On our way to Alaska last year, Dave and I, along with our traveling partners Greg & Helen, spend time exploring in South Dakota. This year, on our way back to Florida, we made several stops again, as we really enjoyed our time last year.
Our first stop was Spearfish, South Dakota, the campground right across the street from one of the places we visited last year—the DC Booth Historic Fish Hatchery. I asked Chad (ChatGPT) what we should do in the area, and he gave me a great list—all which we did with Greg & Helen. I did not realize we were so efficient with our time in the area. We had already drove the Spearfish Scenic drive, stopping at several waterfalls, ate at Cheyenne Crossing, visited Deadwood, Sturgis, Lead (for the Sanford Underground Lab), and we rode the Mickelson trail.
Since we’d already covered so much, and because this visit came with a few rainy days, we took a more laid-back approach. Chad’s recommendations for good eats turned out spot-on. We enjoyed dinner at Killian’s (their bread pudding dessert was scrumptious) and a sweet stop at Leone’s Creamery, where I had pumpkin pie ice cream in a homemade pumpkin waffle cone. Yum! Murphy even got his own kiddie cup of vanilla bean ice cream.
We also made a quick trip back to Sturgis, since our dear friend Johan forgot to grab a poker chip at the Harley-Davidson store during Bike Week. While there, we discovered a great dog park with a creek, so Murphy got his swim in, too.
Our next stop was one of our favorites—Custer State Park in the Black Hills. We stayed six days so we’d have more time to explore than last year. We just missed their annual Buffalo Round-up by one day—it looks like quite the event! We would’ve gladly stayed, but of course, all sites were fully booked.
After settling in, we went for our first hike. Custer covers about 114 square miles and has 65 trails listed on AllTrails, all dog-friendly. Chad helped me narrow down the most popular trails under five miles. Our first was a short loop around Legion Lake, less than a mile. Near the end of the trail, we suddenly found a bison grazing right in the path. Oh oh!
We scrambled up a nearby hillside and chatted with a family also waiting it out. When Dave tried heading back down, he quickly said, “Nope, too close—I can hear him chomping.” Eventually, we skirted above and around Mr. Bison and made it safely back to the truck. Quite the fun first day in Custer!
Another outing took us to Mt. Rushmore and along two scenic drives with narrow tunnels, plus a stop at Sylvan Lake for a quick hike. We also had a close-up encounter with Bighorn Sheep on another hike which had some great views (and of course a creek for Murphy).
We encountered Bighorn Sheep on one of our hikes which also gave us great views and of course, a creek for Murphy.
One of our absolute favorite stops was dinner at Skogen Kitchen, a James Beard semi-finalist in both 2023 and 2025. We loved it last year with Greg & Helen and were lucky enough to get reservations again.
Dave debated between filet mignon and Japanese A5 Wagyu (yes, the fancy one!). We figured if there was ever a time to try Wagyu, it should be here, so he went for it. Heavenly—truly melt-in-your-mouth. I ordered an incredibly tender and flavorful duck confit. For dessert, I devoured a Dimock Butter Cake topped with caramel popcorn, while Dave “suffered” through a rich double chocolate tart with a cappuccino. Divine.
For a change of pace from sightseeing and hiking, we tried horseback riding. Our campground had stables on-site, and last year we hadn’t been able to squeeze it in. This time we made it—and just in time, as it turned out to be the last ride of the season.
At first it was a tame, one-hour trail ride, with the horses plodding along. I was thinking, “this is kind of boring,” compared to our spirited beach ride in Oregon. Then came Scooter. My horse was not interested in climbing a little rocky hill along the trail. He turned around and refused, no matter how many times I got him facing forward. We did this little dance several times, drifting farther from the group.
I finally called out, “We’re just going back!” But then I thought—let’s try once more. Miraculously, after one last turn back toward the group, Scooter kept walking. Woohoo! We meet our guide who was coming to rescue me. She added a tow rope to Scooters bridle and up the hill we went. He did fine the rest of the way (and the guide released the tow rope). So much for boring—be careful what you wish for!
For our final day, we enjoyed one more hike at Cathedral Spires, named for its cathedral-like quartzite peaks shaped by erosion. Unfortunately, my back was sore after the horseback ride, so Murphy and I stuck to the gentler part of the trail while Dave scrambled to the end, which included some steep bouldering. I was sad to miss it, but as Dave pointed out, it would’ve been tough to manage with Murphy in tow. I guess maturity—and a little prudence—won out.
Next up: we are headed to Dillon, Colorado, with a fun winery stop along the way. Thanks for following along!
Another fun trip to South Dakota Brenda, One must have real Wagyu at least once Dave, What’s this I missed out on Murphy.
You folks are real troopers! And there is never an end to the interesting and magnificent country you have seen. We honeymooned (1958) in South Dakota and I don’t remember all that great scenery. Thanks for sharing. Be safe! Reta