What’s in South Dakota?

2 almost 3 years ago my sister said to me, I want to go to South Dakota for vacation. I had my sights set on Maui but the economy was heading into the tank and I was having a tough time financially so I just nodded and said ok.

As it got closer to vacation time I told my sister that it just wasn’t in the cards that year, could we put it off to 2010? She said it was probably a good idea so that agreed on I casually asked her…what’s in South Dakota?

She hesitated for a moment and then said...Mount Rushmore. Mount Rushmore? I asked and what else? She didn’t have an answer she just said she really wanted to see Mount Rushmore. Ok it wasn’t Maui but it was a chance to get away for a week and see something different.

As we began the planning for the trip I started talking it up to my friends. Most of the time the reaction was the same as my first reaction…“That’s nice (pause) but what’s in South Dakota?”. A couple of my co-workers had actually been there as well as one of my photo instructors. Those 3 people were the only people who said without hesitation. “You will love it!”. The photographer and one co-worker actually told me I would not want to come back!

Now I found that a bit hard to believe-there’s no ocean in South Dakota and I love the ocean. I am fully convinced that I will never move any place that isn’t close enough to the ocean to get there with a short drive.

When I lived in Lynn, I was less than ½ mile from the ocean. A daily walk or run on the beach was a must. Now it’s a bit trickier but I still manage to get to The Cape or Plymouth Harbor regularly. But these 3 friends were adamant and they wouldn’t say why. They just smiled and said wait till you get there…you’ll see.
With that endorsement I started my usual procedure for any trip…Google!

I got a map and found Mt Rushmore and then checked for the closest airport. Next I checked my time share. Nothing, Nada…not even close. It looked like we would have to go the old fashioned way with a motel room. We had plenty of time as this was still 2009 but I like to plan ahead. It usually takes me that long to save up the money for a trip so I have to plan far ahead.

I used to use travel websites like Travelocity, Expedia and Kayak but I got hooked up with Platinum One Destinations and got a website of my own. It allows me to offer discounted airfare and rooms similar to the big guys. I compared prices through Expedia & Travelocity and the rates I could get via my web site were comparable and since I would make a commission on my own travel, it was a no-brainer as to where I was going to book.

If anyone is interested in booking a trip through my site I will supply the link at the end of this post
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Anyway, I started looking for packages that would combine airfare and motel and rental car and comparing the prices. I watched the package prices go up and down over the course of 6 months before I was ready to book. In the end, we got a great deal that combined the airfare from Albany, NY to Rapid City, SD ( round trip), a room at the Foothills Inn in Rapid City that included breakfast (more on that later) and the rental car.
After all taxes and fees were added in it came out to just about $800 per person and that was for 8 days.
I could live with that so we grabbed it.

Now it was back to Google and the book store to explore what there was to do besides Mount Rushmore. I was pretty sure it wouldn’t take us 8 days to see a mountain with faces carved into it and I’m not one to sit by a pool and sip drinks with little umbrellas, even in Maui, HI!
So time to do a little digging.

　

　Tomorrow: 1000 Places to See Before you Die.

www.netTrav.com/travelplace