I was here 18 years ago I was excited to come back. It wasn't as good as I remembered, now it's a…read morelot more commercialized with big chain hotels and slot machine machines everywhere Main Street in Deadwood is filled with casinos, resort hotels, full-service spas, big name concerts, a hospital, old photo shops, restaurants, gift shops and some of the best parties. We walked in the footsteps of legends that made history here since 1876. In 1876, miners moved into the northern Black Hills, they found gold & Deadwood was born. Overnight, the tiny gold camp boomed & attracted outlaws, gamblers and gunslingers & gold seekers. Wild Bill Hickok was one of those men who came looking for fortune. But just a few short weeks after arriving, he was gunned down while holding a poker hand of aces and eights - forever after known as the Dead Man's Hand. Calamity Jane also made a name for herself in these parts and is buried next to Hickok in Mount Moriah Cemetery. Other legends, like Potato Creek Johnny, Seth Bullock and Al Swearengen, created their legends and legacies in this tiny Black Hills town. Deadwood Alive is a theater troupe that reenacts the major historic events such as the Trial of Jack McCall and Wild Bill's assassination that inspired legends. Unfortunately, there aren't any shootouts or activities on Main Street on Sundays. I was told I could watch it on a cam live from deadwood.com

Deadwood was recently voted as the "Cutest City" in all of South Dakota and I will say after…read moretraveling at all, I believe this is true. It is very much what you think, old western storefronts. The entire vibe is pretty much old west, complete with a cowboy shootout in the streets. In the square outside the Franklin Hotel, they often have music, which was a welcome addition on a cool night. Also in the Franklin Hotel is an AMAZING steakhouse called Legends Steakhouse. Get a reservation because you'll need one, and treat yourself to a fantastic steak. I was in deadwood for two days and found that to be just about the right amount of time to experience this historic, interesting, welcoming South Dakota city.

I love that there is no entrance fee for Mount Rushmore, but you do have to pay for parking. It was…read moreregularly $10 or if you're over 62 it's five dollars you take a ticket when you go into the parking lot and you will pay at a pay station before you leave. It will ask you if you're over 62 There is a lot of room to view the monument as well as a restaurant, gift shop, clean restrooms, and plenty of areas to sit on benches and such to enjoy the environment Definitely something you need to check off your bucket list

We stopped at Mount Rushmore while driving through South Dakota, and it's an impressive site that's…read morevery well designed for visitors. The memorial is easy to navigate, with excellent viewpoints, informative exhibits, and a beautiful setting in the Black Hills. We also appreciated learning more about the history of the area. Knowing that the mountain was considered sacred by the Lakota people before it was carved gave us mixed feelings and added important historical context to the visit. If you have the opportunity, be sure to watch the short film in the visitor center. It does a great job explaining the history, construction, and significance of the monument, and it made our visit much more meaningful. Overall, it's a worthwhile stop, especially if you're traveling through the region.

Driving thru Sundance, WY and ran across the Sundance Square. In the middle of the square is a…read morestatue of Sundance kid. It represented him in the jail he was placed in down the road. A cute place to take a photo.

i visited this statue with my dad and mom in July 2015, while on my roadtrip with my parents we…read morestopped in Sundance, WY on our way to Devil's Tower. We stopped to see the statue that I found on Roadside America website. History of the statue: This was horse thief Harry "Sundance Kid" Longabaugh's home town, and the jail where he served time. Outside the former jail, the town has erected a statue of the kid lounging in his cell -Where the Sundance Kid served 18 months in jail for stealing a slow horse. Visit the museum in the basement of the courthouse. Look at the original court papers. Sundance WY is where Sundance Kid was from -

Fascinating highlight of Needles HIghway. If you're going through this Custer area, whether to…read morevisit Mt Rushmore, Custer SP, etc, it's an enthralling experience to traverse this fun tunnel (or funnel) once. Just make sure you're driving like a sedan/SUV to clear it, cuz boy it sure is narrow!

Had spent the morning in the southern area of Custer State Park, and the afternoon was going to be…read morethe Needles Highway, followed by Mount Rushmore. It was a little bit drizzly, but the sites were still amazing as we drove the ever winding path. The tunnels were pretty crazy, one in particular being extra narrow! We were in a big SUV, but we were following a big SUV, so I figured if the car in front of us made it, we would! This is a great drive to make if you're in the Rapid City area.

