South Dakota's Tourism Soars to New Heights

There is no doubt that the term "flyover country" just doesn't apply to South Dakota. In the last year, tourism has grown yet again.

In fact, it has grown so much that it has smashed two previous records. Dakota News Now is reporting that Travel South Dakota "found that 14.7 million people visited the state in 2023". That broke the 2022 record by about five percent.

That in turn led to the hotel rooms record being broken with 5.1 million hotel rooms being booked in 2023.

The report also pointed out that not just businesses benefit from a big boost in the tourism industry. 58,000 jobs are supported by tourism. That's an astounding 1 in 11 jobs. And those jobs "generated $2.2 billion in income for those employees and their families" according to Wanda Goodman from Travel South Dakota.

The way things are going for our state, it looks like 2024 could be another record-breaking year for the tourism industry!

Source: Dakota News Now

South Dakota Is Home to Two of the World’s Biggest Caves

When you're looking for some of the biggest ones of these on the planet, look no further than South Dakota.

You'll find them right under your nose.

Statista has compiled a list of the longest caves in the world and two of the top six are just 30 miles apart in the Black Hills.

Haunted Locations and Scary Legends Around Sioux Falls

Halloween is steeped in scary traditions. Trick-or-Treating, frightening costumes, local actors in "haunted" houses, and the pitch-black darkness of area corn mazes.

However, if we set out to find the real haunted areas what would we find? Over the last 30 years that I have lived in Sioux Falls, a few locations still gain attention as being haunted.

And yes, a handful of thrill-seeking people will show up on our favorite eerie night for what could be a viral video moment or experience a misty phantom first-hand.

Let's take a little tour of the more famous hauntings around Sioux Falls. Turn on the lights and cue the Cowardly Lion: "I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks..."

Gallery Credit: Danny V