A Summer Weekend in Rapid City: How to Get There, What to Do, and Where to Eat

We celebrated America’s 250th birthday in Rapid City, and it totally delivered! What struck us was how many fun activities we could pack in just a few days, while simultaneously feeling like we could have spent much more time in the area. 

Getting to Rapid City from Chicago

We found flying to Rapid City from Chicago was very easy! There are multiple direct flights daily between the two cities with United Airlines and American Airlines. 

Highlights From the Weekend

Downtown Rapid City is both lively and historic, with nice public spaces, great shops, and many tasty restaurants, while just outside of Rapid City sits some of the most iconic scenery in the entire country. Here is what we did:

Real America Birthday Bash: Celebrating America’s 250

Rapid City went all out celebrating this historic Independence Day! It started with a huge 4th of July parade. There were two stages filled with performances. We really enjoyed watching The Lakota Nation Stampede Singers and learning about the Lakota culture from Jeremiah and his two sons. The two headliners, Chancey Williams and Brandon Jones, had the whole crowd singing along. The first night of our trip ended with an incredible drone show and the second night ended with some spectacular fireworks, both equally impressive!

Taking in the History

Everywhere we go, we love learning about the city itself and its history. Both the City View Trolley Tour and the Guided Downtown Walking Tour were great ways for us to acquaint ourselves with the area. It’s always nice to have an expert with you to ask questions and dig deeper into the history. 

Exploring the Serene Surrounding Area

Rapid City really is located in one of the most iconic and beautiful regions of the United States! We took a day (could have easily been a week) to explore the area, including Dinosaur Park, Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and Crazy Horse Memorial®. All these landmarks are within driving distance from each other, so it is not hard to see all in one day. We really enjoyed learning more about Native American history, culture, and experiences at Crazy Horse Memorial® and hiking through the beautiful nature in Custer State Park. 

Downtown Gems

Downtown Rapid City has a real creative side along with great shops to explore! We wandered through Art Alley, then popped into Art House for super-cute stationery and art supplies, the Rapid City Visitor Center to help plan our trip, and Prairie Edge for an amazing selection of Native American art, books, jewelry, and more.

All the Downtown Bites

Here are a few of our favorite restaurants from the trip:

• Ma Cualli - Well-loved for a reason, absolutely delicious!

• The Bestro - Perfect for a quick bite and some coffee.

• Tally's Silver Spoon - Local spot for a hearty breakfast.

• The Sour - Very well done bakery. You have to try the chocolate chip cookie.

• Holy Sm(oaks) Craft BBQ - Great ribs and the staff is super friendly. 

• Harriet & Oak - The cutest cafe, and you can even eat inside an iconic VW Van. 

• Kathmandu Bistro - Great Nepali and Indian food.

Where We Stayed

We stayed at the Hyatt Place Rapid City Downtown, which is hard to beat location-wise as it is within walking distance to pretty much everything in Downtown Rapid City. 

Rapid City is a world-class travel destination for a reason! Between the

charm of downtown and the iconic sites close by, there is so much to do! For us, celebrating America’s 250 was just the cherry on top!

Plan your own trip at VisitRapidCity.com.

This blog post was sponsored by Visit Rapid City. Opinions are my own.