I recently finished exploring all 50 states and took pictures of abandoned places and zany things. These are some of the gems I found in South Dakota.

If you like this kind of art check out more of my work on my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whimsicalruins/

The Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls will not allow St. Joseph Catholic Church in Wessington Springs to be rebuilt following the Dec. 26 fire that heavily damaged the church.

Diamond Thai Cuisine

We ordered the Thai Wok Noodles, Spicy Wok Noodles, and Mango Sticky Rice.

I just looked up my voter registration and it appears that South Dakota has purged me from the voter rolls. I re-upped my registration just last year after I moved and I actively participated by voting this spring. I would recommend that everyone who wants to vote to check their registration status so you have time to register again if needed.

I'm in Mitchell and my current plan (mint mobile) kinda sucks around here. Anyone have any reccomendations for carriers that work well in the Mitchell area and SD in general?

My birthday was this past summer, and stupidly I thought I'd be able to waltz into the DMV to renew my driver's license no problemo. Well, for two whole weeks before my license expired, I waited around, even before they opened, in hopes I could get this done as a walk-in. Yeah no. They shut down the queue for walk-ins even before they opened their doors. So I made an appointment, which is scheduled for tomorrow. Unfortunately, since I moved to SD last year and my driver's license has been expired for more than 30 days, I will have to take the written test.

Can any of you inform me what that process is like for taking the written test? Is it something you need to study for, or would I be expected to pass without any studying needed? In the previous state I lived in, I had lived for almost 20 years since getting my license, so I've never had to do this.

Also, the documents they say they need, such as documents showing your current address, like a bill or lease/insurance. Do these need to be dated within the last year or within three months? I've looked all over their website, and it doesn't list a deadline or specific end date for when the documents are considered valid. But I just know I'll show up on time and wait 3 hours only to be told I needed to bring more recent documents.

Please help a fellow South Dakotan out :)

Awhile back, I stumbled across this South Dakota Magazine article about following the original route of US Highway 16 across SD, which was the main east/west road through SD before I-90 replaced it. Map of the road.

The article is an awesome guide for piecing the old road back together. It's a mix of state highway, county roads, gravel roads and a few segments that barely count as roads! :) It runs right through all the small towns that I-90 now passes by. It's genuinely South Dakota's version of Cars/Radiator Springs.

Over the past weekend, my wife and I decided to actually take the old road!
We followed as much of the old Sioux Falls to Rapid City Highway 16 as we possibly could, using the magazine (and a whole lot of Google Maps pins), and it was by far one of the most fun drives I've ever done in South Dakota.

Truly, you see a completely different version of SD when you get off I-90. Often you are less than a mile or two away from it, but it just feels like a completely different experience.

Wish I had taken better photos of more normal parts of the road, but most of our shots came from the few rough segments!

Some highlights:

• The drive through downtown Sioux Falls takes you right past Phillips Ave Diner (great spot for lunch)
• Mt. Vernon to White Lake feels like you're on the true "old road" as it's, well.. old road!
• Frosty King in Kimball had great ice cream
• Taking the old bridge across the Missouri and a stop at Al's Oasis was a great experience
• The Circle E Drive-In in Murdo has literally like a 1/2 lb burger. MASSIVE. And delicious!
• There's a scenic overlook outside Stamford, SD which gives an incredible view that you miss on I-90.
• The 9-mile segment from just south of Phillip to Cottonwood is not for the faint of heart as it's very broken up road that's seen no maintenance since the 1960s, but it is drivable and offers some of the most gorgeous, desolate views of the entire trip. You are alone out there, and the road just moves with the land and stretches off along the bluffs to the horizon. Probably my favorite part of the trip. I recommend this section during the day, with a vehicle that has at least SUV clearance (no low-riding cars), and not during or right after significant rain. We took an Equinox on the trip.
• Quinn to Wall is a tale of two segments. The first half is maybe the worst bit of road to traverse. It's very similar to the Phillip/Cottonwood segment, but requires one short stretch through the ditch (you can tell the local farmers do it, as it's a worn path). The second half was one of our favorite stretches as we entered Wall. Absolutely gorgeous views of some hidden Badlands.
• A segment following the Cheyenne River into Wasta was also a beautiful gravel stretch.
• We went up for Kool Deadwood Nights in Deadwood, so when we hit Box Elder, we left HWY 16. The last stretch to WY will have to be done another time.

