Podcast · Immersion · On-location documentary
Produced for Travel South Dakota · Hosted by Brian Thacker
Join us on an immersive first-person journey through South Dakota, the land of infinite variety. Recorded on location in surround sound, this series is designed to do more than let you hear what it's like to be there; it's designed to let you feel what it's like for real.
Discover South Dakota like never before, with expert guides, local characters, and award-winning travel writer and host Brian Thacker, as we delve deep into the true heart of the state through the people and stories of this wild, free and ancient land.
Episodes
The Black Hills are home to more than 100 known caves - including the world's third-longest cave system at Jewel Cave National Monument with its miles of unmapped passageways, and the complex caves systems at Wind Cave National Park, which are not merely a geological wonder they also make up a sacred site for the Lakota people.
In South Dakota, the deep agricultural roots mean that visitors have plenty of chances to get a true hands-on experience, from exploring vineyards to see how wine is made to meeting farm animals and learning how to make cheese.
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is the biggest two-wheeled party in the world, drawing hundreds of thousands of riders. Set in the stunning Black Hills, it's a spectacle filled with roaring motorcycles, live rock concerts, custom bikes, and communal camaraderie.
p]:text-[#242F2F] max-w-prose text-base lg:text-lg [&>p]:text-base lg:[&>p]:text-lg leading-[1.5]"> There are two sides to every story. That's especially true when Lewis and Clark met the Teton Sioux.
The Black Hills Powwow is the biggest powwow in the U.S., where dancers, singers, artists, and spectators come from across North America to honor the spirit and beauty of the Great Plains Indigenous culture.
In South Dakota, hunting and fishing traditions run deep and are woven into the very fabric of the state's culture. Folks come from across the country to experience the pheasant-hunting capital of the world and to cast for walleye in the state's serene rivers and lakes.
In the winter of 1879, a man by the name of Charles Ingalls brought his family to South Dakota, fell in love with the area and filed for a formal homestead in the small community of De Smet.
The South Dakota culinary scene is heavily influenced by Indigenous people, Scandinavians, Germans, Russians, farmers, hunters… and even church basement ladies.
The Lakota people called it Mako Sica. It means bad lands. It's probably not a name that a tourism office would come up with. It sounds more like a desolate and forbidding landscape. So, is it a fitting name?
As soon as we walked into the barracks at Fort Sisseton, we were handed muskets - heavy Springfield 63s from the Civil war era. That's because we enlisted in the army. The Union Army that is.
Rodeo in the United States is a pure reflection of the spirit of the American West, and it's a tradition rooted in the folklore and culture of the country. And in South Dakota, it's not only the official sport - it's a way of life.
In Africa, people go on safari in search of the Big Five: the Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant and Buffalo. But in South Dakota, you can go in search of the huge five: Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Raptor and Mammoth.
"You're experiencing what you see on TV and the old western movies, the buffalo roaming across the prairie like that.
"Nobody's down here except for us ghost people and the hotel staff. And some of the hotel staff in the past wouldn't come down here by themselves. Things happen in here.
"It's kind of interesting that people that come here to Crazy Horse Memorial, because it's almost like there's a spiritual calling. They don't know quite what it is. But they feel it." – Paul LaRoche, Lakota tribe member and founder of the band Brulé.
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