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We recently returned from another trip to visit family in South Dakota and Iowa! Now, if you know our family, you know I’ve visited this area many, many times. It’s where my in-laws live, after all, so many visits, it’s not the most exciting of destinations. But this trip? This one felt different.

Our son was so young the previous trips that he doesnt have strong memories of his long distance family. But now he iis at an age where he’s more likely to remember these experiences, and seeing his excitement, especially hanging out with all his family, made it a trip to remember for me too. He had a blast with his six first cousins and thirteen second cousins! In fact, he’s already talking about going back next summer for his own little “Family Camp” haha!

This trip was a really good mix of revisiting familiar spots and diving into some truly unique experiences. We explored the Falls of Sioux Falls (which the child didn’t remember seeing before), spent time in the fast-growing suburb of Harrisburg, South Dakota, with family, and then ventured into Iowa. We also had the pleasure of attending the annual Threshing Bee in Granite, Iowa (dont worry, I explain below).

Of course, no Iowa trip for us is complete without a visit to the Iowa Great Lakes region, where we reunited with the whole crew at Village West at Lake Okoboji. And what’s a family vacation without some amusement park fun? We made sure to hit up Arnold’s Park and even braved “The Legend” roller coaster (unfortunately the kiddo was too short for that one, but he loved the park!)!

So, whether you’re looking for inspiration for your next midwest getaway or just want to nerd out about travel and unique experiences, grab a cozy drink and come along for the ride. I promise it’s a fun one!

(Just click on a photo to see its description!)

Revisiting South Dakota and Iowa: A Photo Journal

The Sioux Falls

We have visited the falls a number of times, but our son didnt remember seeing them from our earlier visits, plus I needed some cheesy souvenirs. So we took a trip into town, visited the falls, and enjoyed a delicious lunch at one of the many downtown eateries.

Now these aren’t massive or impressive like Niagara but the Falls of Sioux Falls are a beautiful natural wonder and the entire reason the city exists. The falls were formed over 14,000 years ago (!!!!) when the last glacier melted and carved a path through the incredibly hard, pinkish Sioux quartzite bedrock (which you see everywhere… homes, buildings, statues…). That stone is what gives the falls and the park such a unique and beautiful color.

These falls used to be a hub of activity for Native American tribes, a place for hunting, trading, gathering, etc. Later, they became a common meeting point for early explorers and fur trappers. The founders of the city in the 1850s saw the falls not just for their beauty, but for their potential power: they wanted to harness that rushing water for mills and industry, and even though some of those early ventures failed (like the massive Queen Bee Mill, whose ruins you can still see!), the falls laid the foundation for the city’s growth.

Today, Sioux Falls has blossomed into a bustling city of around 200,000 people, making it the largest city in South Dakota. While it started as a small frontier town, it’s grown steadily over the decades, especially in the 20th century with the arrival of a meat-packing plant and military bases; today, the health care and bioscience industries are fueling the city’s growth, as well as financial services (my own employer based in Chicago, even has a large branch downtown Sioux Falls!).

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Harrisburg, South Dakota

Just south of Sioux Falls is a small town called Harrisburg, where some of my in-laws live. We’ve spent time in Harrisburg on almost every trip to the area, but this was the first time I intentionally catalogued its charms and appreciated it through a fresh lens. Harrisburg has become one of the fastest-growing communities in South Dakota. It’s exploded from a small town into a thriving suburb with a population that’s jumped from just over 4,000 in 2010 to a projected over 10,000 today. And I can see why! Walkable, safe neighborhoods with sidewalks and located near local parks make it so kids can roam more freely like we did in the 1990s.

Kids today don’t get enough unstructured, unsupervised free play time, and its contributing to a wealth of problems. We try to give Skyler as many opportunities for unstructured, unsupervised play time as possible. Which is one reason I like visiting these sorts of towns. Places we can give Skyler moments to practice his independence, where he can get a sense of moving through the world without being supervised all the time. Harrisburg gives him that opportunity.

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The Threshing Bee of Granite, Iowa

What in the world is a Threshing Bee?

Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard the term; it was brand new to me, too! If you’ve ever seen an old-school farming movie, you might have a clue. Threshing is the process of separating the grain (like wheat, oats, or rye) from the rest of the plant. Originally, this was done by hand (UG can you imagine), with people literally beating the stalks of wheat with a stick. (Okay, that does sound like a great arm workout.) Later on, they used big steam-powered machines called “threshing machine” that would separate the grain from the rest of the plant, collecting the good stuff in one place and spitting out the straw in another.

Historically, a “threshing bee” was a big community get-together, kind of like a modern-day block party but with a lottttt more hard work! Back when farming was done with horses and steam engines instead of combines, harvesting grain was a massive undertaking. Farmers couldn’t do it alone. So, they’d all pitch in and help their neighbors! This communal effort of harvesting and separating the wheat or other grain from the stalks was called a “threshing bee” and it was a huge social event! The men would work the machines, the women would prepare massive feasts, and the kids would help out and play. It was all about neighbors helping neighbors and building a strong community, and a lot of these gatherings still hold that spirit today!

