South Dakota Launches Travel Podcast

South Dakota has found another way to try and tempt tourists from all over the world to visit the Mount Rushmore State.

A podcast.

Travel South Dakota has launched a new podcast series, using stories of the people and places in the state.

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The project is a partnership with Colorado-based Armchair Productions, who will produce the series. The podcast is hosted by Brian Thacker, a first-time visitor to South Dakota, who says he came to experience a glimpse of South Dakota and record his findings.

Three episodes have been posted so far:

Episode 1: The Rise and Fall of the Buffalo

Feel the ground rumble and the dust fly as sixty cowboys and cowgirls saddle up to bring in a thundering herd of 1,300 buffalo at the 57th Annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup. But we’re not just watching it. We are in the thick of it as we get thrown around on the back of a truck chasing the herd across the wide-open plains!

Along the way, we discover that although the roundup harks back to a different time, the adventurous spirit of South Dakotans which has been a way of life for centuries still lives on. And that spirit is infectious.

Episode 2: Black Hills and Deadwood

Tales of the Wild West and lawless frontiers are ingrained in American culture - and in Deadwood, the discovery of riches in the southern Black Hills in 1874 kicked off one of the largest gold rushes in America. Not long after, Deadwood became a rough-and-ready boomtown that steadily lured bands of outlaws, gamblers, and gunslingers.

Join us as we mosey down Deadwood’s streets in search of famed tales and legendary residents from this wild frontier. Through it all, we discover that Deadwood is truly alive. Well, besides the ghosts. It’s a place where the Wild West spirit lives on. You can feel it – and the former coarse and cavorting town is now a lot less rough, but just as much fun.

Episode 3: Legends in Stone

The Great Lakota Nation has become the international symbol of America’s native people. Over 60,000 Lakota Native Americans live in South Dakota, and they believe that their very creation began in the Black Hills.

Along the way, we uncover what makes Native American culture in South Dakota so unique. As you hear these stories and the history of this fascinating and colorful culture, you’ll soon discover that you need to experience South Dakota for yourself.

You can download the podcasts from Apple, Google Play, Spotify, TravelSouthDakota.com/Podcast, or wherever you listen to podcasts.