site is.  So, the sculptor saw the memorial as a metaphoric tribute to the chief and the Native American.  Many of the Native Americans are upset about the carving, since it does change the landscape and looks of the natural mountain, and it a pollutant of the entire scope of the legacy of Crazy Horse.  Some has said that it is against the spirit of the chief and what he would have wanted.  The mountain has been struck many times by lightning, and the Indians have stated that because Crazy Horse never wanted his picture taken, that the great spirits will make sure that it is never finished.
    

•  Wind Cave National Park
  This magnificent park is 10 miles north of Hot Springs in the western part of South Dakota and was established by Teddy Roosevelt in 1903.  It was the first cave to be made a national park anywhere in the world.  Most noted for its beautiful displays of calcite formations known as boxwork and 95% of the world's boxwork formations are in the Wind Cave.  It is also well known for its frostwork, which is needle like growths that are exquisite in their design and beauty, which is completely natural.  The Wind Cave is the densest cave system in the world and the fourth longest, although four new miles are being found each year and presently it is 131 miles long.  Above it the biggest natural mixed grass prairie in the world is found.  It is an incredible park that should be visited at least once in a person's lifetime.  The Lakota people that lived in the Black Hills spoke about this hole that blew air and they believe it is sacred and that they came up from the depths of the earth through this hole.  The first documented mention of the cave was by two brothers that discovered its existence in 1881, named Tom and Jesse Bingham.  Supposedly Tom looked down the small 10 inch by 14 inch hole and the wind blew his hat off.  Few people went into the cave until the 1890s when a 16 year old boy called Alvin McDonald started exploring and the cave was bigger than believed.  His father, J. D. was employed by the South Dakota Mining Company to see if any gold was there, but couldn't and a chance to give guided tours arose.  These were done with candles and by crawling through narrow passageways that weren't always easy.  The park contains a very diverse ecosystem with eastern and western plants and animal species including elk, prairie dogs, pronghorn antelope, bison and black footed ferrets.  This bison herd is one of four that are genetically pure and free to roam the public lands in North America.  There are a few roads and 30 miles of trails that go through the park making it almost completely accessible.  It had almost a million visitors in 2003.

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Local Restaurants in South Dakota

Minerva's The best restaurant to eat at in Sioux Falls, South Dakota is Minerva's, where the cuisine is excellent, the service impeccable and the setting fabulous.  With the charming atmosphere to enjoy those romantic interludes, or to just go in for lunch or dinner, the culinary delights will certainly make your mouth water and nose perk up with the aromas of great food.  It has been around here since 1977 and gained a reputation among the locals and visitors alike.  So when traveling to this part of the country, stop in and try some of the best food in these parts.  A few of the marvelous offerings include;  starting with appetizers; Minerva's crab artichoke bake is crabmeat blended with cream cheese, artichokes, lemon, dill, and three pepper blend cooked under the broiler with cheddar and jack cheeses and served with crackers and bread; smoke salmon flatbread is a crispy lavash flatbread layered with boursin cheese, smoked Atlantic salmon, red onions, capers and tomato dill pico de galo; or coconut shrimp is coconut battered jumbo shrimp with wasabi laced Asian dipping sauce and one other superb idea is the black pepper onion rings which are cracked black pepper seasoned onion rings with creamy horseradish dipping sauce.  The appetizers are so wonderful that one more needs to be included; duck lettuce wraps are bib lettuce cups filled with shredded duck, green onions, carrots, snow peas and bell peppers with spicy peanut sauce; a real winner here.  Salads are another special temptation and include; Maytag bleu cheese romaine salad which is a great American bleu cheese from Newton, Iowa and garnished with toasted almonds; cranberry pecan chicken salad is fresh spinach tossed with pears, Gorgonzola, craisins, red onions, spicy pecans and cranberry vinaigrette topped with charbroiled chicken.  If you need further tantalizing tidbits, then try the pasta menu including; Minerva's Cajun chicken linguine which is a pan-seared Cajun spiced chicken breast with fresh vegetables, almonds, butter cream and white wine; sausage and broccolini ravioli is seasoned Italian sausage and broccolini ravioli with strips of roasted yellow bell peppers, fresh spinach and crushed plum tomato sauce.  The specialties include; Minerva's famous roasted half duckling slow roasted and crisped under the top broiler, with wild rice blend and asparagus; Puget Sound crepe is stuffed with small Alaskan shrimp, bay scallops, and crab meat in a white wine seafood sauce or the beef tenderloin crepe that is stuffed with wild rice pilaf or mashed potatoes and topped with fresh sautéed premium steak tips in stroganoff sauce and fresh sautéed mushrooms.   Firehouse Brewing Company The Firehouse Brewing Company in Rapid City, South Dakota was the idea a few businessmen had after going to Denver and visiting one of their area pubs.  Taking the former firehouse built in 1915, on Main Street and gutting it out, and bringing it back to its original walls and floors trying to return it as much as possible to its original condition.  The decor was to be somewhat reminiscent of an old firehouse, only with the addition of a micro brewery and restaurant incorporated into the schema.  The results are very obvious and with the grand menu offering some of the finest cuisine in the state, this eating establishment is a huge success.  There is a patio on the bottom floor, along with the restaurant and lounge and the third level is a dinner theater.  The menu is as follows; for appetizers; cheesy artichoke dip made of savory blends of cheeses, artichoke hearts and garnished with green onions and served with either nacho chips or toasted garlic bread; fire caps are fresh mushroom caps stuffed with a tasty blend of cream cheese, crab meat and spices, topped with Swiss and cheddar jack cheeses, then baked until golden brown.  Some of the favorites include; souvalaki is 8 ounces of seasoned and marinated pork tenderloin served on a bed of fluffy brown rice, piled high with grilled onions, peppers and mushrooms with lemon wedge and tziki sauce on the side; spontaneous heating is an original, hot and spicy gumbo recipe made with Chukkar ale, combining Andouille sausage, shrimp, chicken and buffalo sausage in a rich gravy and served over a fluffy brown rice; and the Bangor ladder which is traditional Scottish banger sausages, simmered in their extra pale ale and served on top of roasted garlic and cheese mashers, comes with sour-kraut and sautéed onions and served with beer mustard.  Another favorite specialty is the rancher's pie that is mashers layered with tender beer and vegetables, smothered with parmesan cheese and finished under the broiler served with brown sauce and beer bread.

