The Travel South Dakota Stories Podcast

South Dakota is a haven for underground adventures, with more than 100 known caves and counting. Join host Brian Thacker to journey beneath the Black Hills for hands-on spelunking into the depths of Jewel Cave. Listen to the stories of pioneer explorer Chris Pelczarski as the team crawls through narrow passages where time stands still. Then, follow Brian to Wind Cave National Park, where park ranger Sina Bear Eagle shares the Lakota Emergence Story and its deep spiritual meaning.

Explore vineyards. Learn how to make cheese. Meeting friendly farm animals like Oreo the cow. Participating in agritourism means you’re tapping into a way of life that few visitors see while also learning the origins of your favorite food and drink. Join host Brian Thacker as he takes a stroll through a hops farm, helps brew some beer, and makes cheese with some friendly emus.

Every August, hundreds of thousands of riders hit the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the biggest two-wheeled party in the world. Join host Brian Thacker as he takes in the sights and music of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip, rides Main Street on a Fat Boy Harley-Davidson, meets a 100-year-old rider, and hits the road out to Bear Butte State Park to learn about its spiritual significance to the Lakota people.

In 1804, worlds collided along the Missouri River when Lewis and Clark first faced the Teton Sioux — a meeting that began in curiosity but nearly ended in disaster. In this episode, local voices relive that pivotal encounter and offer insight into Indigenous life in central South Dakota before the explorers' arrival. 

The Black Hills Powwow is the biggest powwow in the United States, where hundreds of Native performers and thousands of spectators come from across North America to honor the spirit and beauty of the Great Plains Indigenous culture. Join us as we take in the sights and stories from this enduring celebration.

Hunting and fishing traditions are woven into the very fabric of South Dakota's culture. Find out how those traditions are being kept alive through time as you meet avid hunters, anglers, bird dogs and veteran guides who all return year after year in pursuit of central South Dakota’s rich natural bounty.

South Dakota's culinary scene has been shaped by Indigenous people, immigrants, farmers, hunters … and even church-basement ladies. From a festival celebrating the official state nosh to an award-winning restaurant in an unexpected place, follow us on a four-course road trip of South Dakota’s most unique flavors.

The Lakota people call it Mako Sica — “bad lands.” So, is it a fitting name? Find out as we hike through a colorful tapestry of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires in Badlands National Park, where we discover ancient fossils, wildlife and scenes straight out of a Western movie.

As soon as we arrive at Fort Sisseton, we’re handed Civil War-era muskets. That’s because we’ve enlisted in the Army — the Union Army! Join us at the Fort Sisseton Historical Festival, where we take part in marching drills, sleep in a haunted hospital and step on toes at the Military Ball, all while learning about the fort’s place in American history.