I skipped the interstate and followed backroads through misty tree-choked canyons to Rapid City. Despite its designation as South Dakota’s second largest city, Rapid City’s population hovers around 85,000 souls allowing it to retain a small-town feel while offering visitors a range of activities.
To get a feel for Rapid City, I hopped aboard the City View Trolley Tour, which just happened to board downtown at the Rushmore Hotel where I was staying. The two-hour narrated tour includes stops at the Chapel of the Hills, a replica of the Borgund Stave Church in Norway entirely constructed of wooden boards, or staves, and the whimsical Dinosaur Park where prehistoric beasts keep watch atop a hill affording 360-degree views of the city and beyond.