Driving around SD end of next week just because.

Any recommendations on good hole in the wall places to eat, cool places to see?

Mt Rushmore is on my list. A missile silo tour would kick ass if anyone knows of any.

http://www.nps.gov/mimi/index.htm

Guided tour of the launch center, self-guided stop at a silo.

Looks like it's closed New Years Day.

Assume you're coming from the west?


Eats:

Pokey has a good list.  Check out the kick ass margarita at Que Pasa and their brisket tacos are killer.

Also independent house of ale has awesome pizza and taps in rapid city. No shortage of places to eat

If you want cheap sustenance go to Philly Teds in rapid. Big phillys and Ive never had a bad meal there. Their ghost pepper sauce is legit too(Im a hot food guy and it kills me ever time).

Id recommend Crow Peak Brewery in Spearfish as well and the BBQ place across their parking lot. Great stuff last time I was there.

If your in Spearfish the hatchery is pretty cool although Im not sure what its like in the winter(im also a trout nerd though but still cool history and beautiful park)

Take the rimrock road out of rapid and enjoy the views along the way and check out pactola. I was just fly fishing there a few weekends ago and killed it. Also beautiful area.

Lake Sylvan and the needles highway are always a sight. Well worth the long slow drive up and down

Starting from the East actually,  but will be going up into ND, west into Montana, and then south east back into SD again.

For sights my favorites are actually drives/rides. Pretty much any road you take is going to be absolutely beautiful.

If you're a skier, Terry Peak has a decent amount of terrain open already. My personal favorite drive in the hills is Spearfish Canyon, it's beautiful year round.

It looks like it is closed whenever they feel like it. The sign on the gate said they would re-open on 12/26, yet at 1:30 PM everything was still locked.

Appears they decided to extend their Christmas break. I was actually quite pissed as I altered my trip and drove all night in a snow storm to get to Rapid City on 12/25.