osakaorchid

Im in the early stages of planning an upcoming trip to the Black Hills/Badlands area of South Dakota in April 2012. My travel dates are flexible, but would like to concentrate on going preferably on weekdays opposed to weekends due to less crowds. Ive been there once before in 2006, but time was extremely limited due to it being a business trip and only briefing saw various attractions. This upcoming trip will be leisure trip. Besides myself, there will be 4 other adults, ranging in ages between 29 to 35 yrs old. We have certain points of interests we would like to see: Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Cosmos, Deadwood. We are looking at staying 3 nights in Rapid City. We are seeking advice for dining options, specifically a great steak house, a good buffet, a good chinese restaurant, or other restaurants in the area that recieve good notoriety for being excellent dining establishments that are recommended by locals and tourists alike. In Deadwood, we would like to know of what are great restaurants there, and what are good shops to visit for souvenirs, Native American jewelry, what are the best casinos, museums, or other points of interests. At a basic stance as of now, we are looking at spending the earlier part of at least 2 of our 3 days visiting Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse, Cosmos, and other points of interests that can only be during daytime hours/normal business hours, and focusing our Deadwood casino action at night. So we would basically be driving to Deadwood each day, since its a place we would like to concentrate a great part of our time at. We would also like to perhaps dedicate an entire day visiting Deadwood as well, since many things we would like to see and do are in Deadwood. ...I also passed through the town of Custer,..I didnt know what to make of the town..it seemed like some family resort type of town for families..as I saw a Flintstones themed amusement park, and other related attractions...is this the case, or are there attractions suited for adults in Custer? Is Custer worth visiting at all? ..and what about Hot Springs? Spearfish? or other nearby towns? ...Sturgis doesnt appeal to us at all, its top economy is the August rush of bikers...this was evident when I reluctantly had to lodge at the Days Inn in Sturgis back in 2006...the hotel reeked of tobacco so bad. ...so we have no intention or desire to lodge in Sturgis or even visit the town for that matter. ...any and all advice is appreciated.

Michelle_Thomson

You made a good choice deciding to stay in Rapid City. As you probably know from being in the area before, it has a great central location and there are so many new things happening in town.

There are some restaurants I think you would enjoy. Good options for steaks include the new Dakotah Steakhouse and Elk Creek Steakhouse (local) or Outback and Longhorn Steakhouse.
There is a Golden Corral in town, if that is what you are looking for in a buffet. There are also many Chinese restaurants to choose from. Golden Phoenix, which is located on the west side of Rapid City, is a local favorite. You might like to check out the restaurants in downtown Rapid City as well. There are some really good local options to enjoy.

If you stop downtown, you can check out Dakota Made in the Radisson for some souvenirs. For Native American items I would recommend Prairie Edge Trading Co. and the Alex Johnson Mercantile, also downtown.

There are so many attractions throughout the Black Hills, you will surely fill your time. Some favorites, in addition to the ones you have named, include the Journey Museum, City of Presidents, Main Street Square, Reptile Gardens, Bear Country and the 1880 Train. I would also definitely recommend drives through the Badlands and Custer State Park. Both are beautiful and Custer State Park has over 1000 buffalo wandering the park.

Down in the southern hills, if you head toward Hot Springs you can visit the Mammoth Site or the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary. Custer is the oldest town in the Black Hills and has a courthouse museum you might enjoy. In the northern hills, near Spearfish, you can drive Spearfish Canyon. It's beautiful. In Spearfish you can try the High Plains Heritage Museum or check out the DC Booth Fish Hatchery. If you like museums, you might even try running through Spearfish again and visiting the motorcycle museum.

Have a great time in the Black Hills.

boots08

I highly recommend the drive through Spearfish Canyon, Needles Highway and Custer State Park. These are do not misses imo.

The latter would take up most of one day but is a great way to get up close and personal with the Great Plains. Pack a few treats, some beverages, and make sure to gas up before you go.

LHS

Check the weather closer to your trip as the Black Hills often get heavy spring blizzards. Needles Hwy & Iron Mountain Road in Custer State Park closed Oct 11 and remain closed until April, depending on snowfall.

http://outdoornews.com/south_dakota/...cc4c002e0.html