The presidents of Mount Rushmore National Memorial will embark on a 14-city tour across the Midwest, beginning May 23. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln will visit some of the most popular sites in the Midwest and personally invite residents to make a trip to South Dakota this summer.

The official tour by the presidential mascots and an accompanying street team from the Department of Tourism are part of the Department’s “Your American Journey” marketing campaign. The campaign encourages vacationers to visit places of great historic significance, unimagined beauty and patriotic inspiration within the borders of South Dakota. The group will ride in style in a bus wrapped with custom artwork depicting the variety that South Dakota offers travelers.

“All of the cities along this tour are filled with people who have a high propensity to travel to South Dakota,” says Jim Hagen, Secretary of the Department of Tourism. “The goal of the presidential mascots’ tour is to build awareness about South Dakota, create excitement among those who see them, and plant the seed of a South Dakota vacation with all of the potential visitors we have the opportunity to speak with one-on-one.”

Cities, in order of the tour schedule, include:

• Rapid City, S.D.
• Pierre, S.D.
• Omaha, Neb.
• Lincoln, Neb.
• Kansas City, Mo.
• Des Moines, Iowa
• Chicago, Ill.
• Milwaukee, Wis.
• Madison, Wis.
• Eau Claire, Wis.
• Minneapolis, Minn.
• Fargo, N.D.
• Watertown, S.D.
• Sioux Falls, S.D.

The presidential mascots and accompanying street team will also offer residents of these cities a chance to win one of four vacation giveaways. Contest details and registration can be found beginning May 15 on the Department of Tourism’s Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/SouthDakotaTourism. The contest runs through June 14, 2013.

The mascots, designed to depict the mountain carving in the Black Hills, have traveled across the country the past two years, including a stop in New York City to watch the “Mount Rushmore’s American Pride” float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The presidents’ journey can be followed online at www.Facebook.com/SouthDakotaTourism, or by using the hashtag, #SouthDakota, on Twitter (@SouthDakota).

Watch our social channels for more details on where the presidents are and what they are doing!

Gear up outdoor enthusiasts and bird watchers! South Dakota’s 3^rd Annual Birding Festival is taking place in just a few days.

May 3-5, 2013, birding enthusiasts will migrate to Lake Andes, South Dakota, to see hundreds of bird species that have migrated to South Dakota after spending time in other parts of the country. Festival goers will also see birds that are temporarily in South Dakota before they move on to another region.

The Lake Andes area is known to play home to more than 322 species of birds, 164 of which are breeding species.

In previous years, birders have enjoyed the sight of Snowy owls, and a Western grebe paired with a Clark’s grebe. The sighting of the two together is very rare and special for the enthusiasts.

Registration for the event is in Pickstown, South Dakota. The group will be taking “field trips” to Karl Mundt National Wildlife Refuge – this is the only time that the Refuge (near the Fort Randall Dam) is open to the public. Other activities include bird banding, bird identification, a session with birding experts, guided field trips and activities for children.

For more information on the festival, visit this link.

Enjoy a glimpse at the decorated South Dakota State Capitol for this holiday season. Pictures and video don’t do it justice. Go ahead. Drive to Pierre, immerse yourself in this beauty! ‘Tis the season!

Road trip for the fabulous four! The faces of George, Teddy, Thomas and Abe have wrapped up a majority of their road trips for the summer. The presidential mascots, depicting Mount Rushmore National Memorial, made stops in Minneapolis, Kansas City, Omaha, Sioux Falls, and Des Moines. They were able to meet and greet thousands and thousands of people and share the joys of South Dakota and Mount Rushmore with the masses.

The boys in gray posed for hundreds of photos with young and old, new and veteran visitors to South Dakota. It was great to hear the stories and memories from those who have visited our great state in the past, and it was even better to tell stories about what one might experience on their first vacation to South Dakota.

The presidents were able to hang out at a Twins game, throw the first pitch at an Iowa Cubs game, mingle around the Kansas City Zoo and Worlds of Fun; they took in the vibe of the community at farmers markets and even rode on a log flume. They sure were busy on their road trip!

Watch out, those four great faces might be coming to a great place near you soon. Stay in tune with our social media sites for details, you wouldn’t want to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to get photos of Mount Rushmore somewhere other than the Black Hills!

These photos prove a great time was had by all.

Throwing a Pitch at the Iowa Cubs game

Enjoying the Kansas City Zoo with visitors

Presidents enjoying a carousel ride at Worlds of Fun

If you’re looking for a shopping experience with a little something for everyone, look no further than Main Street Square in downtown Rapid City. This past week, we paid a visit to the Square and I was completely impressed by the progress that has taken place during the last several months. The first time I visited the Square was last November, and while that trip certainly sparked my interest in the project, this visit caused me to see just how amazing Main Street Square really is. In November, there were people skating on the ice rink and holiday music was playing, giving me the feeling that I was a part of a charming Christmas scene. This was so movie-moment-perfect that I got caught up in the spectacle of the Square and failed to notice how well-planned and user-friendly the area is. It is obvious that the Square was designed to be enjoyed; there are dozens of chairs throughout the facility and the public “green” area promises year-round entertainment and enjoyment for the community, as well as for visitors.

