Like other northern
states, South Dakota retirement offers some climate challenges
to those who are not big fans of cold winters. But South
Dakota offers many wonders as well, both natural and artificial
and grand in scale. The best known of these is magnificent
Mount Rushmore National Memorial with massive mountain carvings
of four American presidents: Washington, Lincoln, T. Roosevelt,
and Jefferson. A very short 17 miles away there is
another monument in progress, the Crazy Horse Memorial, a
spectacular carving that will become the largest in the world
when finished and is a celebration of the native American spirit
and the challenges of the culture clash that came from early
American western migration.
Both monuments are in the Black Hills, Badlands & Lakes Region
of South Dakota, also region considered sacred by the Native
Americans and the site of a major gold rush.
Jewel Cave National
Monument and Wind Cave National Park feature some rare and
beautiful cave formations known as "boxwork". South
Dakota also has a grass prarie that hosts wildlife including
bison, elk, mule deer and prairie dogs. Custer State Park
is named after George A. Custer, a controversial historical
figure who was killed in the battle of the Big Horn.
East of the Black Hills lie the beautiful and stark eroded
landscapes of Badlands National Park.
The largest city in South Dakota is Sioux Falls, the state's
commercial powerhouse. Second largest is Rapid City which is
named after Rapid Creek. Rapid City is the
gateway to the Black Hills and the Badlands. Deadwood was the
home of Calamity Jane and the scene of Wild Bill Hickok's
gunfight death. It has reclaimed its historical reputation as a
gambling town since casinos were brought back in 1989.
