Local Secrets, Big Finds - South DakotaLocal Secrets, Big Finds - South Dakota

Local Secrets, Big Finds - South Dakota

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Sand Lake Snow Geese Photo Courtesy of USFWS.
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Anne Hathaway Cottage at Shakespeare Garden
Wessington Springs

605.539.1529
The Anne Hathaway Cottage is listed on the Register of Historic Places. Located in the Shakespeare Garden, which is the oldest of its kind in the state, the cottage is the only "thatched roof building" in South Dakota. Volunteers renovated the cottage in 1989 to preserve its abundant history. Make a reservation for English-style tea, then sit in the "relaxing and beautiful" garden. Read more.

Prairie Edge Trading Co. & Galleries
Rapid City

605.341.4525
Spanning "half a city block," Prairie Edge Trading Company features "authentic Plains Indian art, crafts, and culture." The vast collection is housed in a "historically-restored 1800s building," and there is a book and music store, craft store, and glass bead library. It's easy to "spend hours just wandering around and soaking up the culture." Read more.

Geese Migration at Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Columbia

605.885.6320
Geese Migration at Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Along the James River, the Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a birder's paradise. The ability to "see, hear, and experience 500,000 geese all on one game area is an event that has few words of description." Though hard to describe, "to hear them taking off in mass is to hear a train locomotive start to pull its cars." Spring and fall are the seasons when migrations are at their peak. Read more.

Oglala Nation Pow Wow
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

605.867.5821
Every August, thousands of tourists come to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to see the Oglala Nation Pow Wow. This is a great place to learn more about Native American culture. Plus, "the natural beauty of the area is astounding." Try the food, especially the original fry bread. It's something "you won't forget." Pack lots of water and make sure your car is in good working order, because there are a lot of unpaved roads.

Spearfish Canyon
Spearfish

605.717.2070
The drive to Spearfish Canyon is a picturesque, winding drive on a "quaint road." On the way, there is a "creek that winds along the canyon road." The scenery is dramatic, and "the sides of the canyon are almost at 90 degrees." Still "untouched by the city" it is "beautiful all year round, but is especially magnificent in the fall, when the colors change." Also, there are waterfalls to hike to, and Deadwood is a noteworthy historical site to visit, just a short drive from Spearfish. Read more.

Black Hills Race for the Gold
Hill City

605.574.2368
The Black Hills Race for the Gold dog sled races are a good substitute for the Iditarod in Alaska, which (if you live in the lower 48) is "too far to drive." There are six dogs to a team that race for 20 miles. Held every year in February, this is a fun event for dogs of all breeds and their owners. It's not all about racing either, "don't miss the doggie fashion show or the sleigh rides." Read more.

Buffalo Roundup & Arts Festival
Custer

800.658.3530
Buffalo Roundup & Arts Festival
The Buffalo Roundup & Arts Festival is "breathtaking." It's a "wild and wooly" event held every October for a few days. During the roundup, "they gather all of the buffalos from the park." When "these wonderful animals" are in one place, it's "just amazing." Meanwhile, an arts festival is held in Custer State Park, where there's a pancake feed, chili cook-off, arts and crafts, and much more. Read more.

St. Peter's Catholic Church
Jefferson

605.966.5716
Established in 1869, St Peter's parish is the oldest parish in South Dakota. There is a "beautiful, life-sized mural of the Ascension of Jesus above the altar." Adjacent to the parish is the site of the "Miracle of the Grasshopper Crosses." In 1876, Father Boucher led a pilgrimage to earn relief from grasshoppers that were destroying crops and vegetation. They placed three crosses in various locations, and although the grasshoppers returned, they never touched the crosses. Read more.

National Music Museum
Vermillion

605.677.5306
The National Music Museum on the University of South Dakota campus is "one of the great museums of its kind." Various galleries house more than "10,000 instruments from all over the world." Some highlights include: three Stradivarius string instruments, a world-famous harmonica collection, and Bill Clinton's saxophone. They host brown bag lunches every Friday at noon, "featuring music of all kinds." Read more.

Greater Aberdeen Area Pig Out
Aberdeen

605.226.3441
The Aberdeen Pig Out is a "fun-filled event for the whole family." If you are "really into BBQ," then you can "set up camp and compete in the BBQ sauce cook-off." There is an amateur league as well as a pro, and the winners go home with a cash prize. There is also a children's tent full of games, musical acts, concerts, and tons of small-town fun.