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My wife and I are coming for a visit, with a keen eye towards a second home or relocation to the west S.D. area in the not-so-far-off future.
A bit about us: I am 36. Wife is 35. I am a doctor specialized in Emergency Medicine. Wife is a former lab scientist at Merck who has retired from the sciences and has turned into a chef. We have no children, nor will we have children. People say that we are "childless". We prefer the term "child-free".
We are both from Pennsylvania, so we are familiar with the "four seasons" climate. We presently live in southwest Florida. It's hot here. Really hot. Even in the winter. Right now, it is 86 and humid... on November 28th.
This may sound impolite, but the only thing more agitating than the heat/humidity in our present city are the snowbirds. From November to (Easter), most of NY/NJ, a lot of Boston, and a good bit of Ontario moves here. I used to love taking care of senior citizens. Now, I see them as entitled, demanding, irresponsible, and near-impossible to satisfy. Needless to say, my job satisfaction is in the tank right now. I can expound upon this/defend it as necessary; but that's another tale.
I want every contributor to this forum to post their "favorite three" or "best three" things about the Rapid City/West S.D. region. Not only will it bring some much needed activity to the forum, but it will give us some things to look forward to as we plan our trip next year.
The best thing about Rapid is that it doesn't have the humidity that areas to the east part of the state have and it also gets a break from the cold weather in the winter due to the chinook winds.. it CAN get cold but it will also warm up into the 50's and melt all the snow... it's not the relentless, never get above 30 degrees for 2 months straight that can occur in places like Brookings on the eastern side of the state.
The chinook wind areas are some of the best climate areas in the country.. including western Nebraska and eastern Colorado, as well as going up into Montana. Very pleasant 4 seasons climates though like I said it can still get cold and go below zero, you just get breaks.
I would also love to be able to look into the hills and see the black hills effect snow.. that's not something I'm used to seeing that the locals probably don't give a second thought about. Anybody who grew up there probably takes their great climate for granted or even finds reasons to complain about it, lol. I've had locals tell me while visiting they don't like how the weather changes so much, lol.. so they'd rather have it stay an icebox for 3 solid months? haha. A short drive to hike the badlands or go up Black Elk peak or Bear Butte.. what's not to love?
There's some great upper middle class neighborhoods there with stunning views of the city right from your yard, but there's also plenty of run down areas visible as well. It has a "western" feel to it. One con is the house price to income ratio and what the jobs pay can be an issue, but it sounds like how have that handled with your professions.
I'd have recommended Denver instead if it was 5 years ago but the house prices there are now insane. People like their legal bud and it's lead to a housing shortage there. Rapid is easy to navigate and has enough entertainment for me, though obviously not enough for some people.
39 views means there should be a lot more responses on here, folks! Best three things about the R.C. area! Give me and the wife things to look forward to !
C'mon folks; hit us with your favorite local restaurants/delicacies, best hiking/camping spots (no spot too local; give me something to learn the geography from), best AirBnBs, best local beer, best whatever.
Alternatively; post your LEAST favorite items, too. Whatever gets you guys posting.
Not to be a jerk but I don't think badgering people about not posting is helping any.
That said, some of my favorite things about Rapid are the amazing trail systems that we have in town in the Skyline Wilderness Area and Hansen Larsen Memorial Park. Very few cities have something like this. We also have a Blue Ribbon trout stream right through the middle of town that receives very little fishing pressure, relatively.
My least favorite things are the political views of most of the residents and a lack of support for schools, the arts, social welfare programs, etc.
1. Lack of humidity - it's rarely humid but not so dry that my nose bleeds. Summer and fall here is awesome! I can walk in and out of air conditioned buildings in the summer and my glasses don't fog up. Coming from Eastern Nebraska, that is a wonderful thing! Winters can be cold and snowy, but they are also sunny and the snow doesn't stick around for months. We typically get days where temps get into the 50's or 60's. I moved here in the middle of February, and it was 70 degrees.
2. Proximity to the Black Hills/outdoor activities - I enjoy getting outside year round, for camping, hiking, kayaking, walking my dogs, and snowshoeing. There are also great places if you're into rock climbing, boating, geocaching, etc. The Black Hills are beautiful and we have great trails, both in the hills and right in the middle of Rapid City. There are some wonderful lakes in the hills to paddle, fish, or just enjoy the scenery and the smell of the trees.
3. Downtown Rapid City - there are lots of great little shops (Mitzi's Books!) and local restaurants, Main Street Square with fountains in the summer and ice skating rink in the winter, and there are lots of festivals and activities.
I hope you and your wife enjoy your visit. What kinds of things/places are you looking to check out?
1. Lack of humidity - it's rarely humid but not so dry that my nose bleeds. Summer and fall here is awesome! I can walk in and out of air conditioned buildings in the summer and my glasses don't fog up. Coming from Eastern Nebraska, that is a wonderful thing! Winters can be cold and snowy, but they are also sunny and the snow doesn't stick around for months. We typically get days where temps get into the 50's or 60's. I moved here in the middle of February, and it was 70 degrees.
