Jewel Cave, 11149 U.S. Highway 16, Custer, SD 57730
Get your ticket and go. Jewel Cave is pretty interesting. If you are afraid of being in an enclosed space you might find it a bit scary. You have to take an elevator down into the cave. They have lights and a clear path to walk on, but when they turn the lights off it gets dark fast.
They let you touch a rock at the start so that you can get it out of your system.
It can be a little bit chilly in the cave so take a jacket. The sun does not heat the place. In fact nothing gets into the place. No bugs, no animals, nothing is down there.
If you are more adventurous they also have spelunking available. When they describe how they make it through some of the smaller areas it makes me shiver.
This particular cave it one of the better ones in the area. If you want to see the inside of one this one might be the right choice.
You can find out additional information at their website: Jewel Cave.
Late September or early October the grand event of Oto Days rolls around. The first year was 2014 and this little town ballooned in size. It was a great success. The town comes together to make this event happen. The people help each other beautify the town and the neighborhoods.
Leading up to the event were the pink flamingos. You would come home and find a flock of pink flamingos on your lawn. You could then pay to have them removed and placed on someone else’s lawn. It gave weeks of entertainment and helped raise funds.
The carnival comes to town and the kids and some adults can ride the rides or play the games. Buy a few tickets and enjoy the ride.
There are other organized events as well. At the new park the kids can play games to win prizes. Wow, this park is pretty sweet.
Vendors sell items like pampered chef and caricatures. The new owner’s of Smitty’s Bar & Grill opened shortly before the event in 2014. Lefty Leigh’s had their big opening during this event in 2015.
Smitty’s Bar & Grill has a big outdoor live music show in the evenings. You can play horseshoes during the day. There is a big tractor show and other events as well. Like human foosball.
Did I mention the trick pony?
Like the City of Oto on Facebook to find out when the next Oto Days will be held. It is a great event and I didn’t even mention half of the entertainment items and events.
The Minnesota Twins always play well throughout the baseball season. They often get to the playoffs.
They recently moved into a new stadium and I have to commend the planning team on this one. Driving to the parking ramps was super simple. I suggest taking a vehicle that isn’t too big and turns well because the spiral to get between floors is a bit tight. The cost of parking is reasonable. I suggest bringing cash. Leaving the ramp was easier than getting there, mostly due to construction we passed through on our way there.
Enough about driving. If your tickets are at the will call area simple walk over to the front gates and you will see a number of windows. It is important that the tickets are in your name as you need to provide ID in order to pick them up. Web: Twins Tickets
You walk into the stadium on the second level near the first baseline. The initial view is very exciting. As you walk around to find your seats you will pass all sorts of vendors. The food vendors sell some great items like a steak sandwich which is really tender or chips and guacamole which I enjoyed. You can buy a beer or a hard cider, yum.
Now for the game. I find baseball boring to watch, but I actually enjoyed being at this game. It is easy to pay attention because if you don’t you may end up catching a line drive the hard way. The music and the displays also help to keep you engaged. If you are lucky you might find yourself on the screen, circle me.
Kids love being at the game. The big screen specifically chooses children for a number of activities and they love to show off for the camera. A lucky kid might get a foul ball tossed to them for a lifetime memory. This is definitively a family event.
China Town Buffet, 937 Sheridan, Cody Wyoming 82414
China Town Buffet is a pretty good Chinese buffet downtown Cody, WY. I have never had a bad meal at this buffet. Everyone I know in the area likes to eat there. The food is fresh and cooked just right. The flavors are subtle and not overwhelming. You can add some additional sauces if you wish.
They only serve buffet. You can get it to go or you can dine in. The tables are clean. There is one room with all of the food and a separate dining area. The people that run it are really nice and friendly.
You can choose to eat inside our in the large outdoor seating area.
The dinner buffet is slightly more than the lunch buffet, but has a few more higher end items on it.
The price of the Hilton is really good for what you get. This isn’t your low end hotel. Everything about it is nice. You pay a little extra for this, but not a lot extra. A lot of the rooms are cheaper or at the same rate that I have paid at somewhat iffy places on my travels. Everything in this hotel looks so nice, so clean, and so upscale.
