AMA about South Dakota

[TDAS04]

Which of the state's Native American reservations have you visited, if any?

Crow Creek, Flandreau, Lake Traverse, Lower Brule, Rosebud, Yankton. Not sure about Pine Ridge or Cheyenne River, and I don't thank I've been to Standing Rock.

How locally acclaimed is Tom Brakow?

A little bit, but mostly by older people, and not as much as he used to be.

What is Rapid City like?

I actually don't remember experiencing much of the Rapid City city limits during any of my Black Hills Trips (last time I stayed in Deadwood), but it appears to be growing, and Rapid City is the largest metro of its size within a large, contiguous, geographical area. So it's a bit isolated. I remember my stay in similarly-sized city Cheyenne, Wyoming more―and it didn't seem like a bad place at all. Maybe Cheyenne and Rapid City are similar.

[Upper Canada Tory]

Do you think South Dakota's decision not to do lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic was the right decision?

Did individuals and businesses still follow some COVID guidelines despite there not being any legally imposed restrictions in the state, or did people behave as if everything were normal?

[RFK Jr.’s Brain Worm]

Have you been to all of the various attractions near Rapid City besides Crazy Horse and the National Parks/Monuments?

There are several attractions, so it's hard to see all in a short visit, but I remember fondly my visit to Reptile Gardens (the largest reptile zoo in the world) during my first Black Hills trip when I was 7 (which was actually the only time I've been to Mt. Rushmore). My favorite place I've been to in the Black Hills region is probably Custer State Park, which is a beautiful place full of good wildlife viewing; but also a very horribly named park, and the town of Custer is full of unsavory characters, many of whom are racist hicks.

The Black Hills/Badlands region is beautiful and I want to see more of it (including Mammoth Site in Hot Springs), but I find the West River culture a bit off-putting. West River people are generally less pleasant and welcoming than East River people, from my experience. Even the West River I meet in Sioux Falls are usually not people I get along with much, and they complain about "liberal, snooty, uptight, big city" Sioux Falls.

When I mentioned that my family and I were from California, the people from Sioux Falls seemed interested, but guarded. Almost like we were tigers in a zoo that might not be been in an escape-proof enclosure. I can definitely see what you mean. West River did seem a bit aloof; might be from having to deal with more tourists than Sioux Falls.

I definitely saw signs for Custer State Park, but didn’t go there. My family and I were amazed at all of the attractions that there would have been if it wasn’t the end of April when we went. We did drive by the Reptile Gardens and a rhubarb wine place (didn’t know you could make wine out of that!).

Deadwood was a bit better than I was expecting, but it still felt like a performance compared to some of the old gold rush towns in California. Granted we just drove down the historic main street without stopping.

[muon2]

I'll be in Vermillion for a workshop at the end of July. Any recommendations when I'm not in a session?

The weekend just before the workshop I'll be collecting counties in NW SD. Is there anything of interest I should put on my list?

[RFK Jr.’s Brain Worm]

I'll be in Vermillion for a workshop at the end of July. Any recommendations when I'm not in a session?

The weekend just before the workshop I'll be collecting counties in NW SD. Is there anything of interest I should put on my list?

Not TDAS, but the geographic center of the US is purportedly in Belle Fourche (it’s really about 10-20 miles north in a field, but they wanted somewhere nice (and publicly accessible) for the monument).

[TDAS04]

I'll be in Vermillion for a workshop at the end of July. Any recommendations when I'm not in a session?

Vermillion has the University, but it's still pretty small. Still a pretty nice place, and I enjoyed the National Music Museum quite a bit. The museum holds over 15,000 (!) musical instruments from around the world, and from thousands of years of history. Definitely worth a stop.

There are a few other other sites and historic downtown buildings, but people who aren't interested in farming might find Vermillion boring. There are agricultural attractions and events (e.g., farm shows). Plus the Missouri River helps make the area somewhat scenic, and Clay County Park (4 miles outside town) is a peaceful spot on the River to relax.

[TDAS04]

The weekend just before the workshop I'll be collecting counties in NW SD. Is there anything of interest I should put on my list?

I've been through Bel Fourche briefly by car, but that's it for my experience with the far northwest corner of SD (Butte, Harding, Perkins Counties). But honestly, I'm not sure there is much. It's pretty empty, but that should be okay if you like wide-open spaces.

[All Along The Watchtower]

What’s your take on the Crazy Horse Memorial? Looks like there’s been a lot of controversy around it.