photo of the South Dakota State Flower

I love signs of Spring.  And in South Dakota, finding the State Flower is a great sign of spring.  The pasque, also called pasqueflower or prairie crocus, can be found all over the state.  Hunting for it is a great reason to get out and enjoy the outdoors.

Where can you find the South Dakota State Flower?  You’ll want to find areas of undisturbed ground, native soil that hasn’t been tilled or replanted.  In Western South Dakota that would mean pastures and many of the hiking trails in the Black Hills.  In Eastern South Dakota, draws and valleys are great places to begin your hunt, especially near streams and rivers.  Late March through early May is the best time of year to find them in bloom.

photo of pasque flower in Deadwood Sd

The flowers do seem to favor slopes, but you may find them anywhere.  I just love happening upon a huge patch of these little purple crocuses.  The two photos in this post are of flowers I found in Deadwood near White Rocks, which is above Mount Moriah Cemetery.

What is your favorite sign of Spring in South Dakota?

Where have you found the State Flower?

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photo of Deadwood Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is one of the great parties in Deadwood.  Thousands of people gather to celebrate.  There is plenty of music and great food… and beads, lots of beads.

Mardi Gras is just the start of great events in DeadwoodSaint Patrick’s Days is soon to follow with more parades and music.

Wild Bill Hickok Days is held in June each year.  Free main street concerts and fast draw completions are part of this huge celebration.  Plus, the Dock Dogs are a hit with all ages.

Days of 76 is almost a week of fun for all you rodeo fans.  The amazing parade is held twice and may just be the best parade in Deadwood all  year.

If you prefer a horse that takes gasoline, Sturgis Bike week spills over into to Deadwood.  This is a week devoted to motorcycles.  There are parking lots just for motorcycles and cycles are allowed to park on one side of Main Street.

Kool Deadwood Nights is just the thing for classic car buffs.  A nice long weekend of music and cars – what more could you ask for.

The Deadwood Jam is another great opportunity to enjoy great music.  This is held right next to the historic train depot.

Oktoberfest Deadwood Style.  Beer, Brats and wiener dog races – enough said.

Halloween in Deadwood aka Deadweird.  This is what happens when grownups go trick-or-treating.  Great costumes and tons of fun.

If you find yourself in the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota be sure to visit Deadwood.

And, for all you outdoor enthusiasts there is plenty to do as well.  Deadwood is surrounded by the over one million acres of public land that is the Black Hills National Forest and the every popular Spearfish Canyon is just a short car ride away.

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finds from Black Hills Vinyl

I made my first trip to Black Hills Vinyl recently.  What a great addition to downtown Rapid City.  I just love digging through records looking for great music.

It only took me a few minutes to find a couple of records that I had to have.  The selection is really great – a mix of old and new.  Plus, they will try and locate any record that you’d like.

It is nice to have a store for audiophiles to visit in an age where most music is bought online.  There is something special about hearing music on vinyl.  It makes you stop and just enjoy the music, there is no shuffle and you can’t just hit the next button.  You just sit and listen to the whole album.

Black Hills Vinyl is located in the Fairmont Creamery Building at 201 West Main in Rapid City.  Use the west entrance of the building to find the store.  And, follow them on Facebook to hear about their latest finds.

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SUP at Jenney Gulch

by Josh

I’ve got one more Black Hills Lake checked off my list to Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP).  My first time on my board at Pactola Reservoir was near Jenny Gulch.  This is a great place to explore on a board. In spots, you can see down into the crystal clear water 20 to 30 feet.  It [...]

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Old Man’s Beard

by Josh

Usnea Lichen is found throughout the Black Hills,  it is the result of a symbiotic relationship of algae and fungus.  It is also known as Old Man’s Beard. I’d always thought is was some type of moss (like Spanish Moss), but moss is a type of plant and Usnea Lichen is not a plant.  It [...]

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Deadwood Hail Storms

by Josh

Hail just seems to be a normal part of summer in the Black Hills.  It occurs frequently in Deadwood.  It certainly is fascinating to see, but doesn’t do much for my garden. Just this morning I enjoyed breakfast in the front garden hoping to catch a glimpse of the humming birds that have been enjoying [...]

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2012 Sturgis Threshing Bee

by Josh

It is nearly that time of year again, time for the Black Hills Steam and Gas Threshing Bee – August 17th, 18th and 19th 2012.  It is held the third weekend of August every year.  This year’s theme is Allis Chalmers and Briggs and Stratton and I expect there will be plenty to see. Exhibits [...]

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Wedding Tree

by Josh

When you are hiking to Devil’s Bathtub in Spearfish Canyon, you may happen upon an unusual site.  The wedding tree is a couple of trees growing real close to each other.  The pine tree and birch tree are growing almost on top of each other.  I’m no tree expert, but by the look of those [...]

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Paddle Boarding Deerfield

by Josh

I couldn’t have picked a better morning to head down to Deerfield Lake and go paddle boarding.  The sun was just breaking through the clouds when I pulled up to the Lake.  There was barely any wind and the lake looked like glass.  It was such a beautiful morning I felt like singing Morning has [...]

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Little Spearfish Trail

by Josh

  The Little Spearfish Trail is one of three trail systems that are connected near the end of Forest Service Road 222.  These three trails (Little Spearfish Trail, Rimrock Trail and Old Baldy Trail) offer about 20 miles of hiking, mountain biking or horse back riding in the Spearfish Canyon area. The Little Spearfish Trail [...]

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