This is a great hotel to use as a base for both a vacation and for business travel. It is right near the airport, the Mall of America, the bus stations at the mall (there are probably ones closer), and the light rail. The hotel offers shuttles.
The Hilton near the Mall of America has recently been renovated and the inside looks sweet. The staff at this Hilton want to make your stay a great one. The rooms are clean, which was the truth even before the renovations. Most of the cleaning staff has worked there for eight or nine years which says a lot. Check out the inside of this suite. This Hilton passes 4 inspections per year and does very well on them.
bedroom area of the executive suitethe suite area separate from the bedroom area
The lobby area is very nice. You can hang out in the seating area or the bar. The drinks are great and reasonably priced for the twin cities. Take the time to get to know your fellow travelers and guests. During the week you will run into business travelers. On Friday and Saturday you are more likely to run into someone on vacation.
Initial seating area outside of the barView of the bar from the front entrance.
The bar has 3 entrances, seating around the actual bar and seating near the fireplace.
The food
I have attended 2 events at the Hilton and the food is amazing, and I truly mean amazing. If you want food that is actually better than you can make at home I suggest eating here.
The chef comes up with the most incredible recipes. I had a duck and wild boar dish that was to-die-for. His soups are incredible.
They had a state fair theme at one of the events and the hot dog/sausage link thing I had was what I remember a good hot dog tasting like. The bacon on a stick was pretty great too.
I hear the fish tacos are incredible and the Ruben is wonderful as well.
El Parian – 1960 Cliff Lake Rd #117, Eagan, MN 55122
Let’s get Mexican tonight! This is the restaurant I mean when I say that phase. It is actually the second best Mexican restaurant in Eagan, but the closest to me.
The food is consistently good, but never great. If you are picking up it usually takes 10 – 15 minutes. You can get in and out if you are dining in pretty quick, but they do not have many seats. You will occasionally have to wait.
The tables are clean and I love the huge portraits on the walls. You can often catch a soccer game on the tube. There isn’t a bar area as the restaurant is super small.
The drinks are pretty good. Treat yourself to a margarita.
You automatically get chips and salsa, all you want. I like the red salsa. The white salsa looks like a ranch, but it is not. The chips are really good and while salty, generally not too salty.
Number 3: Taco, chili relleno, and enchilada
Currently I am eating my way through the menu. The hard shell tacos are pretty good. The chili relleno was good, just remember it is a giant pepper, but not hot. I am not a huge fan of their ground beef. I do like their chicken. Their rice and beans are amazing.
If you have never eaten at a Chick-Fil-A then you have never had amazing fast food chicken.
Warning: if you are allergic to peanuts you may want to stay away. Take note: cooking the waffle fries in peanut oil makes them amazing.
Chick-fil-a started down south by a southern baptist family and has never gone public which is why the quality of the food has never suffered. Some of the restaurants are franchise. The price back in the day seemed higher than most fast restaurants, but these days I would call it perfectly priced.
This restaurant is a throwback to a day of unapologetic cooking (peanut oil) and Styrofoam cups (look my ice isn’t melting). They do not care about maximizing profits and appeasing everyone. They care about offering a great meal.
Everyone talks about Chick-Fil-A’s chicken sandwich. I disagree. The chicken nuggets are where it is at. Chunks of chicken very lightly coated with a great seasoning. Always pair your chicken with waffle fries, always. If you want sauce you need to ask because they will not.
The Apple Valley Chick-Fil-A is amazing. The food is always cooked right. They get you through the lines inside and out quite quickly. It looks full most of the time, but do not let that scare you off.
You can always hear children playing in the game room, not too loud. There is a car in there about six feet or so off the ground. Looks like fun if you are that age.
The Bloomington Chick-Fil-A is pretty good, but on occasion they do not meet the perfection of the others I have eaten at. That being said one of the chicken sandwich’s served there was described to me as the greatest chicken sandwich ever made.
Kids really seem to like this Chick-Fil-A. You can really hear them having a grand time in the playroom.