2. Proximity to the Black Hills/outdoor activities - I enjoy getting outside year round, for camping, hiking, kayaking, walking my dogs, and snowshoeing. There are also great places if you're into rock climbing, boating, geocaching, etc. The Black Hills are beautiful and we have great trails, both in the hills and right in the middle of Rapid City. There are some wonderful lakes in the hills to paddle, fish, or just enjoy the scenery and the smell of the trees.
3. Downtown Rapid City - there are lots of great little shops (Mitzi's Books!) and local restaurants, Main Street Square with fountains in the summer and ice skating rink in the winter, and there are lots of festivals and activities.
I hope you and your wife enjoy your visit. What kinds of things/places are you looking to check out?
TheBeagleLady's top 2 best things about Rapid City are mine too. I can't think of a 3rd thing that stands out. Maybe #3 can be the Reptile Gardens. It's the city you drive through to get to the Black Hills.
@Chops00 - I don't mean to come off as badgersome (if that is a word), I just want to stir the pot and get some folks talking on here. There's not a lot of activity on this forum in general, which is a bummer because its an amazing resource. That, and my wife and I are seriously so excited for this trip that ANY little taste of the region that we can get is a treat for us. May/June can't come soon enough.
@BeagleLady - Wife all of a sudden hit me with a great desire to see the American west, and the first thing that she said that she wanted to see were the "Great 8" sights in and around Rapid City (Black Hills, Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Badlands, etc). We'll be doing some hiking and nature-related items for sure. At first, I didn't think she was too serious about this; but the more and more we talk and plan.... the more and more excited we get. I will take any excuse to get out of Florida for a good bit (alluded to this in my original post), and I would seriously consider a second home or at least a partial relocation to the region if the "fit" is right for us.
Basically; we're both pretty frustrated with Florida, and we're exploring our options. Summers here are generally spent indoors because the low is in the mid 90s and the humidity never dips below 80%. Also, you can count on it raining every day between 3 and 5:30pm, so anything you want to do in the cooler (low 90s) afternoon hours is guaranteed to be interrupted. Winters here are frustrating because of the obscene numbers of snowbirds that come down for 6-7 months. I don't want to make broad generalizations - but they're rude, entitled, grumpy, can't drive, and can really ruin your day with their attitude, which is generally "I'm here on vacation for 6 months, so I'll treat all locals like they're my staff."
Tell me more, y'all: What foods or restaurants MUST we hit up for a true R.C. experience? We will likely be S.D. for a week to ten days (I can structure my work schedule for long stretches of time off).
No worries, I figured you were just trying to start a dialogue.
I hear you on the frustration with Florida. My parents live there and I hate visiting for the most part. They live in Gainesville, which isn't so bad, but I really despise all of southern Florida. Sure there are some great beaches and all, but it feels like one giant strip mall and gated community after another. So I completely understand your desire to get out. I will caution you that SD has almost the opposite of the Florida snowbirds. Lot's of RV'ers spend their summers around here. So we have plenty of crotchety old folks of our own, although its definitely not as bad as FL.
As far as restaurants, SoDak is not exactly know for its cuisine but there are a few good places in town. Kol is great, although modern and eclectic. Everest has some of the best Indian food I've had anywhere in the country. Delmonico's has amazing steaks. Tally's has great breakfasts and some really interesting dinner options. Colonial House or Millstone are probably as close as you would come to a classic West River restaurant.
No worries, I figured you were just trying to start a dialogue.
I hear you on the frustration with Florida. My parents live there and I hate visiting for the most part. They live in Gainesville, which isn't so bad, but I really despise all of southern Florida. Sure there are some great beaches and all, but it feels like one giant strip mall and gated community after another. So I completely understand your desire to get out. I will caution you that SD has almost the opposite of the Florida snowbirds. Lot's of RV'ers spend their summers around here. So we have plenty of crotchety old folks of our own, although its definitely not as bad as FL.
As far as restaurants, SoDak is not exactly know for its cuisine but there are a few good places in town. Kol is great, although modern and eclectic. Everest has some of the best Indian food I've had anywhere in the country. Delmonico's has amazing steaks. Tally's has great breakfasts and some really interesting dinner options. Colonial House or Millstone are probably as close as you would come to a classic West River restaurant.
Hope you have a good trip.
The bolded is especially true on the gulf coast. Especially. The more south you go from Tampa, the greyer and worse it gets.
I can be wrong, but I get the sense that the RV'ers have a more independent spirit and self-reliant nature about them than the snowbirds who expect that everything be done for them at the snap of their fingers.
I was never so angry at a snowbird than I was last week. I'm at work (hospital ER) and I'm trying to speak with the obviously tearful family of a patient who had passed unexpectedly. This had to be done in the waiting room (which was largely empty at the time, save for 1-2 other people) because the recently deceased needed to be made decent. Snowbird grandma walks from the registration area (10 feet away), snaps her fingers at me, and says - "Oh, boy; get me a wheelchair please." Nevermind the fact that she could walk just fine and was in no distress whatsoever. Snap-snap went those fingers. I politely ignored her, but the thought rang in my brain like a tuning fork: "I'm telling these poor people that their dad didn't make it for the holidays, and you have the nerve to act like I'm the pool boy?!"
Snowbirds. Ugggh.
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Winters can be cold and snowy, but they are also sunny and the snow doesn't stick around for months. We typically get days where temps get into the 50's or 60's. I moved here in the middle of February, and it was 70 degrees.