Today, Granite hosts its annual threshing bee in July and we had the grand pleasure of being able to attend! The Granite Threshing Bee isn’t just any old fair; it’s a full on festival and living piece of history! The town of Granite, though small today, was once a thriving little community. It was founded in 1886 and even had its own railroad depot! The town’s population was around 50 people back in the early 1900s, and most of those folks were connected to farming. 

Today, most of the original buildings are gone but many preserved historical buildings (or reconstructions) make it feel like you’re stepping back in time to Granite’s lively past. The Granite Threshing Bee is a way for the current residents and visitors to remember and honor those who came before them.  Beyond the amazing demonstrations of antique threshing machines, you can see a kids’ tractor pull, a parade of old tractors and cars, and. We had such a fun time and Im so glad we got to have this experience. The spirit of community and agriculture lives on through this super fun local annual event.

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Village West at Lake Okoboji

Lake Okoboji is part of a lovely chain of glacial lakes in northwest Iowa known as the Iowa Great Lakes that were carved out by the massive Des Moines Lobe of the Wisconsin Glacier over 14,000 years ago! Spirit Lake is the largest natural lake in Iowa, and it is connected to 5 other lakes, including East and West Lake Okoboji, Upper Gar, Lower Gar, and Minnewashta Lake. West Lake Okoboji is famous for its deep, clear, water. In fact, it’s the deepest natural lake in Iowa(!!!!), plunging down to 136 feet!

The arrival of the railroad in the 1880s turned the Okoboji area into a booming resort destination. People from all over would take the train to escape the heat and enjoy the pristine lakes. Grand hotels and amusement parks, like the iconic Arnolds Park, popped up all along the shoreline.

Village West Resort has a cool history of its own. Back in 1948, a man named Hobart Ross bought 68 acres of farmland with a vision to create a vacation destination for families, and so “Vacation Village” was born! It opened in 1949 and was an instant hit, complete with cabins, a restaurant, a grocery store, and a big hall for dances and events. For decades, Vacation Village was the place to be. Over the years, the resort changed hands and evolved into the Village West that our family visits every summer.

For decades, my mother-in-law’s family has been convening at a small lakeside resort called Village West. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of joining them for their family shenanigans and fun in the sun twice before, but this summer was the first time that Skyler got to go! In addition to spending time with his six first cousins, he got to meet his thirteen second cousins!! I dont think we ever got a full count on everyone who was there, but I know it was over 50 people.

This was another wonderful place to let Skyler run freely with his cousins to exercise his autonomy. We let him go to and from the room on his own (and he only got lost on the property one time!) and enjoyed a sleepover with one of the cousins that’s the same age. With so many available playmates (and no real schedule to follow), he could bounce between different kinds of play at his leisure. It was magical to watch.

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The Library of Milford, Iowa

Though I was on PTO for the week, I did have one work commitment I couldn’t shirk, but the resort does not have reliable wifi, so I found a nearby library in Milford where I could take my midday call and then get back to relaxing lakeside. This was an adorable library that made the most of its small space. A super colorful and welcoming kids area, lots of tables tucked out of the way for folks to work quietly, and the cutest reading area with a faux fireplace and coffee maker!!! I wish more libraries would take a note out of their book (teehee) and offer free coffee (I get why more urban/metro libraries don’t or can’t offer such perks, but I thought it was a very cozy touch).

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Arnold’s Park

About fifteen minutes away from the hotel, on the southside of the lake, is a small amusement park called Arnold’s Park. A group of us went one morning for a few hours of old fashioned amusement park fun. The whole thing started back in the late 1800s when a guy named Wesley Arnold started inviting people to his property to camp, fish, and enjoy the lakes. As we learned earlier about how the railroad’s arrival cemented the area as a vacation destination, and by 1889, Wesley had opened a 60-foot water toboggan slide that sent riders careening into the lake! It was a hit, and boom! Arnolds Park Amusement Park was born.

Over the years, the park grew, adding all kinds of attractions, from a roller rink to a grand ballroom called the “Roof Garden” that hosted incredible big bands and dancers. But the coolest part? The park almost disappeared! In the late ’90s, it was sold to a developer who planned to tear it all down for condos. But the community rallied, raising millions of dollars in a “Save the Park” campaign to buy it back. Talk about local love!

You can’t talk about Arnolds Park without talking about The Legend. Justin and I rode the Legend (sadly Skyler was too short) and it packs a mightier punch than you might expect. Built in 1930, it’s one of the oldest wooden roller coasters still operating in the United States! The best part?? The lake views you get just before you scream. 🙂 And you know me, a theme park junkie, I’m down for any kind of amusement park experience – even classic, old school ones like this!

Skyler had a blast; I dont think he notices the differences between an amusement park and theme park yet (let me know if you ever want to nerd out about immersive interactive experiences!), and he certainly wouldnt notice the age of some of the attractions. He was so brave and went on some.

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Wrap Up

As you can tell, this trip to Sioux Falls and Iowa was def something special, especially seeing it all through our kid’s eyes. It was a good reminder that even places you’ve visited a dozen times can offer fresh, unforgettable experiences. And yes, the kiddo is already plotting his return for “Family Camp” next summer so stay tuned!