Spotlight on South Dakota

Welcome to the West. Your tour opens in Rapid City, long known as the gateway to the Black Hills. As travelers arrival times vary greatly, we have no group activities planned during the day. Tonight, you and your fellow travelers gather for a welcome dinner featuring a Native American chronicler who shares stories about the Lakota and Sioux way of life.

Learn the history of enterprising Westerners at the Chapel in the Hills. Continue to Mount Rushmore to spend time with the epic figures of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln as you stroll along the Presidential Trail, offering the closest view of this iconic sculpture. This evening, return to Mount Rushmore for the nighttime lighting ceremony.*

This morning, visit the Oglala Lakota Living History Village. The Oglala Lakota are one of the seven tribes that make up the Great Sioux Nation. In their own voices, hear about their history, relationship to the land and modern-day culture. Then, embrace the allure of wide-open spaces and explore the larger-than-life Badlands National Park. At the visitor center, the stage is set for your adventure, with informative exhibits, displays and video to introduce you to the area. Travel the Badlands Loop Road, home to vibrant colors and rock formations created by mineral deposits. Visit the legendary Wall Drug, a store barely changed since 1936. Do a little browsing, have a seat at the soda fountain, and perhaps grab a bite for lunch.

Get ready for Deadwood, where gold, gambling, and gunpowder were once the order of the day. This morning, it’s your choice! Take a guided tour of the Adams Museum and explore dynamic exhibits that shine a light on Deadwood’s legends and outlaws -OR- visit Kevin Costner’s Tatanka: Story of the Bison, sculptures depicting the relationship between bison and the Lakota. This afternoon, this National Historic Landmark comes alive as if you’ve stepped onto the set of an old-fashioned Western. A local guide shows you the town, including where Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are buried. This evening, enjoy a dinner and Western show at the High Plains Heritage Center.

Head to Custer State Park and keep your eyes peeled for bighorn sheep or wandering elk. Take in the lush landscape, rocky outcrops, and grazing animals as you make your way through South Dakota’s first state park. Venture off road with an exciting Buffalo Safari, cruising deep into the park in an open-air jeep and searching for herds of roaming buffalo. This afternoon, visit Crazy Horse Memorial and delve into the story of the largest, still-in-progress mountain sculpture. Take time to explore the Indian Museum of North America, the Native American Cultural Center, the sculptor’s studio, orientation center and theaters.

Get your bearings at the Geographic Center of the Nation, marking the middle of the US. Cross into Wyoming and view the first national monument - Devils Tower. Stand in awe before this lofty monolith, perhaps hiking the 1.3-mile Tower Trail around the base. Although famous as the backdrop in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the tower is also sacred to many local tribes. This evening, join your fellow travelers for dinner as the end of your South Dakota adventure draws near.

Say goodbye to Rapid City as your tour comes to a close today.