Happy Birthday, South Dakota! Today you are 129 years old and, if I am being honest, you have never looked better! Since today is all about you and all of your glorious Mount Rushmore State ways, we want to pay homage to you, which is why we have compiled this list of the 15 reasons why you are the BEST state in the country:
- Our days begin like this…
Flickr/USDA NRCS South Dakota If you think the best part of waking up is the generic coffee in your cup, you gotta get outside more often!
- …and end like that.
Flickr/IIP Photo Archive Every single night, folks… isn’t it wonderful?!
- Our people are some of the nicest you will ever meet!
Flickr/James Kendall South Dakotans may as well have inspired the term “Midwest nice.” (Maybe we did… can anyone confirm this?)
- Our cost of living is low…
Flickr/Hillary Whether you are just starting out or looking to retire, South Dakota is the place for you, thanks to our housing market being well below the national average (with median home costs sitting at $184,700, vs. $216,200).
- …yet our quality of life is high.
Flickr/Greg Younger Whether you love the outdoors, consider yourself a foodie, or are passionate about American history, you are guaranteed to find something in SoDak!
- Now for the obvious: We are home to the iconic Mount Rushmore…
Flickr/Matthew Paulson
- …Crazy Horse…
Flickr/Jerry and Pat Donaho
- …and the old Wall Drug.
Flickr/Courtney “Coco” Mault Needless to say, you will never run out of things to do see or do around South Dakota!
- Our cities are naturally beautiful.
Flickr/Jerry Does YOUR hometown have a gigantic, 100-foot-tall waterfall in the middle of everything? If you hail from Sioux Falls, it does!
- There’s nothing corny about SoDak!
Flickr/Eric Fredericks slaps knee See what we did there?
- We have the best German food outside of, well, Germany.
Flickr/74-ant-ma …and who do we have to thank for all of the delicious kuchen, kolache, and bierocks? Why, our immigrant grandparents and ancestors, of course!
- Speaking of Germany, South Dakota is a true melting pot of different cultures.
Flickr/Alane Golden From wonderful Native American tribes to proud German descendants to old-fashioned cowboys, the gang is all here in South Dakota.
- There is something here for young…
Flickr/Jody Halsted
- …and old alike.
Flickr/Jimmy Smith
- Finally, this is what our backyard looks like.
Flickr/CameliaTWU
Flickr/Jerry and Pat Donaho
Flickr/katie wheeler It’s a hard knock life for us… ¯_(ツ)_/¯
If you are ready to get out and celebrate South Dakota, we recommend trying The Restaurant With A One-Of-A-Kind View You’ll Only Find In South Dakota.
Flickr/USDA NRCS South Dakota
If you think the best part of waking up is the generic coffee in your cup, you gotta get outside more often!
Flickr/IIP Photo Archive
Every single night, folks… isn’t it wonderful?!
Flickr/James Kendall
South Dakotans may as well have inspired the term “Midwest nice.” (Maybe we did… can anyone confirm this?)
Flickr/Hillary
Whether you are just starting out or looking to retire, South Dakota is the place for you, thanks to our housing market being well below the national average (with median home costs sitting at $184,700, vs. $216,200).
Flickr/Greg Younger
Whether you love the outdoors, consider yourself a foodie, or are passionate about American history, you are guaranteed to find something in SoDak!
Flickr/Matthew Paulson
Flickr/Jerry and Pat Donaho
Flickr/Courtney “Coco” Mault
Needless to say, you will never run out of things to do see or do around South Dakota!
Flickr/Jerry
Does YOUR hometown have a gigantic, 100-foot-tall waterfall in the middle of everything? If you hail from Sioux Falls, it does!
Flickr/Eric Fredericks
slaps knee See what we did there?
Flickr/74-ant-ma
…and who do we have to thank for all of the delicious kuchen, kolache, and bierocks? Why, our immigrant grandparents and ancestors, of course!
Flickr/Alane Golden
From wonderful Native American tribes to proud German descendants to old-fashioned cowboys, the gang is all here in South Dakota.
Flickr/Jody Halsted
Flickr/Jimmy Smith
Flickr/CameliaTWU
Flickr/katie wheeler
It’s a hard knock life for us… ¯_(ツ)_/¯
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