Weekend in Rapid City/Badlands/Black Hills, S.D., one of three ways: on a budget, spending a bit more, or when the getaway calls for a splurge.
Trip tips: You may need more than a weekend to take in area attractions. Seven life-size concrete replicas of prehistoric reptiles roam the outdoors in a parklike setting atop the hill that divides Rapid City into east and west on scenic Skyline Drive. The brontosaurus can be seen from most points around Rapid City; www.rcgov.org. Rushmore Cave, close to Mount Rushmore, offers cave spelunking, a 7-D interactive theater, a zip line ride and scenic cave tours; www.rushmorecave.com. Take a ride on the 1880 Train, a 2.5-hour vintage steam train ride through the scenic Black Hills; www.1880train.com. Spearfish Canyon, one of the most scenic landscapes in the state (on the north edge of Black Hills National Forest), features over 1,300 plant species and Bridal Veil Falls — an ideal picnic spot; www.visitspearfish.com. Hotel rooms sell out a year in advance for the world-famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Aug. 3-9 (28 miles northwest of Rapid City). Most park hotels and resorts remain open through October.
Getting there: Round-trip rates based on 21-day advance purchase average $412. Served by American, Delta and United with one flight connection.
BUDGET
Eat: Buffalo burgers, line-caught sustainably sourced fish, and vegetarian and gluten-free dishes are served up at the Cedar Pass Lodge Restaurant. Try the lunch specialty, a Sioux Indian Taco, or the fresh-made kuchen (sweet dough cakes with fruit or custard filling), the official dessert of South Dakota; $4-$25.
MODERATE
SPLURGE
Stay: The Alex Johnson, a downtown boutique hotel, is within walking distance of art galleries, museums, shops and dining. It's also central to the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. On site are dining options, an Irish pub, rooftop lounge, gourmet coffee shop and fitness center. Accommodations feature fine furnishings, triple sheeting, and his and hers robes. Rates average $169-$219. 523 Sixth St., Rapid City, 1-888-729-0708, www.alexjohnson.com.
Eat: Delmonico Grill is an upscale slow-food restaurant serving steak ($33-$38) and seafood in a fine-dining setting. 609 Main St., Rapid City, 605-791-1664, www.delmonicogrill.biz.
Experience: Take an escorted nine-hour Black Hills tour and see Mount Rushmore. Start with a cowboy breakfast (at Fort Hays Western Town "Dances With Wolves" film set) followed by a coach ride to Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, a lunch stop at the summer White House of former President Calvin Coolidge, to Crazy Horse Mountain and Memorial (the world's largest mountain carving still in progress), and ending the day with a Chuckwagon Supper & Music Variety Show; $99 adults, $49.50 ages 12 and under. 2255 Fort Hayes Drive, Rapid City, 605-394-9653, www.mountrushmoretours.com.
