*Guest Post* Take Your Family on Vacation to South Dakota

The state of South Dakota covers a whopping 77,123 square miles with and averages only 10 people per square mile. That makes it sound like a pretty lonely place. However, for the family with school-age children, there’s a lot of adventure awaiting visitors of all ages. Grab a tourism guide or a vacation brochure and plan out your road trip well in advance of departure. Some activities require early booking.Young girls who are familiar with the “Little House on the Prairies” series by Laura Ingalls Wilders will love Desmet, the tiny prairie town setting for the last six books of the series. Costumed guides bring the past to life. The Ingalls’ Homestead is a fascinating glimpse into the world of pioneer farmers. At the Discover Laura Center, young visitors can engage in activities that were once part of the normal experience for South Dakota’s prairie families. Live, weekend theater performances are performed in July under the stars.Boys and girls alike will want to catch a glimpse of the largest free-ranging wild mustang herd in the world. The Black Hills Horse Sanctuary near Hot Springs was also the site for the movies “Hidalgo” and “Crazy Horse.” History buffs will be fascinated by the ancient petrolyphs and century-old cowboy graffiti. According to the vacation brochure, the bus tour lasts 3–4 hours.

Boys seem to be born loving dirt and things buried in the dirt, and your sons will love Mammoth Site. Not only can they watch real fossils being excavated, but if you book ahead, they can actually participate at a replica site. Interesting hands-on activities include handling real bones. Allow a couple of hours for this attraction. On a hot day, grab your swimsuits and head on over to nearby Evans Plunge Pool. This is the home of the world’s largest indoor, naturally-fed warm springs. In addition to the pool, slides and other water activities are guaranteed to refresh the weariest of fossil hunters.

Mount Rushmore’s immensity is fascinating to children, especially since most of them have already studied this presidential monument in school. With a Junior Ranger Booklet, your 8, 9 or 10-year-old can turn this visit into a treasure hunt and win a certificate for successful completion. Your boys will love visiting the dynamite machine and detonating their own blasts. After all, what boy doesn’t like to blow things up? Don’t skip the ½-mile hike up the Presidential Trail to look up the noses of these former presidents.

Other fascinating points of interest for school children include the Wild West town of Deadwood, complete with staged gunfights and a bison museum; Wild Water West, a water amusement park; the “Our Prairie” exhibit at the Children’s Museum of South Dakota in Brookings; and Bear Country USA, home of the largest private collection of black bears and indigenous wild animals in the world.

If you are planning a family road trip to South Dakota, you won’t be disappointed. The driving may seem long at times, but with your tourism guide and vacation brochures in hand, your family will see attractions and make memories for a lifetime.