South Dakota Travel Guide

Go to Eagle Butte on Labor Day for one of the best outdoor, NOT over showy Powwow.. yeah it's a contest pow wow, but it's not one of those that is going to price you out of the contest.. also you can go to the rodeo which is cool and has some of the best riders around.. people are friendly.. you won't find hotel rooms though, the one hotel in the area decent enough to stay at books up fast.. so bring a tent and a sleeping bag.. make friends with the locals, most will let you shower at their house for help with breakfast fry up or something like that... don't bring anything valuable though.. also no alcohol allowed at the festivities, but you will have a lot of fun...

Mitchell really only needs two words to describe it: Corn Palace. There's not much else to do in town, but it's a slice of Midwestern Americana, if you're into that. The exterior of the Corn Palace itself is adorned with designs made from--you guessed it--corn cobs. It scores very high on the kitsch and quirk meters, and if you're doing an all-American road trip, a stop here will surely yield some giggles and fun memories. Personally, I was lucky enough to encounter a gaggle of blue nuns taking a tour--not something you see every day.

Having lived in South Dakota for quite a few years I can say that Sturgis is a completely different town when the motorcycle rally isn't in town. If you plan to take in the town during the rally, plan ahead by almost a year. Many retired locals rent their yards to tent campers during the week and that often supplements their income for the year. Anything in Sturgis will be extremely high priced. You might find Rapid City to be more accommodating, if you don't mind commuting 30 miles to Sturgis.