stay at one location or move around?

Hi!

I have been reading all of the SD boards, and am not sure if this question was ever fully covered. We will be coming from Minneapolis and staying for about a week. We have not set up an itinery as of yet, but I would like to know if it would be best to stay in one location and drive to the different sites from there or to move around. I will be traveling with my hubby and 2 kids, ages 5 and 15. I am thinking I would like to stay in a cabin, possibly Custer SP. Thank you!!!!

Dawn

stay at one location or move around?

You might stay at Custer or in one of nearby towns like Keystone for part of the trip and see Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park, Badlands, Crazy Horse, etc. Then if you are going up toward Deadwood you might stay there and see Deadwood, Spearfish Canyon and Devil%26#39;s Tower. If you have kids like I do then it is easier to leave them in one place for several days if possible.

stay at one location or move around?

This is a perfect plan that CeCe gave you. We did this 2 years ago. We stayed in Keystone to see the Badlands and central %26amp; southern Black Hills regions, but our first two nights were spent in Lead, a small town that joins Deadwood. From there we toured Deadwood, Spearfish Canyon %26amp; Devil%26#39;s Tower. This was so convenient for us, as it really cut the drive time to the tower, which is really a must see, imo.

Custer would be a fine base for the central %26amp; southern areas. Enjoy planning, and stop back with any additional questions.

I agree with the other posters and their basic agendas. I would split the vacation and stay in 2 different areas to cut down on the drive time. Deadwood is a wonderful historic town and you shouldn%26#39;t miss seeing it, but the lodging prices there are very expensive if you can even get reservations somewhere-it is a gambling town. Lead or even Spearfish might be a better bet for the second half of your trip. Please don%26#39;t miss Devil%26#39;s Tower-it is amazing! There is so much to see and do in this area-your family will have a wonderful time. You didn%26#39;t say when you were going-remember the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally runs August 1st through the 10th this year and the entire area will be packed. I don%26#39;t recommend vacationing during this time.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I do believe we will split it in two. I did think about sturgis, and knew I didn%26#39;t want to be there then (at least not with the kids) We are planning for the following week. Yay, I am getting excited! Now, hopefully the gas prices will go down. Now the question is which to do first?

Dawn

Dawn,

We started in the north (Lead) and came on down. We flew into Rapid City. Are you flying or driving? I think I would definitely start in the north and work my way down, flying or driving. The nice thing about the Black Hills is the close proximity of the attractions.

I%26#39;ll be driving from Minneapolis.

It looks like Minneapolis is about 9.5 hours to Lead/Deadwood, mostly interstate. I would probably head to the furthest point first, see Devil%26#39;s Tower and the northern sights first, then head to Custer.

that is what I was thinking. I%26#39;ll get together with the family and figure out the must sees, etc and let you all know a tentative itinerary.

thank you!

Dawn