First it was, “Why are you going to the Dakotas?” and then it was, “Why are you in the Dakotas?” which turned into “Why did you go to the Dakotas?” So here’s the full story:

On our second annual trip as a badass female trio, we wanted to go somewhere none of us had been before. Which is asking a lot. Collectively, we’ve traversed almost the entirety of the country. With most places out of the country still grappling with their COVID recovery, we wanted to safely travel while also being able to customize an amazing trip without too many restrictions. Considering all of the facts, international travel seemed a little daunting. The three of us were restless to get out. So, we pointed at a place on the U.S. map that was uncharted territory for us: The Dakotas.

We flew into Minneapolis, rented a car, and planned out a clockwise circuit roadtripping across South Dakota, up into North Dakota, and looping back to Minneapolis. With seven days to kill, we hit the road in our Red Ford Escape, henceforth referred to [lovingly] as Rhonda. We had four main stops along our trip: Sioux Falls (South Dakota) , Hill City and the surrounding areas (South Dakota) , the Enchanted Highway in North Dakota, and Fargo (North Dakota).

sioux falls

Our Sioux Falls Airbnb was adorable. A great find by Shelbie, it was a cute little house, white siding and big windows, with worn wood paneling on the walls and antique furniture outfitting the rooms. Grass turf covered the living room floor, such a cool replacement for carpet and we got a laugh out of stretching and “laying in the grass”. The old wood floor creaked under our step, and the huge rocking chair in the corner paired with thick floral drapes on the windows gave the whole place a “Granny’s cottage” feel (which is apparently exactly what the owners were going for). Even though Shelb kept making hints that it was probably haunted, it was a comfy and cozy place to hang on the first day of our adventure.

Sioux Falls is the biggest city in South Dakota, which is a generous term considering how tiny the population of SD is. It had a Sarasota-type feel, with everything very concentrated in the downtown area. I was surprised by how progressive the town felt with its cute little coffee shops, breweries and diners. The main street downtown was studded with sculptures of all kinds. There were Greek heroes, triumphant in battle, baby grizzlies fighting over a patch of berries, more abstract pieces— white metal bent in fluidity, faceless dancers bowing gracefully or mid-pirouette. It was a great start to our trip; we walked all around the downtown area, clocking in eight miles and covering a lot of ground. We visited Falls Park, a place where humans and animals have congregated for centuries.

My favorite part of our brief visit to Sioux Falls was the historical walk that we went on as we headed back to the Airbnb. It was about a ten-minute walk, and we skirted a different route than the one we were on earlier in the day. This new path took us down streets lined with historical mansions, each proudly boasting a plaque that stated when it was built. 1921, 1903, and some even as old at the 1880’s! The houses were absolutely stunning, with huge bay windows, turrets topped with spires, lavishly decorated in crazy colors, making it look more like an elaborate Victorian circus than someone’s home in the twenty first century. The best part about it was that it was all so unplanned. After a long day of travelling, walking, and eating lots of carbs (can anyone say mashed potato & fried chicken ranch wrap???) being enchanted by the history and uniqueness of these buildings was just what we needed.

custer

If you know anything about me, and how I travel, it’s that I’m always looking for biggest adventure. And when it comes to road trips, it’s all about the scenic drives. I found the list of best scenic drives and byways while we were on our way to the Badlands. It had about ten different routes that reflected the enormity of South Dakota’s beauty, and you bet your ass we made it through 6/10 of them. Much to Shelbie and Julie’s avail, these routes were filled with the stuff Dramamine was made for. Hairpin turns, switchbacks, pigtail bridges, narrow tunnels and twisting roads through the hills and prairies of southwest South Dakota. And let me tell you all, it was breathtaking. My absolute favorite day of the trip was when we did two of these drives, the Needles Highway and the Iron Mountain Road, both through Custer State Park and filled with some of the most stunning views I’d seen the entire trip. The Needles Highway is intense, but what makes it other-worldly are the huge, towering granite spires the jut out from the ground, tens if not hundreds of feet in the air, ending in a sharp point at the top. It’s not a wonder the ancient Greeks believed in gods who took their anger out on each other, shaping our world, because the granite spires look like the aftermath of one of Zeus’ tantrums. We went on the Cathedral Spires hike, an out-and-back trail where I got my favorite photo of the trip.

The Iron Mountain Road was no less exciting, with tunnels and bridges and dense foliage that made me feel like we were driving through the set of a Lord of the Rings movie. We got our glimpse of Mount Rushmore from a lookout heading north, and while I hadn’t had a desire to go into the actual monument, seeing it from afar was truly jaw-dropping, and reminded me of the incredible abilities and feats that are possible in our country. When the Iron Mountain Road spit us out in Keystone, I could feel the sigh of relief from the driver’s seat. Julie made it through without losing her trail mix, and as much as I would have turned right back around and driven the road again, we had t-shirts to tie dye!

