In a climate of adrenaline-laced excitement, it is rare to find an escape of a different sort – not an escape from the mundane with cheap thrills, bu t an escape from the whirlwind with something peaceful and quieting.
OLD MACDONALD’ S FARM & BLACK HILLS CAVERNS
In a climate of adrenaline-laced excitement, it is rare to find an escape of a different sort – not an escape from the mundane with cheap thrills, bu t an escape from the whirlwind with something peaceful and quieting.
Thane and Gina Rose, both born and raised in western South Dakota, offer tourists and locals alike two sources of wholesome, hands-on, whole-family, all-ages diversion with their two businesses, Black Hills Caverns on Highway 44 and Old MacDonald’ s Farm on Highway 16. From panning for gemstones to bottle feeding baby animals, they’ ve got you and your family covered!
When the summer temperatures soar, cave exploration is a great way to stay cool, and Black Hills Caverns, located west of Rapid City on Highway 44, offers the perfect opportunity. Discovered in the 1880s by gold seekers and opened as a public attraction in the 1930s, Black Hills Caverns has offered untold numbers the chance to marvel at a facet of the Black Hills that often goes unnoticed.
“ In spite of its long history, this isn’ t a particularly well-known cave,” Thane Rose said, perfect for those who enjoy an off-the-beatentrail experience.
“ A lot of locals don’ t know this cave exists, but people from out of town do, because there are a lot of people who follow the cave world and go on cave vacations.”
He and Gina spoke highly of their tour guides, who lead their guests on two different choices of cave tour, providing narration and scientific explanation and answering questions from curious visitors. The Adventure Tour is the most extensive, covering nearly ¾ of a mile of distance over the one-hour tour, including all three of the cave’ s levels. The Crystal Tour lasts a half hour and covers 1500 feet of distance, showing off the cave’ s variety of calcite crystals. In addition to underground exploration, kids of all ages are invited to pan for a variety of gemstones, shark teeth and other fossils in some hands-on fun, or mine for crystals that they can keep as souvenirs.
The Rose family purchased the Caverns about a year and a half ago, so they are excited to be open for their second season and to continue to share Black Hills Caverns with their many guests who visit over the course of the summer.
And if marveling at stalactites and stalagmites or panning for gemstones isn’ t quite your cup of tea, maybe something furred or feathered is, and if that’ s the case, Old MacDonald’ s Farm is the place to be.
A staple in the Rapid City area since 2001, Old MacDonald’ s Farm is located west of Rapid City, conveniently on the way to Keystone or Hill City near Bear Country. It is described as a petting zoo, but don’ t let that fool you with memories of the one-pen county fair petting zoo from your childhood! The seven-acre farm is a petting zoo and playground rolled into one, a fully-enclosed
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