The first step in planning the perfect summer vacation is finding a spot that will keep everyone in the family happy from beginning to end. So we challenged our travel writers and their children to nominate places that are geographically distinct, loaded with cultural activities and most of all, fun. Whether you prefer lounging by the seashore, camping in the wilderness or lazing in a tube on a sun-splashed river, we found a magical destination that appeals to a variety of tastes and interests. One of our top spots is the Black Hills of South Dakota, which offers profound natural beauty, dozens of recreational options, family-oriented food and lodging and, of course, Mt. Rushmore. To make the most of your visit to this area, read on for the inside scoop.
THE HILLS ARE ALIVE
On our trip to western South Dakota two summers ago, my wife, Pat, and I were
eager to take our daughters on a hike past Mount Rushmore, the famed monument honoring four of our country's great presidents. For the moment, however, 13-year-old Anna and 8-year-old Melanie were more interested in socializing with the burros at Custer State Park. As we negotiated the twists and turns of Iron Mountain Road on our way to the national memorial, the friendly, wild creatures appeared and we stopped the car. "Can we feed them?" the girls asked, as a big gray female and her baby poked their noses into our back windows.
Although feeding wildlife is strictly prohibited in the park, rangers don't mind if visitors feed the burros, which were brought to the area in the 1920s to transport tourists to the top of 7,242-foot-high Harney Peak (the practice has long been discontinued) and have been fed by visitors ever since. We handed our giggling girls some apples and watched the four-legged panhandlers eat right out of their hands.
Back on the road, we drove across the scenic byway's "pigtail" bridges, which dramatically loop around towering pine trees. "This is so cool," Anna said, as she and Melanie peeked through the back window, trying to glimpse the magnificent sculptures of presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
The blend of pure fun and cultural enrichment makes the Black Hills a prime vacation spot for active families. Pat and I had visited Mount Rushmore 20 years before, and we were amazed, upon our return as a foursome, at how much the area has grown to accommodate families. In fact, the state's main attraction is just part of a sprawling region packed with rustic lodging, family restaurants, beautiful state and national parks and nearby hot springs. If there was ever a place to learn about American heroes in a natural paradise, this is it.
During our five-day trip, our base camp was Custer State Park (605-773-3391), a 73,000-acre wilderness that draws comparisons to Yellowstone National Park when it comes to spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife. About 1,400 bison call Custer home, and wherever you roam, you can enjoy views of the park's granite spires. For starters, we recommend hiking down mile-long Badger Clark Historic Trail, where you can see the cabin once inhabited by Charles Badger Clark, the state's first poet laureate.
Families can soak up the pristine scenery by staying at one of the park's four state-run lodges which offer family activities and excellent lodging and dining options. For breakfast, we recommend the Pheasant Dining Room at State Game Lodge (888-875-0001). All four resorts will prepare picnics to go and serve tasty dinners. In Sylvan Lake Resort's Lakota Dining Room (888-875-0001), for example, Pat and I enjoyed the South Dakota walleye, Anna gobbled up all her grilled chicken breast and Melanie feasted happily on chicken fingers.
The most delicious experience of all, of course, was Mount Rushmore. The first night of our vacation, we traveled to the outdoor amphitheater at dusk and joined dozens of other families for the evening lighting ceremony. As patriotic music played, we watched a moving film about the masterpiece (sculptor Gutzon Borglum labored on it from 1927 to 1941) and were spellbound as spotlights illuminated the 60-foot-high heads of state in the pitch-black night.
Anna and Melanie were even more taken with Crazy Horse Memorial, which is being carved in a granite mountain to honor the heroic
Sioux Indian. Masterminded by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, this work dramatically depicts the warrior on his horse and will stand 563 feet tall when completed. For better viewing, we took a bus to the base of the memorial, and the girls, along with the other children, got to take home pieces of granite.Even after our trip had ended, the fun continued on our drive home. Thirty miles out of Custer, we stopped in the friendly town of Hot Springs. At Evans Plunge ($10 for adults, $8 for kids ages 3 to 12; 605-745-5165), a complex of geothermal pools, we relaxed in the 87-degree waters, a soothing reward after days of being on the go.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated May 2007.