On the website dedicated to the shopping side of Main Street Square, the series of boutiques and eateries are described as being “a galleria of interesting things to see, taste and buy.”  The stores truly are exceptional and should be experienced firsthand! My personal favorite is Mitzi’s Books, which I think personifies everything a bookstore should be, but I also enjoyed wandering through the outdoor adventurer’s haven, Roam’n Around. You also shouldn’t miss the Gnar Spot, which is the only rider-owned and operated skate and snowboard shop in the area. The variety of stores incorporated in Main Street Square makes the experience even better. For example, Who’s Toy House is a fantastic toy store that provides a colorful array of unique toys and games to store-goers. Beyond the main building which houses these stores, Rapid City’s downtown area boasts a wonderful array of shops and restaurants, all of which are worth venturing into.

I definitely recommend that visitors to the Black Hills pay the Square a visit, it’s certainly worth the time. I can hardly wait to see what the Square will become in the future, and what it will come to mean to the Rapid City community. For more information about Main Street Square, please visit http://mainstreetsquarerc.com/.

They’ve stood tall in the Black Hills of South Dakota for more than 70 years. It’s known as America’s Shrine of Democracy. They are just one part of South Dakota’s Great Faces and Great Places. It’s Mount Rushmore National Memorial. And soon, the presidents will be on the move, maybe you can meet them in person!

How? The mascots of Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington and Roosevelt are on the move to multiple cities in the coming months. The mascots will be touring Kansas City, Des Moines, Minneapolis, and Omaha. First stop, Kansas City over Memorial Day weekend. If you’re in the area, make sure you follow along on the twitter hashtag, #RushmoreMascots, this blog, or on Facebook.com/SouthDakotaTourism to see where you can meet up with the presidents from Mount Rushmore in person. It’s a once in a lifetime photo opportunity you don’t want to miss!

To top it off, you’ll be able to sign-up to win an exclusive vacation to the Black Hills of South Dakota where you can start “Your American Journey.” To enter the vacation giveaway and see a full listing of where the mascots are going, visit www.TravelSD.com/RushmoreMascots.

“Your American Journey” through South Dakota doesn’t stop at Mount Rushmore. It’s the places along the way like reliving the pioneer spirit in De Smet at the Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead; it’s the quirky only in South Dakota stops like The World’s Only Corn Palace and Wall Drug. The experience of being surrounded by 1,300 bison and a band of begging burros at the second largest state park in the nation – Custer State Park. All of these stops and more is what will truly build your “American Journey” to be one that you will always remember.

Get out, explore, and catch a fish…on us! Next weekend is open house and free fishing weekend across South Dakota. All of the state parks and campgrounds will offer free admittance and require no fishing licenses May 18-20, 2012.

Fishing on South Dakota's Waters

This provides a great opportunity for visitors to explore the beauty and natural wonders of South Dakota’s fantastic state park system. It’s also a nice time for South Dakota’s own residents to explore what is in their own backyard, or perhaps take a quick trip to a neighboring park to explore a new adventure.

Palisades State Park

Several parks are holding special events in conjunction with the open house weekend. The Lewis and Clark Recreation Area near Yankton will be having Techno-Treasure Hunt (geocaching for beginners); Custer State Park will be hosting the annual Volksmarch Trail where visitors will walk their own 6.2 miles through various park habitats. Palisades State Park is holding a family fishing event where poles and bait are provided. Newton Hills State Park will be hosting Youth Activity Day where participants will be exposed to several activities presented by South Dakota Wildlife and Parks staff; visitors can try out archery, muzzleloader shooting, campfire cooking, and fishing! And finally, there will be a Creatures of the Night Hike at Chief White Crane Recreation area. For more information and details on all of these events, visit http://www.gfp.sd.gov/calendar.aspx.

So head out and find a cozy spot in one of our state parks. We hope you enjoy a fantastic weekend, and this time, it’s on us!

Hiking in the Black Hills

Note: Camping fees still apply

Grab your binoculars, camera and birding guide and make plans to attend the 2^nd annual South Dakota Birding Festival. Outdoor birding enthusiasts will gather May 18-20, 2012 at Fort Randall to hopefully catch site of hundreds of migrating bird species returning to South Dakota or heading farther north. The communities of Wagner, Pickstown and Lake Andes stand ready to welcome all birders for a wonderful weekend. 

