South Dakota has long existed in my imagination as a still-wild place with expansive blue skies, sweeping panoramas of green fields and rolling hills, and cowboys. Lots and lots of cowboys. And maybe bison. If this ambiguously bucolic sense of old Americana sounds familiar, I’m here to tell you there’s a whole lot more to this great state.

When we planned our roadtrip this summer, I knew I wanted to drive through South Dakota (cowboys and bison, remember?), and Rapid City was located perfectly en route to stop with the boys for a few days. I casually googled beforehand, as we all do nowadays, but had no real expectations beyond seeing a couple pretty places and taking a family photo at Mount Rushmore.

Then the Badlands happened. And the Black Hills. And just about everywhere else.

Folks, I fell in love. I fell in love hard.

When I had the opportunity to return to South Dakota this October in partnership with South Dakota Tourism as part of their State of Create campaign, exploring the other side of the state, I jumped at it. Not only would I get to learn more about South Dakota’s creative scene, but I would be going solo, which meant hikes without a thirty-pound weight clinging to me, asking for snacks.

Being such a large state, South Dakota’s landscapes are vastly different from place to place, and it was like stepping into another world all over again. As a Midwesterner at heart, I’m of course fiercely proud of the entire region, but as someone who loves to travel and find beautiful hikes I’m here to tell you exactly why you need to add South Dakota to your travel list.

Read on below to learn about some of my favorite spots during both trips.

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My Favorite Coffee

Coffea’s beautiful presentation matches their amazing coffee.

Yes, let’s just get down to it, shall we? Many on the coasts mistakenly believe the Midwest is a coffee wasteland, full of only chains, but South Dakota could single-handedly prove them all wrong.

Coffea Roasterie (200 S. Phillips Avenue, Sioux Falls) is the kind of third wave coffee we all daydream about from early morning until our afternoon pick-me-up. They take the process and flavor to a level of art and science, and yet walking into their multiple locations you never feel even a smidge of coffee snobbery. Just enthusiasm. Friendly baristas, yummy treats, pretty decor (including work by local artists), and that crazy good coffee. Go there. It’s awesome.

Josiah’s Coffeehouse (104 W. 12th Street, Sioux Falls) is a great place to sit all day and work, ordering breakfast and lunch and lots of espresso as you go. It’s also where I would bring my kids, as there was lots of different seating options (booths I can wedge my kids into) and a cozy fireplace.

Harriet & Oak (329 Main Street, Rapid City) is an Instagrammer’s dream, yes, but they also have amazing food and coffee. I ordered their innovative salads every time I went in, and then I usually ate part of my boys’ sandwiches, too (hey, they looked so darn good!). Everything had a sort of culinary twist, but was really well balanced and just tasty.

My Favorite Eats

Before visiting South Dakota, my assumption was that it was a big meat and potatoes state. As a would-be vegetarian (not quite official, but I’m not a huge meat-eater), I wasn’t totally excited about my options… until I actually tried them. You know what they say about assumptions!

The crazy talented and kind chef at O So Good!

O So Good Restaurant (529 S. Main, Garretson) was close to Palisades State Park, and the comfort food menu drew me in. To be honest, when I walked in, I was a little confused - was I in an antique shop? A coffee shop? I couldn’t tell… until I wandered to the back, where a few other folks were already sitting. It was an off hour and a little quiet. I ordered the Jambalaya and a sandwich, and I was pretty blown away by both. That meal is the stuff of flavor dreams.

Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen (600 N. Main Avenue, Sioux Falls) does a lot more than sandwiches, contrary to their name. I had a curried cauliflower dish that I still dream about. They had so many great options for different dietary needs.

Sanaa’s Gourmet (401 E. 8th Street, Sioux Falls) was recommended to me by a friend I made in Sioux Falls, and I’m so glad I stopped in for the Friday night dinner buffet. The cuisine is all mediterranean, and everything was delicious and flavorful. The owner is an incredible woman with a passion for food.

Parker’s Bistro (210 S. Main Avenue, Sioux Falls) was the first place I stopped into for dinner in Sioux Falls, and I instantly wished I had my husband to join me. The ambiance was low-key fine dining, with a sort of retro speakeasy vibe, friendly staff, and beautifully presented food that tasted just as good. It’s perfect for a date or hanging out with friends. I had the Buddha Bowl, and would highly recommend!

Everest Cuisine (2328 W. Main Street, Rapid City) is a small little unassuming place that serves Indian and Nepalese food. Really great biryani! They blend their own spices and you can tell everything is made with love. The staff was friendly and welcoming, and were so kind to my antsy little nap-deprived boys.

My Favorite Rapid City Activities

This will cover the non-hiking activities, as those will get their own category next. When I went to Rapid City, I had my boys, so our time was either spent outside or focused on the “must-see” sights in the area.

Considering it’s the Mount Rushmore state, I’ve got to list Mount Rushmore National Memorial first. Yes, it’s a tourist attraction and it’s crowded, but it’s also one of the most iconic sights in the country (the world?). We came, we photographed, we had giant ice cream cones and listened to a Teddy Roosevelt impersonator. I’m glad we did it.