We ended my favorite day thus far, legs folded in the rich summer grass that only exists north of the Bible Belt, staining our fingers with dye bought at the only Corn Palace in the world. It was like summer camp for adults, and I basked in the familiar warm feeling of being out in the world with no real plan, and a couple of goofy adventurers by my side.

If I thought the trip couldn’t get better, I proved myself wrong with Hollingsworth Horses. The #1 thing I wanted to do on this trip, the only thing I couldn’t be swayed on, was riding horses in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Maybe it’s because I watched Flicka and Spirit too many times as a child, or maybe it’s some need to fulfill my dream of being a rancher in wide open country, I don’t know. But I did my research and found the only ranch near Hill City that offered free range riding, with the opportunity to explore rather than being nose-to-tail on a trail. We drove the Wildlife Loop Road to get to Hollingsworth and got our fill of baby bison trampling gleefully through the park with watchful mothers and fathers trudging along after them. We drove through tiny towns and dirt roads before we ended up pulling through the long front drive of the ranch. We met our wrangler Maddie, and she got us accustomed to our horses: Freckles, Bilmo and Ahab. I was pretty proud of Julie for putting aside her fears—and the voodoo doll of me she no doubtedly had tucked away in the center console—and jumping up on Bilmo. After a few minutes of curses and weird yelps from Bilmo’s rider, we set off through the Hollingsworth property to explore the Black Hills and channel our inner Felicity the American Girl Doll. I loved the freedom we had to roam around, climbing up huge granite slabs and hopping over logs. The horses were perfectly matched to their riders, and Freckles had a sort of lazy sass that I loved getting to know. Maddie was so knowledgeable, rattling off information on every bird, flower, or rock we asked about. When we neared the last stretch of our ride, and Shelb and I got Freckles and Ahab into a gallop, I was content. My one desire for the trip had been fulfilled, and I may or may not have spent the drive back to Hill City looking up dude ranches in Montana.

fargo

Fargo was the last big city on our trip, and after the vast expanse of rolling hills it was fun to explore more of a cityscape. We stayed at the Radisson Blu, smack dab in the middle of downtown, which gave us the best opportunity to get familiar with the area. The one road that encompasses most of downtown was easily walkable and filled with fun coffee shops, tattoo parlors, restaurants, and souvenir shops filled with locally crafted North Dakotan memorabilia. There’s a street art scavenger hunt in downtown Fargo which was super fun, my personal favorites were the Super Mario Bro’s mural and the ice cream angel wings. Fargo was a quick stopover, but of course we didn’t leave without checking out the visitor’s center, home of the original woodchipper from the 1996 thriller “Fargo”. This is also where I found out that Shelbie and Julie had never seen the movie, which to me is complete and utter blasphemy. Frances McDormand in one of her most iconic roles, a case study into the most hilarious American dialect, not to mention Steve Buscemi being the biggest jackass on the planet? You already know I made them watch it on the plane ride home.

-Lauren

Our second annual girls trip with our dear friend Julie was a saving grace. A much needed breath of the freshest air after the COVID lock downs and sickness and grief ravaged so much and so many. Traveling doesn’t make any of that go away - you can’t just roll the windows down and air out the stale reminders of all that was lost. But traveling does remind you there is still life out there demanding to be lived, and you are one of the lucky ones still here with the choice to live it. There are so many not-so-hidden treasures in this world just waiting for you experience them. All you have to do is show up.

So we did. We showed up for each other, keeping our mi gals tradition alive. We shook our heads at the nay-sayers who claimed there was absolutely nothing to do or see in the Dakotas and we showed up for what was there. And trust me when I say there was so, so much there. Sioux Falls, Hill City, Badlands and Custer, the Enchanted Highway, Fargo… All so incredibly wonderful. And for all that time we spent basking in the prairie sun of the “wild, wild west,” it felt like it was there just for us.

Lau highlighted all the best parts: The historic walk in the city, the winding roads through the parks, the bison traffic jam and the deer and antelope forever roaming, and the charming places we stayed… I’m just here to try and convince you one last time to just go. Badlands is the largest undisturbed prairie land in the entire country. The Enchanted Highway is home to the largest scrap metal sculptures in the world. Go to all the beautiful places and see all the magnificent things this country has to offer, but don’t forget to put the Dakotas on your list of must-sees. Show up for what is there and it will show up for you.

-Shelbie

THE DAKOTAS

sioux falls

custer

fargo