Hey Now Folks, got to Stop by and check this Welcome Center Out!!! Might be very Impressed with…read morewhat is inside. Hostess is very Kind and Helpful with any Questions to. Plenty of Parking and quite the Displays to Gander at while you're there.

Right off the highway is the "Wyoming Welcome Center" - which has places for cars and for RVs, and…read morethere are a lot of RVs around in the summer. There is a nice restroom area here, which is maintained all day long by the live on site caretaker. Its a great system. Out here they have people living at these centers in their own RVs who manage and take care of the area. Great idea. The welcome center has all sorts of history in the area info. Really cool. I happened to be there earlier in the day and talked to the caretaker, who spent some time growing up in Lockport., NY, when, as he said it, it was still all farms. He also said that later in the day in the summer the place has a line out the driveway, especially for the RVs. These are true welcome centers out West. Come see what its all about if you are in the area.

Caveman Glenn was hilarious and almost guessed my age. Really great thing for the whole family.read more

This may be the cave to visit in the Black Hills. Wonderland Cave is open all year round and has…read moremany signs in the region. The cave is a little awkward to visit, but it is roughly between Deadwood and Rapid City along the interior roads. It is not just off I-90 and does require a bit of driving, but it is a great stop for those wanting to avoid the crowds at the national parks. Parking is good, but all gravel roads and lots. The final road to the cave is not paved, but it seemed well maintained and fairly easy to drive. I had a 4WD Jeep, but I think even compact cars could make the trip. It is a little long, so be prepared. Once you arrive, there is a small gift shop where the tours begin and end. They have some upgraded pit toilets for visitors too. The tour was really nice, but I will warn everyone of the stairs. It takes 160+ stairs each way to climb in and out. The steps are small and wet and can easily wear you out since the caves are at high elevation too. It made my legs sore for a few days, but I did enjoy the cave anyway. The tour is about an hour and walks through some very nice formations. Lots of cave bacon and wet cave features. The guides know their stuff and give a lot of information including when and where to duck. Tall guys like me need extra caution as I bumped my head several times. After the stairs, the walk is pretty easy and nice. I highly recommend Wonderland Cave when visiting the area. It may be a little out of the way, but the overall experience is exactly what you want in a cave experience. Several people said this was better than Wind and Jewel Cave, but I didn't visit either so I cannot confirm. Nevertheless, the location and hours are great and the experience is perfect - if you can handle the stairs!

A temporarily placed statue of Pres. Lincoln outside the Hotel Alex Johnson, Don Perdue came up…read morewith the idea to put a life-sized statue of every U.S. President on the sidewalks of Downtown Rapid City. Each statue is privately funded, then a local artists is selected . They research the president ; learning their passions, hobbies & achievements during their presidency. Well known mannerisms or characteristics are incorporated. This information helps to decide on the pose, facial expression, clothing, and all the amazingly tiny details found on each statue. After they have their concept the sculpting work can begin. It can take up to 9 months for each statue to be created. All the statues match the height & weight of the president except one. Pres. Taft's statue was trimmed down from his actual weight to make the monument affordable. A new audio tour allows us to get to know each as people, not just presidents. We can now dial in or scan the QR code found in the brochure to read along. The audio will even point out those tiny details the artist added info we might overlook.

We were in the area for Mount Rushmore, and were looking for other historic things to do/see. The…read moreFounding Fathers exhibit is really a unique experience. Being able to walk around a display with that kind of detail is impressive. I just wish that there was a bit more included in the price. It is $12 per person (discounts for large families/groups). This price includes a light and audio show (about 20 min) of a life size replica of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For $30 per person, you get to see the show and shoot 3 shots from a musket at the range out back. The light and audio show was a pretty standard museum type explanation of the events surrounding the Declaration of Independence and the people involved. It's well done and fun to look at. They have information around the room to look at afterwards that gives you a background of all the people mentioned. The stories on them are worth taking a few minutes to read and was probably my favorite part. We really just didnt get enough out of it to make it worth the stop, especially for the price. We were in and out of there in less than an hour. We loved the idea of being able to shoot the replica guns out back and it would have been a fun way to complete the experience, but for $30 each it just didn't make sense. I'm glad we checked it out, but its needs a bit more included to make the detour worth it.