2020-05-01_Lonely_Planet_Traveller

PHOTOGRAPHS:

MARK

READ

South

Dakota

The South Dakota territory once oered the promise of riches, and for

some it oered a new life. The wagon-rutted roads they travelled have

been replaced with interstates and highways, but the stories remain,

including those of the region’s Oglala Lakota Tribe. Gently rolling

prairies and shallow, fertile valleys mark much of this endlessly

appealing state, but head southwest and all hell breaks loose, in the

best possible way. Badlands National Park is the geological equivalent

of fireworks, while the Black Hills are like opera. South Dakota’s

landscapes are challenging, intriguing and majestic.

FOOD & DRINK

)CHISLIC Visitors are

unlikely to leave the state

without encountering its

signature item: chislic,

or as locals like to call it,

mutton on a stick. With

a name likely derived

from Turkish shish kebab,

these seasoned meat

skewers are a favoured

menu item. Meridian

Corner in Freeman is

known to have an

excellent version, but

options for trying this

South Dakota delicacy

are plentiful.

)KOLACHES Who

makes the best kolaches

is a legendary dispute in

South Dakota. Brought to

the state by Czechs in the

1800s, this round pastry

(the name means

‘wheel’) is part of South

Dakota tradition. While

each family has its own

recipe, you’ll certainly

find traditional-tasting

kolaches at Tyndall

Bakery in the town of

Tyndall. Aer they get

a sweet filling like apple,

cherry or strawberry

cream, these melt-in-your-

mouth pastries are

baked, glazed and

sprinkled with streusel.

NATURAL ESCAPES

)BADLANDS

NATIONAL PARK

Millions of years ago,

a sea covered South

Dakota. Erosion in the

state’s southwest has

stripped away so soil,

leaving spires and sharp

canyons of multi-

coloured rock. The

Lakota called the area

‘mako sica’, and the

French ‘les mauvaises

terres’ – both translate

as ‘bad lands’. If you love

wildlife, stroll down Sage

Creek Road to spot

bualo and bighorn

sheep. The Badlands

(pictured above) include

the Jewel Cave National

Monument and Wind

Cave National Park, with

more than 335 miles of

mapped passages

between both caves.

nps.gov/badl

)CUSTER STATE PARK

Custer State Park has

some of the best

American wildlife outside

Yellowstone, as well as

curvaceous mountain

drives, serene lakeside

retreats and plenty of

open range. At the end

of the 19th century, there

were fewer than 1,000

bualo le in North

America, but today the

herd at Custer State Park

alone is larger than that,

one of the biggest

free-roaming herds. This

is due in part to President

Theodore Roosevelt, who

started a campaign to

save the remaining

bualo in 1905.

Conservationists now say

the number of bualo in

North America has

reached 500,000.

gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/

custerstate-park

ROADTRIPITINERARY
Day 1 BeginwithMtRushmore,
thenenjoythescenicdriveto the
world’slargestmountaincarvingat
theCrazyHorseMemorialin the
beautiful,pine-filledBlackHills.
Day 2 SpendthedayatCuster
StateParkin theBlackHills.Takea
safari4WDrideandseeherdsof
bualo,deer,bighornsheepand
wildturkeys.Ortakea guided
horsebackrideona trail.
Day 3 Spendthedayabsorbing
vistasonyourdrivingtourof
BadlandsNationalPark. Besure
to makefrequentstopsat thescenic
overlooksforunforgettableviews,
andstopintotheHistoricalCenter
onthePineRidgeIndian
Reservation, whichfeaturesexhibits
onWoundedKnee.
Day 4 Bringanysciencenerdsin
yourgroupto theM a m m o t hS i t efor
somelive-actionpaleontology.