Back From The Black Hills ; SD has some wonderful people

[Animal]

I just got back from my first vist to SD. I've now traveled to all but two states and I would rank SD right up there with the top 5. I was most impressed with the grasslands and the Badlands. The Rapid City & the Black Hills were also great. What I liked best were the SD residents. When I'm traveling I spend lots of time talking to the locals and find out all sorts of interesting things about the area I'm in. However, in a lot of states, when in the tourist areas it's hard to find anyone who was born in the state or even the country.

SD is a lot different. I was in Wall and at a gas station when a guy pulled in with a big pick up pulling a horse trailer. I got to talking to him and next thing I know he invites us out to his ranch. We follow him out there, and I mean way out there, he gives us a quick tour and takes us out to the very small two room cabin where his great- grandfather lived and raised 6 kids back in the late 1800's. Grandma died after child 6 was born. We stayed for about 2 hours, had a some great conversation and I've got some wonderful photos. There's not many places this would happen or that I would feel comfortable taking someone up on their invitation. He also has an invitation to visit me in Northern MN. I also want to thank the guy from Spearfish who let me use his extra fly rod to do an hour of fishing on a little stream in the Spearfish Canyon. I didn't catch anything. I also found another difference between a man and woman's thinking: We were driving down some rock road in the Grasslands and came upon a group of pronghorns. The wife says they are one on the most beautiful animals that she had ever seen in the wild. I commented that the one on the left would make a great mount. There was silence for the next 50 miles. The trip was a great traveling experience.

[Tyler Holm]

Its nice to see you had a good experience in the great state of SoDak. You can't beat the people.

[rundrave]

wow Animal, what a great post. Glad everything went well for you and it sounds like you guys had a great time!

[icehousebob]

I guess I fell in with the wrong people in SoDak. These three local guys invited me out for some camping out and Walleye fishing. Well, they outfished me terribly and then made fun of me. If the three hadn't been my brothers I would have been upset. Seriously, people out there seem to have more time, they aren't always in such a hurry. And coming from a farm family, I've noticed that farmers and ranchers who have never worked for anyone but themselves have a different attitude than people who have to take orders from someone else. More independent and honest, I guess.

[CAJ]

I have several relatives in South Dakota, and have had a lot of fun in that State. The people on both ends of the state have always given me acsess to hunt and fish everytime. They will go out there way for you, if you stop and ask for permission to cross there land. Beware if you don't stop and ask. It is there land so respect it. CAJ