Need help w/ Mt. Rushmore area

[MelanieC]

Hi,

We have quite the dilema to decide. DD17 is going to College in Missouri next fall and we are either going to do one of the following things this summer.

1. Go to Disney as usual for a shorter trip and make two smaller trips to Missouri for Summer Wellcome & dropping her off at College.

or

2. Go to Summer Wellcome in Missouri (16 hour drive) and drive to Mount Rushmore (another 12) and vacation there and then drive back (drive back is 25 hours yikes -but It's about 16 or so to Disney each way - so just a little further of a drive, lol).

Disney of course is a no brainer on how to plan..........but I know nothing about Mt. Rushmore.

I know we want to do Mt. Rushmore over 4th of July because I hear they have wonderful fireworks. We would obviously do all the sightseeing stuff around there, not sure where to start there to figure out all there is to do. I know there is the Badlands, caves, Devils tower, etc.

I have NO idea where to stay around there. This is where I need the most help.

Thanks for any info you have or pointing me to good websites etc.

Edited to add for those offering suggestions:

We are a family of 4 (at time of travel DD18 & DS12), husband is military so if anyone knows any discounts available, we are 99.9% sure we are doing Mt. Rushmore since I think it would cost us less than Disney and we can combine two trips into one. I'm a vegetarian, so any restaurant recommendations for places that have decent options for vegetarians would be great (the rest of the family is not vegetarian so we have to find places that are good for us both).

 

[KiKi Mouse]

We did South dakota/Mount Rushmore this past summer. It was great.
We stayed at a great KOA in Hill City and would stay there again.
Custer State Park was a fave, we did the badlands which was a day trip and was cool.

Are you camping or staying at a hotel?

 

[MelanieC]

We did South dakota/Mount Rushmore this past summer. It was great.
We stayed at a great KOA in Hill City and would stay there again.
Custer State Park was a fave, we did the badlands which was a day trip and was cool.

Are you camping or staying at a hotel?

We will be staying in a hotel. Wouldn't mind camping for a day or two, but will not have room for camping equipment so definately hotel only this trip.

 

[bgohre]

Hi,

We have quite the dilema to decide. DD17 is going to College in Missouri next fall and we are either going to do one of the following things this summer.

1. Go to Disney as usual for a shorter trip and make two smaller trips to Missouri for Summer Wellcome & dropping her off at College.

or

2. Go to Summer Wellcome in Missouri (16 hour drive) and drive to Mount Rushmore (another 12) and vacation there and then drive back (drive back is 25 hours yikes -but It's about 16 or so to Disney each way - so just a little further of a drive, lol).

Disney of course is a no brainer on how to plan..........but I know nothing about Mt. Rushmore.

I know we want to do Mt. Rushmore over 4th of July because I hear they have wonderful fireworks. We would obviously do all the sightseeing stuff around there, not sure where to start there to figure out all there is to do. I know there is the Badlands, caves, Devils tower, etc.

I have NO idea where to stay around there. This is where I need the most help.

Thanks for any info you have or pointing me to good websites etc.

You can start here: http://www.blackhillsbadlands.com/

This place is fun: http://www.bearcountryusa.com/

 

[MelanieC]

Thanks!!

I think I just found some information that is helpful to figure out the closest locations.

http://www.mountrushmoremotels.com/index.htm

Now the dilema - (not really because I like nicer hotels and saving money more )
18 miles away in Rapid city we can get a nice looking Hampton in with a military rate of 79.00 per night.

or 2 miles away in Keystone we can get some crapy motels from $118-165 per night. You can see Mt Rushmore from town.

 

[MelanieC]

You can start here: http://www.blackhillsbadlands.com/

WOW - the blackhillsbandlands website is great!!!!! Makes me want to go now. Tough decision, beauty (something new, one long 2 week vacation (plus another small one in Aug) over 4th of July w/ great fireworks, fun and I love scenery like this - can be a happy place) or Disney (beloved, over my birthday, happy place, 3 vactions instead of one long one, makes me giddy like a kid).

 

[hercamore]

I have heard seeing the fireworks at Rushmore involves thousands of people getting there early or even the night before for a spot.

Not something I would do.

My DD llives at Ellsworth AFB now. We have visited there several times in the last 4 months they've lived there.

Rushremore is beautiful, but nutty at peak holiday times just like disney.


herc.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Keystone. It's along the lines of a Hampton Inn, about the same price, and was clean and comfortable. Their included breakfast was convenient, but the eggs were nasty!

I would stick with well-known chains, because there are a lot of little places that are downright crummy looking in person compared to how they're described on their websites.

Keystone is a real tourist trap, but it's convenient. I haven't been to Rapid City, but I believe it's not so touristy. It's not as convenient to Mt Rushmore, but there are other attractions close to it, IIRC. A wild horse sanctuary and an indoor water park, I think??

Also if you find yourself in Keystone, stay far, far, away from Railhead Family Restaurant. Even after reading bad reviews on TripAdvisor, we ended up there one night because we were hungry, there was no wait, and it didn't look that bad. Trust me, though. It was!

