Where can you find a Crazy Horse, four dead Presidents, and a whole lot of bison? The Black Hills of South Dakota of course! This week we are chatting with Jody Halsted of Camping Tips for Everyone to get her tips about visiting the Black Hills, plus Tamara shares ideas for adding on some time in the Badlands of South Dakota.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 - Presenting Sponsor

01:18 - Tamara's time in the Badlands National Park

09:28 - Circle View Guest Ranch

13:40 - Ranger Program in Park

18:19 - Talking with Jody

22:48 - How long to stay in the Black Hills

23:41 - Must do sights in the Black Hills

26:24 - The Crazy Horse Memorial

28:56 - Mammoth site

31:36 - If you have more time to spend

36:56 - What to do with young kids

40:20 - Home base or move around

42:25 - Where to stay

45:01 - Dining around the area

50:07 - Tips for planning your trip

55:02 - What to pack

57:14 - Where to take a family photo

58:03 - Jody's favorite travel gear

1:01:25 - Thank you!!

ABOUT JODY HALSTED

Jody Halsted is her family's chief vacation planner and a pro at creating meals with a few Dutch Ovens and a pile of charcoal. Jody is also an award winning writer and the publisher at Camping Tips for Everyone, were the only wrong way to camp is to not camp at all!

Follow Jody on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

TIPS FOR VISITING THE BLACK HILLS, SD

• Be aware that June is the rainiest month.
• When planning your trip to the Black Hills you should try to give yourself at least five days to explore the area. There is so much beyond Mount Rushmore to see.
• Plan to visit the lighting ceremony at night at Mount Rushmore. They have all of the present veterans go up on stage, then they lower the flag with a ceremony and light the monument.
• Needles Highway has some great views and tunnels. But beware that there are some narrow spots along with the small tunnels to drive through, so you should only drive it in a smaller vehicle.
• If you like learning about ancient history, the Mammoth site in Hot Springs is absolutely amazing. It is the largest continuous mammoth dig in the world, and they are the only place that have found both the Woolly and the Columbian Mammoth in the same place.
• If you like biking, the George S. Mickelson trail would be a great place to spend a day or even half a day in the outdoors.
• Both Wind Cave and Jewel Cave tours book up really fast and tickets are not sold online. In order to make sure you can get a ticket you will need to be there first thing in the morning.
• Try to plan at least six months in advance for your trip since lodging and camping book up really fast.
• Keep in mind that the months of July and August are really hot and if you plan on making your trip in that time you should plan and pack accordingly. If you are planning to do outdoor activities make sure to bring enough water and to prepare for the worst case.
• Don't over pack your days with too much. You want to enjoy the area. Plus there will be more driving than you think and things will take longer than you expect.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

Jody recommends getting a photo at the Avenue of Flags with Mount Rushmore in the background.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Jody loves to wear her Margaux Cargaux pants by SCOTTeVEST because of the amount of usable pockets. She also likes her Columbia capris which are great for kayaking and paddleboarding. She never travels without her Merino wool quarter zip pullover top, that she finds are great for layering.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

We3Travel - Badlands National Park

Circle View Guest Ranch

Near Yellow Mounds

Ireland Family Vacations - Jody's other site

Episode 19 - Ireland Family Travel Tips

George S. Mickelson Trail

Mount Rushmore Brewing Company

The Hitch Rail

Blue Bell Lodge

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!