Any South Dakota advice?

Ah, I see now. Nicely done.

 

Get an Indian taco at the Badlands. Go to the Black Hills to see buffalo.

 

Wall Drug is cool.

The pink highway is weird.

Badlands is really awesome.

I've only seen the Black Hills from a helicopter. But it was awesome from 500 feet ...

 

Devils Tower is easily accessible, I-90 east about two hours to the Sundance exit in Wyoming, then about 20 miles north.

Not much for a 10-year-old in Deadwood.

 

Funny thing I learned about Devil's Tower during that flight through South Dakota. Aviators are required to fly 2,000 above national wildlife areas, national parks, etc. Those areas are outlined with a blue line and covered with small blue dots.

The same applies for the Devil's Tower area. However, in a separate box, the chart says, "For reasons of national welfare, pilots are requested to avoid flights within 3NM of Devil's Tower National Monument."

National welfare? WTF is going on up there?

 

Not far, and cool to drive.

SD GFP | State Parks | Directory | Custer State Park | Activities | Scenic Drives

Custer State Park (SD): Address, Phone Number, Top-Rated Attraction Reviews - TripAdvisor

Crazy Horse, as KJIM said.

 

I appreciate the advice.

I know we're going to Wall Drug, but I don't know what it is.

I was a little disappointed to find out that there is nothing to see in Sturgis if it's not Harley weekend.

We have Cedar Pass Lodge restaurant on the agenda when we go to Badlands.

 

Wall Drug is a very large collection of old west shacks cobbled together to sell tourist junk. If I recall correctly, there's a restaurant or two there and a place for kids to get ice cream, etc. What makes it famous is its advertising, which you'll see for hundreds of miles. And, it's very near the Badlands.

 

I think it's pretty damn cool that your 9-year-old wants to visit Mount Rushmore.

I've always wanted to go myself -- in part, I think, because I watched North by Northwest as a kid.

 

Yeah, he's really into reading about the presidents and geography and all that fun stuff. My wife and I look at it as a "cheaper option in between Disney trips"