South Dakota

Yet another state that will surprise you with their unique finds.

Things to do:

• Mount Rushmore: probably goes without saying, but this is a must see if you're going to South Dakota. Truly iconic and really cool to see up close. It is a lot smaller than I expected (the park itself, not the actual statue). There are flags of all of the states and a lookout to the base of the statue. There is a small parking fee, and dogs are only allowed in the front, not by all of the state flags. We tried going on some of the trails, though they don't go super far. If you're looking for a few extra steps in nature, there is a trail across the street where you can still see Mount Rushmore, though not a "must do" trail-wise. There is a small lake for the dog, or yourself, to swim in on the drive from Mount Rushmore to Crazy Horse (about a 30 minute drive).

• Crazy Horse Saloon: There is a statue of crazy horse as well as an Indian Museum. Dogs are welcome, on leash, just be mindful about the museum.

• Keystone, South Dakota: The town by Mount Rushmore has a lot of cool shops, places to eat, and really cool wood carving. Definitely take an extra hour or two to check out the town itself, a lot of cute finds! Most of the stores are dog friendly, as long as they are on a leash. There was one food place that even gave her some scraps of the steak tips! She was one happy lil pup!

• World's Only Corn Palace: Yup you read that right! In Mitchell, South Dakota, there is a literal corn "palace". We bought some popcorn kernels, (is there anything better than fresh, homemade popcorn? Nope!) and popcorn balls. They also have dog treats, (yes, your furry friend can walk with you around the small palace. This is anything and everything you didn't think you even wanted to know about corn, how it's made, grown, etc. They give live performances and speak all about CORN!

• 1880 Town: (in Northeast Jackson, SD): We happened to stumble across this while driving through and it is quite literally a town from 1880. There are horses, donkeys, goats, a Dances with Wolves museum (now there's a movie blast from the past!), a cute little shop, gas station and convenient store. You can even dress up and take vintage pictures, we saw some people taking them in front of the church (see below).

• Sturges, South Dakota: If you are into motorcycles, this is certainly cool to see and stop by. with TONS of huge bars, probably the largest ones I've ever been in, with tons of art and sculptures outside. During bike week, this place is SUPER crowded (we went the week prior), however, if you go not during bike week, there are very few people in the entire town.

Valentina is just here for the food and attention.

• Battle of Wounded Knee and Indian Reservation: I literally got chills speaking to a woman of Indian decent as she described the battle of wounded knee. Thinking about different memorials that we have in the United States to honor our fallen, than to see this, there are no words.

Lodging:

• Comfort Inn and Suites, Keystone: motel in Keystone, about 10-15 minutes from Mt. Rushmore, and walking distance to a local coffee spot, downtown Keystone, and had a hot tub (that unfortunately didn't work, Valentina was a little upset about that. (see below) Quite frankly, so was I). Affordable, great location, and continental breakfast.

• Best Western- Rapid City: Generally speaking, most Best Westerns are dog friendly for a small fee (usually $10-$50) sometimes depending on the size of the dog, sometimes it's a flat rate depending on the hotel.