Hampton Inn – 240 North 27th Street, Spearfish, SD 57783
The Hampton Inn in Spearfish, SD is right off the interstate and clustered near a few other hotels in case you didn’t make a reservation. The prices are fairly low. The hotel seems clean. Here is their website.
Issues I have had with this particular hotel include a deadbolt that wouldn’t lock due to the door not being properly aligned, tiny pillows, and the breakfast.
You get a free breakfast at this hotel, but it isn’t very good. Everything is prepackaged and then heated up which is what you would expect at a hotel of this quality. Actually based on how nice the inside of this hotel is and the dining area I expected more, but they do not have a proper kitchen area or connected restaurant so you get prepackaged food. This might not be an issue, but I swear the potatoes were freezer burned last time we ate there.
The bed is actually really nice, but then they give you a ton of tiny pillows. Move your head to the side and boom you are on the bed and not the pillow. It is pretty annoying. The bathrooms are new and nice.
You do have access to WiFi and I believe it works fairly well. They also have a pool. The children running the halls seemed to be very happy about that. There are stairs at the end of the halls or an elevator that you can take in the middle.
Overall it is an OK place to stay, but I suggest getting your breakfast somewhere else. The price makes it a place worth staying in this area. Plus on the other side of the interstate is a pretty decent Perkins chain restaurant where you can get your breakfast or a late meal.
Sylvan Lake Lodge – 13389 US Hwy 16A, Custer, SD 57730
Stay in the Lodge or in one of their cabins just around the corner and you have a great place to start your trip around Sylvan Lake and up Harney Peak . You can also take your chances through driving through Needles Highway, slow down and drive a smaller vehicle.
We stayed in one of the cabins. Some cabins are bigger than others. Ours had 2 beds and a bathroom. The campfire outside was nice and the fireplace inside was fun to have in the room. We found some flying insects in the room, but this is a park and bound to happen.
The cabins are a very short walk to the lodge and the restaurant. We ate breakfast and one dinner at the lodge. The lounge area is really nice. We took our dinner on the outdoor patio. There is an opening along the wall of the patio that you can take right off a ledge or down to the front of the building, I love South Dakota. It is very tread at your own risk.
Breakfast the lodge can be a little slow, but the food is amazing: pancakes, try the pancakes. The bacon was pretty good too. The restaurant is very high end for South Dakota. Check out their menu.
This cost is high for South Dakota, but not super expensive. Really the overall cost was rather reasonable. Plus you are right there to start your trek up to Harney Peak or around Sylvan Lake.
The Alpine Inn is great from a location standpoint being super close to Harney Peak and a ton of other places like Mount Rushmore. It has a long history and is family owned. It’s history dates back to the gold rush. I cannot speak to the lodging, but they keep the stairs to the upstairs area well watched and you have an excellent bar and restaurant right below your feet when you stay here. The prices look reasonable.
Check out their rates and the restaurant menu on their website, Alpine Inn Hill City.
Now let’s discuss the restaurant and bar. Expect to wait for a table in the evening and take advantage of their indoor or outdoor bar area as you wait. The wait is well worth it.
Their lunch menu has a few more items to choose from on it than their dinner menu, but their dinner menu is awesome both the items on it and due to how short it is.
We went for dinner. I enjoyed a nice glass of wine while we sat on the porch. They moved the people through pretty quickly. This is a cash only til so make sure you have cash on you before you go inside. They also have an ATM available to use.
I love the atmosphere inside the restaurant. It seems like a rather large restaurant, but it is divided into many little areas with very low lighting. We ended up in a room with 4 tables and one other set of guests.
Your evening dinner choices basically come down to meat or vegetarian. With a second choice of small cut of meat or large cut of meat. Oh and the meat item is a dirt cheap filet mignon. For those of you who have never heard of filet mignon this particular cut of meat is meant to be eaten medium rare so please do not ask them to burn it to a crisp. The salad was a quarter wedge of lettuce covered in homemade ranch dressing, so good and simple.
I was scared based on the price, but this was a truly amazing meal. Super cheap for what you get, but very good quality.
This place is well known for their desserts. Order one. Just do it.
Everything is great about The Alpine Inn. If you are in the area definitely stop in, this place is worth it.