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• Wounded Knee Monument and Massacre site
  The massacre at Wounded Knee, South Dakota is probably one of the most famous or really infamous moments in our sad history dealing with the Native Americans in our and most assuredly their nation.  Upon the death of Sitting Bull, Chief Big Foot was worried about the safety of his tribe, that was mostly widows and children left over from the Plains War.  The chief was on the list of people causing disturbances and had been ordered to be arrested.  The chief and his little band were on their way to get protection from Chief Red Cloud at Pine Ridge; but he got pneumonia on the way and was put in a wagon.  Coming to Porcupine Creek, the group of Indians were met by four troops of cavalry led by Major Samuel Whitside of the Seventh Cavalry.  Blankets wet with blood and his nose bleeding, the chief rose to talk to Whitside who stated that the group must be taken to Wounded Knee Creek.  The chief said they were going that way to Pine Ridge and the two groups went on, with the chief riding in an ambulance wagon supplied by Whitside.  Two troops in front and two in back brought the group to Wounded Knee, and arrived at dusk.  The Indians were counted, 120 men and 230 women and children.  The major had been instructed to take their weapons, but the scout had said it would be better if they waited until reaching Wounded Knee Creek and they did; whereupon the major again decided to wait until the morning.  Making sure that the tribe would not leave, the major posted two troops around the camp and put their Hotchkiss guns on a rise nearby facing the Indian lodges.  Sometime during the night, the remainder of the Seventh Cavalry arrived setting up camp north of the main camp; setting up two more Hotchkiss guns beside the two already there.  Colonel John Forsyth took command and told Whitside that he had orders to send the Indians to a prison in Omaha.  In the morning, awakened by the bugle call, the Indians gathered in the center of the camp to listen to what would happen.  The colonel told them what was going on and that their weapons would be taken.  The Indians stacked them in the center, but some of the soldiers didn't trust them and began a search.  Tearing open everything in the tepees and tents, knives, tent pegs and hatchets were thrown into the pile; but two rifles were found also.  One was a new one just bought by Black Coyote, a young warrior, who was upset that his new gun was being taken and it had cost him much.  He didn't hear too well and didn't act fast enough to throw down the rifle, so the soldiers grabbed him and he was spinning around when a shot was heard.  Then the massacre began, as the Indians tried to grab what weapons they could from the pile and the Hotchkiss guns began firing wildly with shrapnel shredding everything including the women and children.  They tried running but were surrounded and had no where to go.  The remaining Sioux that were taken to Pine Ridge were 4 men and 47 women and children, they rode in wagons, during a blizzard that started and waited while lodging could be found for them.  An Episcopal mission was found and hay spread over the floor after the benches taken out.  When the blizzard subsided, a burial group was sent to the scene of the massacre, where the frozen bodies lay in very contorted positions.
   