One reason for interest in this festival is the unique birding opportunities that intersect this region. The Fort Randall location in Central South Dakota includes the Missouri River, Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge and Karl Mundt National Wildlife Refuge, which are all a major flyways for migrating birds. Birders will experience seeing a wide variety of bird species in a short period of time. During the 2011 festival, birders sighted 136 different species, including Green Heron, Hooded Merganser, Stilt Sandpiper, Eastern Screech Owl, Red Bellied Woodpecker, Bell’s Vireo, Palm Warbler and many more. One highlight of the  2011 festival was a Western Grebe paired with a Clark’s Grebe. 

With birding you never know what you’ll find. Numerous Snowy Owls descended on the area this past winter and attracted hundreds of visitors. Who knows what could appear on this weekend! 

The festival will offer a full schedule of birding activities beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 18 at the Rainbow Room in Pickstown. Registration, a social and refreshments are on tap with a presentation at 7:15 p.m. by Dr. Dave Swanson (Dept. of Biology, USD) on Bird Identification.

Saturday, May 19 will begin at 6:30 a.m. at the Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge with a Bird Banding Workshop. Continuing during the day will be Birding Field Trips, Basics of Photography workshop by Roger Dietrich (SD Nature Photographer), a program on Owls of South Dakota by Nancy Drilling (SD Projects Coordinator, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory), children’s program,  banquet and an Owling Field Trip at 9:15 p.m.

Sunday will begin with a Bird Banding Workshop at the Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge at 6:30 a.m. followed by a Birding Field Trip led by Mike Bryant (USF&WS) at the Karl Mundt National Wildlife Refuge at 7:45 a.m. The Karl Mundt Refuge is not open to the public except at this time which is an added bonus for festival attendees. 

For an event schedule and registration form, go to www.sdgreatlakes.org/greatoutdoors/birdinginfo.  Or call 605-384-3741.

Well, November and most of December has come and gone. The Presidents from Mount Rushmore were busy in November with their trip to the Big Apple. Here’s a nice recap video of where they went and how much fun they had. Check it out!

We have also announced a winner of the Mount Rushmore’s American Pride Vacation giveaway. Becky has accepted the prize and will be traveling to South Dakota sometime in 2012 with her husband and two children exploring the beauty of this great state.

Thanks for following along as the Presidents visited New York City. Next year is the third and final year of South Dakota Dept. of Tourism’s partnership with Macy’s, we look forward to revisiting this campaign then.

The Black Hills will be featured on a national level this holiday season. “A Christmas in the Black Hills,” a one-hour holiday special filmed in Deadwood and the Black Hills, will premier on Monday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. CT/6 p.m. MT on Great American Country (GAC).

Hosted by famed country duo Big & Rich, the special also features Thompson Square, Bradley Gaskin, Tracy Lawrence, Andy Gibson and The Farm in holiday scenes and songs around South Dakota’s Black Hills. Performances were filmed for the special at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, on Deadwood’s Main Street, Mt. Moriah Cemetery and the Saloon #10, the 1880 Train in Hill City, the Mickelson Trail, Pactola Lake, a buffalo herd and other locations.

According to GAC, during the special, Big & Rich will perform “Blue Christmas” and “Drunk on Christmas,” an original song by Saturday Night Live’s Jimmy Fallon. Bradley Gaskin sings “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem” while Thompson Square shares their rendition of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” from the back of a horse-drawn sleigh as well as “Christmas in Dixie,” and Tracy Lawrence hops on a 19^th century locomotive for “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Andy Gibson performs both “The Christmas Song” and “Feliz Navidad” and The Farm contributes their version of “Oh Holy Night.”

Christmas in the Black Hills wraps with the artists joining together for a medley of holiday classics. The special will re-air on GAC throughout the holiday season.

The special will be aired on GAC TV several times during December:

Monday, December 12
8 p.m. (ET) / 7 p.m. (CT) / 6 p.m. (MT)
11 p.m. (CT) / 10 p.m. (MT)

Tuesday, December 13
12 a.m. (ET)
10 a.m. (ET) / 9 a.m. (CT) / 8 a.m. (MT)
7 p.m. (ET) / 6 p.m. (CT) / 5 p.m. (MT)

Wednesday, December 21
8 p.m. (ET) / 7 p.m. (CT) / 6 p.m. (MT)
11 p.m. (CT) / 10 p.m. (MT)

Thursday, December 22
12 a.m. (ET)
11 a.m. (ET) / 10 a.m. (CT) / 9 a.m. (MT)

Friday, December 23
7 p.m. (ET) / 6 p.m. (CT) / 5 p.m. (MT)

Saturday, December 24
4 p.m. (ET) / 3 p.m. (CT) / 2 p.m. (MT)
11 p.m. (ET) / 10 p.m. (CT) / 9 p.m. (MT)

Sunday, December 25
3 a.m. (ET) / 2 a.m. (CT) / 1 a.m. (MT)

The Deadwood Chamber of Commerce, the City of Deadwood, Deadwood Mountain Grand and the South Dakota Department of Tourism partnered to bring GAC to the Black Hills to produce the special.