My parents loved Palmer Gulch Lodge, the KOA campground exceeded our expectations and the kids had a blast at all of the attractions. The weather could have been a lot better—the kids never did get to swim or go horseback riding because it was too rainy, but on the upside it made for private tours and light crowds everywhere. We all loved Rushmore Cave, so thanks for the great suggestion! The only thing we never used was the Custer State Park pass. We were too busy with all of the other things.

Many, many thanks for your helpfulness. We’d recommend SD and the Palmer Gulch Resort to anyone. Hope your summer vacation season is off to a great start!

Karen

Oh my goodness!! What an amazing trip! Thank you so very much for all the work you did for us! We really appreciate it! If you lived close by I would drop a loaf of homemade bread at your door!

Along the way to S.D. we stopped at Martins Cove and spent some time reviewing some pioneer history. We saw Devils Gate and the kids got to push a handcart around a gravel path. It was a nice stop. It was evening when we finally reached our hotel so we went out to dinner and just let the kids play at the pool. They had a ball!
The next day was July 3rd. We got up early and headed up to see the monument. The very first time I laid eyes on that magnificent sight, I was in awe! It was incredible! I can hardly believe it right this very second as I am typing. It was so breathtaking. I can't even imagine the talent of that man, Borglum. We took plenty of pics and picked out our spot for the fireworks for that evening and left. We spent the rest of the day going to the alpine slide, the tram, going through a cave and going to Bear Country. (Thank you so much for the comp. tickets!!!!!)
The alpine slide and tram was so cool.. the kids loved it so much that we went again the next day. The cave was fun for the kids but not as AMAZING as they made it sound in their advertisements. And the kids love Bear Country because the bears were so fun and SO CLOSE!! They came right up to our window and passed in front and in back of our car.

 

Then that evening it was time for the fireworks display. We took a bus (the parking there was crazy- people literally parked their cars along the canyon and walked for miles up to the monument) and found our spot and settled in for the night. Right at the beginning they had a B2 bomber and a B1 bomber fly overhead (which I wasnt prepared for so the sound scared me to death and made me jump out of my skin!) but it was really cool. Then the fireworks started, they were HUGE! The show lasted for over 30 mins and the finale was over the top! I loved every second of it! Then we finally made it back to the hotel and went to sleep.
Our last day there was spent at one of their waterparks and at the pool - we also went back to the slide and to a few gift shops. We played games in our room (or mini apartment which was very roomy) and ordered pizza and watched additional fireworks from our balcony. Then we left the next morning and on our way home made a quick stop to the Mammoth Site.

And that was it! It was great and we are looking forward to going again in a few years. The Greers

WOW, what a beautiful prayer !!! Brings tears to your eyes. Thank you so much for all your encouragement, not only for me, but, my family as well. I can't wait.. ;-). Will send picture to you, hopefully, they won't be green. Thank you again for going well beyond your job, and making me feel good about my decision. Your a REAL JEWEL!!!!!

I have my balloonist prayer posted by my desk. You will have one given to you when you ride. Donna

It goes: May the winds welcome you
with softness.
May the sun bless you
with his warm hands.
May you fly so high
and so well.
that God joins you
in laughter
and sets you gently back
into the loving arms
of Mother Earth.

Rhonda, our trip was phenomenal! It was the trip of a lifetime and it's hard to believe it's over. We have a TON of pictures though so we get to relive the adventure. Such wonderful scenery and almost too much to absorb so I'm glad we have a lot of pictures to look back on.

The reservations with Black Hills Vacations made our 10 day stay very smooth and organized. We enjoyed every excursion and accommodation. We were late to Jewel Cave and they were very understanding and just moved our tour time (we weren't even paying attention to the time - we were on vacation!!!).

The only changes we would have made to our itinerary would have been to spend more time in Spearfish Canyon. We learned from the visitors bureau in Wyoming (when we went to Devil's Tower) to take the drive back to Keystone through Spearfish Canyon. We really enjoyed that drive. We hadn't heard about this prior to that day. It truly was one of our favorite places and when we return (not if) that will be an area where we'll spend more time. We will also pan for gold - this is not promoted enough with the vacation agent and we just had so much fun meeting people along our ATV route that were doing this - you can actually buy into a claim for a day and pan with them and best of all, hear all the stories. It would be great if somehow the tourism bureau could promote this with those who have claims and make those connections.

Finally, Hot Springs (other than the place we stayed and the Mammoth Site) would not be an area we'd return to unless they really do something to promote the Hot Springs by revamping Evan's Plunge and making it a more natural setting vs. a public natatorium. We were also either misinformed or misunderstood that the spa that we'd be staying at would have the actual mineral waters from the hot springs as part of the experience. Nevertheless, the caretaker was so gracious and informative, the food was impeccable and the spa/hot tub/hot sand/hot granite rooms were very interesting so we enjoyed the pampering.

Otherwise, all lodging was very cool and different at every stop (rustic hotel, B&B, cottage, cabin, spa, etc.). The suggestions based upon the type of vacation we were looking to have were spot on.

Thank you, - Shanna