• Pickler Mansion
  The Pickler Mansion or pink castle as it is also known, was built in phases starting in 1882 and being finished in 1894 in the town of Faulkton, South Dakota.  It was the former home of Congressman John Pickler and his wife Alice, who was a well known suffragette.  The 19th century Prairie Victorian home has 20 rooms, that are filled with the original furniture and decor, and there is a secret or panic room that was to keep them safe from storms or Indian attacks, although by that time, there were not many Indians out to torment white people.  A music room contained hand made wood work and is a marvelous example of craftsmanship for that period and in that part of the country.  This majestic home was visited by many notable people, most prominent were Susan B. Anthony, Grover Cleveland and Theodore Roosevelt.  John Pickler was the first Representative from the new state of South Dakota and served 4 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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• Fort Meade Museum
  In the winter of 1878 and 79, Fort Meade was constructed on a site that was personally picked by General Phil Sheridan, famous for his Civil War exploits, and he rode the 12 mile square area telling where certain buildings were to be built.  Units of the 1st and 11th Cavalry and the remains of the 7th were stationed here to protect the people coming into the area to search for gold and/or settle.  Some were here before the Black Hills Treaty of 1877 but all needed protection, after the massacre at Wounded Knee and Custer's last stand.  This fort replaced Camp J. C. Sturgis that was built in July of 1878 near Bear Butte and located at the front of the natural gap going into the Black Hills and a main Indian trail going into the most favorite hunting grounds of the Sioux.  It was also well traveled by pioneers on their way to Bismarck, Sidney or Fort Pierre.  The camp's name was changed to Camp Ruhlen by the quartermaster Lt. George Ruhlen that built the camp first and then named Meade for the famous Civil War hero, George Meade.  The 7th Cavalry was reformed after its disaster at the Little Big Horn in 1876 and it was stationed there first, with Colonel Samuel Sturgis becoming the commander; as well as being one of the founding fathers of the town that bears his name nearby and now site of the well known Sturgis Bike Fest.  Fort Meade was the place where the lone survivor of the Little Big Horn, a cavalry horse named Commanche, was retired with military honors.  Another event occurred here involving Major Marcus Reno, where he was forced from the army in regards to some scandalous acts.  The Star Spangled Banner was first introduced here as the military retreat ceremony long before it became the national anthem.  It is one of the longest surviving military outposts on the Upper Missouri West until 1944, when it became a Veterans Administration Hospital, and still is presently.  There are many exhibits here that pertain to the military and the frontier.
   

• Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
  This reservation is home to the Oglala Sioux Native American reservation in South Dakota, encompassing almost 3.5 million square miles of land.  It is the 8th biggest in the nation and bigger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined.  The majority of land lies within the two poorest counties in the state and the entire United States.    It is populated by less than 30,000 Sioux.  It was the home of famous Chief Red Cloud, who was a well respected warrior and statesman, leading the fight to keep settlers from using the Bozeman Trail; which was the best of the buffalo hunting grounds.  Once he was at Pine Ridge, the chief worked to start a Jesuit run school for the children and his burial ground is on a hill overlooking the school that he started; which also bears his name, the Red Cloud Indian School.  Another famous personage was William Mervin Mills or Billy Mills that gained international fame in the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo as a runner.  It was a huge upset in sports history and his early childhood saw him overcoming incredible odds to achieve this wonderful fame.  His story is one to be heard and delighted in, considering he was a half breed and living on the reservation in his early life was especially difficult because of his half breed status.  He is the only American to win the 10,000 meter race and today is a spokesperson for the Running Strong for American Youth program and a motivational speaker.  He is a great American and is to be remembered and known for showing this country and the world what a lot of hard work and determination can do, no matter where you come from or what kind of experiences you have growing up.  He is certainly an inspiration to all the Native Americans in this country and will be loved by all for his superhuman efforts to overcome monumental obstacles to attain his dreams.