Similarly, if you’re in the area, you need to plan to stop by the Crazy Horse Memorial. Before you do, take a look at the history surrounding the monument. Yes, it’s unfinished, but there’s a reason and the history is fascinating. There’s now a campus built up around Crazy Horse with a museum, educational and cultural center, and restaurant.

Driving back and forth between the Black Hills area and Rapid City, we repeatedly passed about twenty different little rock shops. I’m the furthest thing from an expert in this area, and I’m sure most weren’t particularly valuable, but you know I love pretty rocks (hello, turquoise!). And, if you have kids, you know they’re into collecting treasures. Many of these places have little activities for kids, like “mining” or panning for gold in constructed setups. We just walked around and carefully sorted through all the options and found some pretty treasures to bring home.

The Creative Side of Sioux Falls

Visiting Sioux Falls, my focus was on the creative community, so most of my time was spent meeting other creatives or visiting creative endeavors.

Seeing Anna Younger’s incredible work in person.

I met with Anna Youngers, a local fine artist, and felt immediately blessed by the universe and how everything worked out. Her talent is unbelievable and inspiring, but more than that it was refreshing to chat with a working artist from the area who in turn knew so many others and was able to introduce me. I obviously know that artists are everywhere, from the tiniest towns in the Midwest to the big coastal cities and every variety of suburb in between, but sometimes it’s easy to forget just how densely packed a creative community can be.

Everywhere I turned, I seemed to meet a creative - a painter, a potter, a photographer, a printmaker, a metalsmith… and they all seemed to know one another. While I was there, I spent an evening stopping into different stores and galleries as part of the Art + Wine walk, where you can chat with the artists, purchase their work, and have nibbles and drinks along the way. (Sidenote: If you visit Sioux Falls, you need to stop in Rug & Relic! It was my favorite boutique, and I wanted to take everything home. Luckily, they ship for free.) It was so nice to see local artists supported by local businesses, and vice versa.

I had the pleasure of meeting the director of the Sioux Falls Design Center, which seeks to empower and support the local creative community. They were smack dab in the middle of Sioux Falls Design Week, so there were a lot of activities happening related to that, including a film and talks. Being from the Midwest myself, I love seeing cities out that way innovating in the creative space and supporting their community.

I took a tour of the Bronze Age Art Casting foundry, and it was so cool to learn about a process I knew next-to-nothing about. Despite it being a completely different art form, I felt an instant kindred connection with parts of the process (especially having to think in reverse). I found the heavy-duty equipment, industrial metal, and giant castings all to be such a neat contrast against the fine detail and beauty they’re able to achieve. Anyone can visit if you plan it right (they have dates/times available on their Facebook page) and they even have special outdoor events a couple times each year.

South Dakota Embodies the Great Outdoors

South Dakota is a big state with big panoramas and big rock formations. Suffice to say, their outdoor scene is pretty epic.

The Badlands. I will forever be enamored with this National Park. In fact, it might be one of my favorites. We went three different times in our short visit; one time, first thing in the morning (Sam insisted on a 4am wakeup call most days); another after a failed attempt to get them to nap when the afternoon sun was dropping; and once on our way out of town as a detour my heart needed. It was stunning each time.

I drove up onto Sheep Rock, confident my Forester could take on the “High Clearance Vehicles Only” terrain (spoiler: it did, but I’ll admit it got a little rocky... and I’m not talking about the terrain). The views were like something from another planet. We were completely alone up there and it was silent and otherworldly and magical. Even when my son somehow reached my art bag in the trunk and smeared Titan Buff acrylic paint all over his carseat, I was blissed out by our location. I can’t wait to go back.

The Black Hills. After visiting Mount Rushmore, I wanted to run my boys around for a bit and I parked in a small pull-out just a few minutes away. I could see a bit of water through the trees, and figured it might be pretty. Moments after freeing my little ones from their carseats, we were walking down into a wonderland. I sort of distantly knew the Black Hills were a beautiful area, but I had no idea I could just happen upon that kind of beauty by accident. No massive hike required! (When you have two little ones in tow and no hiking baby carrier, that’s important, trust me.)

The Palisades State Park. The quartzite formations around the creek here are just really, really cool. These vertical cliffs are a dream for me, with all their wild lines and gorgeous colors. I’m sure you can guess they’ll make an appearance in my work at some Point. There are several awesome camping spots throughout the park, so definitely consider that if you want to spend a night or two in between hikes!

Good Earth State Park. Given the area holds great significance as a cultural and historical site, the park has an incredible cultural center in the middle of the beautiful land. The name of the park itself was chosen after consulting members of multiple tribes, and it can refer figuratively to the peace established there, as well as to the land itself full of natural resources. While the park doesn’t boast mountains or difficult hikes, the land is peaceful and I spent a morning walking the different trails and reflecting on the information shared throughout the park.

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There you have it, folks. South Dakota didn’t just exceed my expectations; it smashed them to pieces in the best way possible. And I didn’t even get into some of the fun details about Deadwood or the tiny towns filled with vintage shops I made my boys stop into along the way. Those are things you’ll just have to explore on your own!

Please note that, while my second trip was in partnership with South Dakota Tourism and sponsored by them, all the above opinions are my own. Check out Travel South Dakota’s website for free guides and information about traveling to the state!

South Dakota Wandering: A Lesson in Midwestern Beauty