Honeymoon Road Trip Days 3 & 4- Camping in South Dakota

Welcome to Days 3 & 4 of our honeymoon, a 10-day roadtrip from Central Florida to Seattle. For those of you new to MeltingPotTravel.com, click here for the background informtion on our trip.

The drive to South Dakota was surprisingly interesting. Having never been this far west, we were amazed at the various terrains and landscapes. Even the stretches of endless crops along the highway were new and intriguing.

While in St. Louis the night before, we visited the Gateway Arch and saw displays and exhibits of Lewis and Clark's famous expedition.  Over the two days of driving I-29, we periodically saw markers and signs detailing their adventure.  It's amazing to imagine yourself standing at what was an alien wilderness 200 years before, with unknown challenges lying before you.

We arrived at our first campsite in Big Sioux Recreation Area near Sioux Falls and Brandon, SD. The recreation area lies on the Big Sioux River and has plenty of activites for adults and kids alike. There is a paved hiking & biking trail that winds through the entire park, but we opted for a short hike on one of the off road trails in the park. Hiking along the Big Sioux River was not only relaxing but it gave us an opportunity to test our water filteration system. We were using Katadyn Micro water bottles for this trip and they worked well for day hikes.  I don't recommend them for backcountry camping, or multiday trips. They only carry 21 oz which goes fast if it's your only water supply.  We have since upgraded to the Katadyn Hiker Pro Micro system and love it. (I will be writing reviews of various water filtration systems soon.)

The second day we drove to Mount Rushmore and camped at Horsethief Lake Campground, not to be confused with Horsethief Campground. The former, we found out, has no running water, i.e. showers or toilets.  So as before, we were presented the opportunity to practice our outdoor skills in preparation for the backcountry of Yellowstone.  The drive to Horsethief Lake offered a surprising view of Mount Rushmore.  The drive took us right by the entrance, which was a very moving view in its self, but as we past to the west we had a awesome profile view of President Washington.