Falling in love with South Dakota/the sacred Black Hills (Hot Springs: apartment, home)
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I was born in Pierre, lived on a farm south of a little town called Ree Heights a half day's drive to the east and loved it enough that when I wrote an action epic western book, I set it in South Dakota and entitled it "The Black Hills." It got bought by the number three publisher in America, Penguin Publishing the first time out ( a minor miracle) and is being published in December. I'm told it's a fun book and everyone who reads it, loves it and cries. Go figure. [Mod cut] search the black hills rod thompson. Go to Dakota especially to what the Indians call Paha Sapia, "The Black Hills," it's worth the effort.
Last edited by ElkHunter; 08-01-2011 at 12:10 PM..
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I too recently drove through your wonderful state. The Black Hills region blew us away. I wish we had had more time to spend exploring the area. Deadwood was so beautiful. And, call me crazy, but I thought the drive across the state on I-90 was kinda nice. It is so vast and so unlike what I'm used to here in TX. OK, we have some flat land here too but it is covered with billboards and other crap. South Dakota had such a pure look to it. Loved it and hope to come back soon.
I too recently drove through your wonderful state. The Black Hills region blew us away. I wish we had had more time to spend exploring the area. Deadwood was so beautiful. And, call me crazy, but I thought the drive across the state on I-90 was kinda nice. It is so vast and so unlike what I'm used to here in TX. OK, we have some flat land here too but it is covered with billboards and other crap. South Dakota had such a pure look to it. Loved it and hope to come back soon.
You said it...pure! I don't mind the "boring" drive across I-90 either. I love it even more when I am heading west and you start to see the hills in the distance. The closer you get the more beautiful it becomes. Like SD4020 says, "It's God's country".
I am in the AF. Got orders to SD. People that have never been here said "oh that's horrible" but the people that have been here said "you will love it". So I am originally from PA and my wife is from Virginia Beach. I was stationed at Dover De for 9 yrs. Then I get orders here. At first I thought this us nothing to what I'm used to. Still I had a positive mind set. It didn't take long before I seriously fell in love with the rapid city area. The black hills, the lakes, the weather, everything that is here for our kids. My wife surprisingly enough loves the area also. I got orders out of here and have to leave this beautiful place. I made my promise that we would take a vacation back here someday. I'm gonna miss fishing, camping and the feeling during tourist season how honored I feel that I have all this the whole year and they can only spend a week here. When I first went to Mt. Rushmore what an overwhelming feeling. It was Unexplainable. Ok well enough about how much I love the black hills. Hope to come back here again sometime in the future. It an amazing place to be.
Don't worry about those "brutal" winters. We have a banana belt that runs from just north of Rapid to just south of Hot Springs. It is a little warm right now, but the winters are temperate.
Does that microclimate make it slightly hotter in the summer (compared to other areas in the state), or is its effect mainly just to keep the winter a little bit more moderate?
Does that microclimate make it slightly hotter in the summer (compared to other areas in the state), or is its effect mainly just to keep the winter a little bit more moderate?
Nope. Hardly an issue. We lack the humidity. So it might be roasty we lack the heat index. It changes as you go further east.
Nope. Hardly an issue. We lack the humidity. So it might be roasty we lack the heat index. It changes as you go further east.
Except in Hot Springs. Hot Springs sits on top of a Geo-thermal formation which keeps it about 10 degree's warmer than surrounding area's most of the time. Having said that, I would rather have it 100 degree's and dry than 75 and humid. Others like humidity, so I guess it depends on ones preferences.
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SoDak