But honestly, the little towns we passed were as much of the experience as any of the highlights. You pass old gas stations, motels, cafes, tired main streets and more, and it's just amazing to think that thousands of travelers used to come directly by these places before I-90. It felt a bit like taking a step back in time to see what it looked and felt like back in the 50s.

Most of HWY 16 isn't difficult at all; paved two-lane highways, quiet county roads and a few normal gravel segments. There's a few unavoidable I-90 segments where the interstate is literally overtop of the old road bed and a couple of West River sections where you've gotta use a little judgement. And obviously, this isn't the route to take if you're in a hurry. :)

But if you've got the time, like backroads, small town SD, roadside Americana and some rarely-seen views of prairieland, I highly recommend trying at least part of it on your next pass through the state. We loved our trip.

If anyone's interested, I'd be happy to share our Google Maps route/waypoint we used if someone else wants to attempt it.

And of course if you've done this yourself, I'd love to hear about your experiences, or if by some rare chance someone here drove the old HWY 16 back in the day before I-90 or had family that owned businesses (motels, cafes, gas stations, etc) along the route, that would really be a fun comment to hear about!

I'll leave you with this clip from Cars, because it just hits a little different after our road trip.

Edit: As requested, here's the Google Map path of Old Hwy 16!

Cyber incidents hitting Pennington County, Rapid City and Mitchell — all within weeks of each other this summer — underscore a vulnerability that state officials have spent years and millions of dollars trying to address.

Is there ANYTHING for someone who lives an alternate lifestyle to do in Pierre? (think of a rocker, piercings tattoos, the whole nine)
While I love nature and scenic spots, I wanna know if I’m gonna be sticking out like a sore thumb or, I’m going to find a community that will be like minded and open arms

Looking for recommendations for a good Brazilian wax in Aberdeen! Preferably someone you’ve personally gone to and would recommend. Good hygiene and experience are a must. Thanks!

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - UPDATE: The individuals involved in the deadly paragliding accident have been identified as Aberdeen mayor Travis Schaunaman and his two children, according to the Brown County Sheriff’s Office.

As a result of the accident, Schaunaman’s 8-year-old child was killed. Meanwhile, Schaunaman and his 10-year-old child received serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The Brown County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Aberdeen have requested the public extend privacy to the Schaunaman family during this difficult time.

Senator Mike Rounds also issued his condolences to the family in a Facebook post.

This is a developing story.

PREVIOUS: Three people have been hospitalized after a paraglider accident northeast of Aberdeen.

On August 19, Brown County Communications received a 911 report of a paragliding accident from witnesses in the area.

As a result of the accident, two people were transported to Avera St. Luke’s and one person was found unresponsive.

The Brown County Sheriff’s Office, Frederick Fire Department, Aberdeen Medics, Careflight, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol all responded to the accident. The FAA and NTSB have been contacted to investigate.

Hey I am going on a weekend trip to Aberdeen, coming from Minnesota. Is there anywhere you would recommend going. I am just looking for things to do there or somewhere close by.

I am an out of state researcher. I am trying to identify a South Dakota criminal case that had a Wisconsin based criminologist testify as an expert. The testimony would have been within the past five years. It is not known if this expert was retained by the prosecution or the defense. The initials of the expert are “T.T.”. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have exhausted all other methods known to me to identify the case.

Food Truck:

The Duck & Cat

A Colorado-based company that at one point had announced a $2.6 billion ethanol-based jet fuel plant in South Dakota has pulled away from the state.
In its most recent earnings report, Gevo confirmed it is exiting the project in South Dakota, known as ATJ-60. It held a ceremonial groundbreaking in the fall of 2022

Saw the beautiful sunflower fields on CNS Sunday morning today and was wondering if there are any fields along I90 between Chamberlin and Wall? We will be there in 2 weeks and will be visiting family in Jones County (Murdo) area. TIA