Rapid City in South Dakota is one of our favorite places to visit. We have been there a few times and always have a ton of fun. We always take our weimaraner Zoe with us when we visit because it’s also a very pet-friendly town and Zoe travels with us wherever we go. Luckily, we have found several places that allow us to vacation with our dog and the Best Western Ramkota Hotel made for amazing pet friendly fun in Rapid City.
When it’s your stated mission to go out and seek new and interesting adventures, it can be hard to return to certain places. It’s not because you didn’t enjoy it on your first visit, but rather because you enjoyed it so much that you’re afraid a second visit might reveal it as one-dimensional or heck, kind of bland.
Well I’m happy to report that after a second visit to Rapid City, South Dakota we can officially say that it’s definitely not bland! As a matter of fact, we enjoyed it so much we’ve put together a Ramblin’ Guide to Rapid City, South Dakota so you too can explore everything from regal Mount Rushmore to the breathtaking Badlands and all the great stuff in between.
Since starting this nomadic journey almost 3 years ago I have graduated from professional animal stalker to amateur animal photographer. My goal is to one day become a professional animal photographer but that means years of classes and sifting through thousands of my blurry photographs and allowing my husband to analyze them without me getting angry. I’ll get there though. I have the passion and the drive and I love animals… from a distance. Up close I get scared and edgy. This is why I love taking pictures of animals and wildlife. Over the next few years I will invest in better equipment and proper training to take amazing pictures. Here are a few of my favorite places in the USA to view fantastic wildlife.
One of my biggest pet peeves when traveling are hotel rooms that are just too tiny to really enjoy. It’s a bit ironic when you consider that Lauren and I live out of a 2-door hatchback, but when I check into a hotel, I want to feel like I can spread out and relax while also enjoying some of the usual amenities from “home”. Well I think I hit the suite spot when I checked into the residential suites at the GrandStay in Rapid City, SD.
Are you a friend of coal? West Virginia is a state that highly supports the coal industry. Coal occurs in 53 out of their 55 counties and provides about 30,000 jobs in the state. You can’t go anywhere in the state without passing a vehicle with a “Friend of Coal” bumper sticker proudly emblazoned on the bumper. Wanting to get a little more familiar with coal and understand its place in West Virginia, Kenin and I decided to pay a little visit to the Exhibition Coal Mine in Beckley, and boy were we in for a lesson.