• Prairie Homestead Historic Site
  This sod house is one of the few remaining in the nation and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.  It shows the hardship conditions that the early pioneers of the early 1900s endured in the new state of South Dakota and is more like that conditions that the early settlers of the east coast lived in during their earliest years almost 200 years ago.  But whatever the looks or conditions, it was a home to these sturdy settlers that had their own land to use for whatever purposes that deemed fit and it was quite cool in the summers and warm in the winters, especially in this cold land.  The thick sod walls and dirt roof had little maintenance, and were better suited for the severe winters than the frame buildings others constructed.  Most of these homes have been destroyed by hard rains and prairie winds.  This homestead and the nearby Badlands Trading Post are found near the entrance to the Badlands National Park and the homestead renovated in 1962 bringing it back to the original condition of its earliest existence.  It was placed on the National Register list in 1974 and has a AAA rating as an attraction.  The home is part of the parcel of 160 acres that Ed Brown and his wife filed claim on in the early 1900s.  Many of these types of homes were built on the plains, since wood was scarce and hard to get, better use being in the furniture building and the burning for fire wood.  The homestead was built in 1909 and most of the original furnishings are still inside.  The site is also home to the world's only white prairie dog town with about 50 of the white critters living in a natural environment without outside control or attention.

• Bear Country USA
  This unique opportunity to view wildlife in a natural habitant is one of the most thrilling adventures you and your family can enjoy while in the great state of South Dakota.  Take a 3 mile drive through the 250 acre park to see all the various animals that live and thrive in this fantastic environment.  Set in the Black Hills, with rolling plains and grassy knolls, these creatures love to have their pictures taken and sometimes you will think that they are really actors in bear suits.  Here you will have the chance to watch a black bear come up to your car and look in to see who is looking out at him or her.  Reindeer and elk will come close to your vehicle as you traverse the wonderful park that allows these wild creatures to roam free and to let families of cars drive the park's 3 miles enjoying the fantastic sights of wild animals doing whatever they feel like doing in this natural setting.  This is the biggest collection of privately owned bears in the world, with tall pine trees and majestic meadows for a backdrop.  Acting more like a circus of clowns, these beautiful animals will entertain you like no other group has ever done or will ever do.  People from all over the nation and different parts of the world have come here to see the frolicking critters doing their thing.  Most of the animals are born here, and hand raised by the park's staff, with new cubs arriving each spring.  Besides the bears, they raise timber wolves, mountain lions, arctic wolves and bobcats.  They use chickens and peafowl to keep the tick problem minimal and the eggs from the chickens are used in the diet in babyland; where the young are kept and raised and visitors can have closer contact.

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• Pettigrew House and Museum
  Richard Franklin Pettigrew was the first Senator from South Dakota after it became a state, and also a surveyor and land developer in the city of Sioux Falls.  He was born in Ludlow, Vermont and moved to Wisconsin in 1854, with his family.  Studying law in Iowa, he joined the law department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1867, then moved to Dakota in 1869, working with the U.S. deputy surveyor.  Richard finally settled in Sioux Falls, started a law practice, continued surveying and buying real estate.  He was elected to the Territorial Council in 1881, as a Republican and went to the U.S. House of Representatives in the same year.  Unable to be re-elected, he returned to the council and was there until 1889.  When the territory became a state, he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1889, and remained one until 1900.  After he left the senate, he went to New York City to practice law, but went back to Sioux Falls and was busy with politics and business until he passed away in 1926.  Richard left his home to the city, which it still maintains today and the museum is used to show how people in his position lived at the turn of the century.  The home contains many antiques of that era, plus many of Pettigrew's personal artifacts that he collected.  He was an amateur archaeologist and much of his personal collection reflects that area.  Some of his quote's include; "capital is stolen labor and its only function is to steal more labor"; "under the ethics of his profession the lawyer is the only man who can take a bribe and call it a fee"; the sum and substance of the conquest of the Philippines is to find a field where cheap labor can be secured, labor that does not strike, that does not belong to a union, that does not need an army to keep it in leading strings, that will make goods for the trusts of this country".
   

• South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center
  Started to save the historical and cultural legacies of the early Sioux residents and European immigrants, this center brings history to life with research , educational programs and cultural exhibits.  You can view many early Native American exhibitions to the time when the first white man came to this land.  He brought the most horrible changes to the Sioux people with hordes of settlers, tearing up the land and building homesteads where they hunted buffalo and other animals for centuries; river boats that blossomed stinking smoke of coal and other minerals; as well as the railroads that desecrated his sacred lands, killed millions of the buffalo and forced the People from their lands.  Visit a sod house, listen to stories by a pioneer woman, see the Lakota teepee up close and see how the gold was mined from the hills of the Native American burial grounds.  The museum contains a collection of 1339 Native American artifacts that is noteworthy because of its documentation and quality.  The museum is built into the side of a hill and parts of it are underground, and all of it depicts the early years of this great state. 

July 22, 2009