A Grand Time with the Grandkids on a Staycation

A Grand Time with the Grandkids on a Staycation

by Merissa Alink

Another year and vacation prices keep rising. The cost of hotels, flights, and various activities can set you back and keep you home. The idea of the staycation keeps becoming increasingly appealing to those with families or grandchildren that want to go on vacation but don’t want to spend a lot.

We are lucky to live in a tourist destination with plenty of activities we can do in the summer to keep busy. Here are some simple ideas about how you can plan a frugal, budget-friendly, and fun staycation with your children or grandchildren this year.

Places to Visit on Your Black Hills Staycation

Reptile Gardens

Reptile Gardens is a neat little gem at the entrance to the Black Hills right off Highway 16 on your way to Mt Rushmore. It’s only a few miles outside of Rapid City so it’s easy to drive to. Reptile Gardens offers many fun exhibits like Prairie Dog Town, the Giant Tortoise, the Sky Dome and much more. If you are a local Black Hills resident, make sure you ask for a Resident Pass when you pay for your first ticket of the season. The Resident Pass will allow you to visit Reptile Gardens for the rest of the season for free after you pay for that first ticket!

The Outdoor Campus

The Outdoor Campus is a wonder on the west side of Rapid City. They are open 7 days a week from dawn to dusk so you have plenty of time to explore what they have to offer. The Outdoor Campus provides 32 acres of trails, habitats, and other areas to explore and learn, both indoor and outdoor. Make sure you check out the community program flyer on their website to learn about the free programs and activities they offer so you can plan your visit around them. The best part is the Outdoor Campus is its free and located right in Rapid City so it’s easily accessible.

Keystone Walking Tour

Just outside Rapid City to the south down Highway 16 you can find the tourist town of Keystone. Instead of heading straight into town, turn left at the first stoplight and head into Old Keystone. Simply follow the numbered signs around town and learn all about the historic buildings there and who lived in them. If you visit between June and August make sure to also stop in the Keystone Schoolhouse as part of your tour. It’s free to visit and features many historical photographs and memorabilia from the area along with a large collection of Carrie Ingalls items. The walking tour is free.

Dinosaur Park

Dinosaur Park

Located in Rapid City up on beautiful Skyline Drive overlooking the city, Dinosaur Park is another great free attraction. There are 7 large concrete dinosaur exhibits and the exhibits are open until 10pm. Kids are free to play and climb on the dinosaurs. It’s a great place to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at the top of the hill.

Museum of Geology The School of Mines

Museum of Geology is a free must-see located in Rapid City. The museum features many full mounted skeletons of various dinosaurs, mammals, marine reptiles, and fish. There are several displays with local minerals and gems along with local fossils found in the Badlands. The museum is free and open daily, including most holidays.

DC Booth Fish Hatchery

A family-favorite is the DC Booth Fish Hatchery. The fish hatchery features many areas where you can look at and feed the fish, plus several historical exhibits throughout the grounds. Every exhibit is free

to check out and the fish hatchery is located right next to Spearfish Park, a great place for a picnic with a huge playground for the little ones to run around on.

Storybook Island

Storybook Island has been around for decades and remains one of the best places to take children in Rapid City. Storybook Island is a free park featuring life size exhibits of your favorite storybook characters. Enter the park by walking into Cinderella’s Castle and then tour each of the dozens of sets. Storybook Island also features a theater and train rides that will only set you back a few dollars.

South Dakota Air and Space Museum

The Black Hills is home to Ellsworth Air Force Base and the South Dakota Air and Space Museum. The museum features dozens of full-size flight craft exhibits that you can tour and learn about. The museum is open daily and is free for all (no military id required, it’s located right outside of the base gate).

Of course, the Black Hills is also filled with a plethora of lakes, streams, trails, ghost towns, parks, and many more outdoor activities.

If you really would like to keep things frugal, pack lunches on your activity days. There are so many parks in the Black Hills it’s fun just to bring your lunch along to your destination. Roads such as the one that goes through Spearfish Canyon and around Mt Rushmore have many roadside tables for a fun picnic.

Enjoy your Black Hills Staycation with yourgrandchildren this summer!

An Authorized Independent Agent for Wellmark South Dakota. Andy Bartling Modern Woodmen of America (605) 341-6115 628 1/2 6th Street, Suite 214 Rapid City, SD Andrew.J.Bartling@mwarep.org This is a solicitation of insurance. Wellmark Medicare supplement insurance plans are not affiliated with any government agency. To be eligible, you must reside in the service area of the plan. Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Dakota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. W-2019536 02/19