 

[MelanieC]

Wow the Holiday Inn looks pretty nice - It's a shame it's over $200 a night, and doesn't have a Military rate. The Hampton Inn is still looking like the best deal, and driving 18 miles isn't too bad. I figure we will just sleep there and stay out all day till dark. One thing for sure is that I'm a hotel Bed snob, except at Disney I can handle the beds at the Values to save money. Nothing like down comforters and cushy beds versus those in the pictures of some of those motels that have those scratchy uncomfortable bedspreads with rock hard looking beds.

Hercamore - Good to know about the fireworks, will have to talk to DH about it.......but I still wouldn't mind arriving super early with blankets and hanging out to see them. We have been to Washington and Boston to see the fireworks and sort of the same thing - to get a good spot you have to go really early. For something once in a lifetime......I think it would be worth it. I heard they are shot off behind the monument and it's supposed to be beautiful. Will have to think about that.

 

[KiKi Mouse]

http://www.presidentsviewresort.com/

I met a couple that were staying here and they loved it. Maybe see if you can find some reviews.

 

[KCmike]

Subscribing....would like to visit over a weekend sometime in 2010. Where is your child going to school?

 

[wdw_girl_18]

I have heard seeing the fireworks at Rushmore involves thousands of people getting there early or even the night before for a spot.

Not something I would do.

That is true. We were there a week before the fourth of july and the park was already getting ready for the tons of people that show up each year. They were putting up these orange fences around the bottom of mt rushmore (near the parking lot where you can go and get an up close view of the side of monument). Security is very high and apparently a lot of drunks hang out there on the 4th. If you touch the rocks you will get ticketed or arrested.

If I were you I would find a hotel that has a view of mt Rushmore and watch the fireworks from the balcony. Have fun! The area is beautiful and I cannot wait until I get to go back

 

[Amy]

Cool! I'm subscribing, too - we're planning to visit Mt. Rushmore next summer, too, prob. in July but NOT around the 4th of July. (You DO know that they do the Mt. Rushmore fireworks on July 3, not July 4.)

Somebody on the DIS did this trip last year, and I copy/pasted her trip report into a word doc on my computer. Let me do a search and see if I can find that thread. I was amazed that there was so much to do in the Mt. Rusmore area! I just thought maybe 2 days max, but it looks like there's enough for a good 5 days, more if you're really into exploring.

 

[Amy]

I found that thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2050091&highlight=Mt.+Rushmore. Her trip report starts on page 7 or 8, lots of information.

 

[MelanieC]

Subscribing....would like to visit over a weekend sometime in 2010. Where is your child going to school?

University of Missouri - So scary to have her go halfway across the country, but I'm excited for her and the campus is just absolutely beautiful.

 

[MelanieC]

Cool! I'm subscribing, too - we're planning to visit Mt. Rushmore next summer, too, prob. in July but NOT around the 4th of July. (You DO know that they do the Mt. Rushmore fireworks on July 3, not July 4.)

Somebody on the DIS did this trip last year, and I copy/pasted her trip report into a word doc on my computer. Let me do a search and see if I can find that thread. I was amazed that there was so much to do in the Mt. Rusmore area! I just thought maybe 2 days max, but it looks like there's enough for a good 5 days, more if you're really into exploring.

LOL - Good to know it's on the 3rd!! We should get there the Wednesday before, but only if we can get the summer welcome at Mizzou on Monday and Tuesday of that week.

I think that no matter what we would be in the area for the 4th. We could find fireworks somewhere else, but I have a feeling my family would say go for it since it's been on our list of things to see.

Thanks so much for the link - I'm off to read that now. We are 99.9% sure we are doing the South Dakota trip since Disney would cost us more and since DD is going to school and we have a lot of extra expenses this year it just makes sense.

 

[MelanieC]

Oh another thought - I'm vegetarian do you think there are enough decent restaurants in the area that aren't meat only (like I know chuckwagon meals abound there - but they most likely have no vegetarian options, lol).

 

[KCmike]

University of Missouri - So scary to have her go halfway across the country, but I'm excited for her and the campus is just absolutely beautiful.

I'm sure she will do great. Good luck to her.

 

[aprilgail2]

My daughter and I were just talking about Mt Rushmore- its one of the places on her list that she wants to go when I retire. I retire in 3 years and we are planning on a driving trip around the US- just me and my daughter. Starting in NY- driving west heading towards Washington and then down to New Mexico, Arizona and across that way before heading up the East Coast back home.

 

[hercamore]

melanie.

There are several new motels on the east side of Rapid City near Ellsworth AFB that are less than 5 years old. Prices are lower than the hotels near Rushmore.

They are situated on the new loop bypass road that stretches from I90 to Rushmore which is about 30 miles or so. This road is faster than going thru downtown Rapid City to Rushmore..

Do a google search on hotels near Ellsworth AFB.

My DD and family just moved to Rapid this past Aug and live on the base. I pass these hotels all the time. They are near a Target, Menards, some chain restaurants.

Rapid City has many options for food. Asian, Mexican, italian. I don't think I've even had a beef meal there yet in a restaurant.