AMA about South Dakota

[TDAS04]

Ask me questions about South Dakota.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Wasn't there a pizza place in Sioux Falls where robots would deliver your pizza?

[Upper Canada Tory]

This may sound like a general question, but what is life like in South Dakota? How does it differ from a place that is maybe more densely populated?

Is Sioux Falls an interesting city? Is there a lot to do there? What is it like to live there?

[Arizona Iced Pee]

I love South Dakota, America’s most underrated state.

Anyway, have you ever used face filters on Mount Rushmore? I can’t help but open Snapchat when I’m there and turn all four presidents into drag queens.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Have you ever ventured up to North Dakota to see what happens up there?

[MyLifeIsYours]

How is the bar/restaurant scene in South Dakota?

[Vice President Christian Man]

Do you enjoy living in South Dakota despite its conservative politics?

[TDAS04]

Wasn't there a pizza place in Sioux Falls where robots would deliver your pizza?

Gigglebees was a children's arcade and pizza place, where a mechanical coyote on a tricycle would deliver pizza to customers. It was a popular place, but it closed in 2008 (the competition from Chuck E. Cheese didn't help; though it appears that the Sioux Falls location for Chuck E. Cheese closed just a couple of weeks ago).

Also, a Pizza Ranch hired a couple of robot bus boys two years ago.

[TDAS04]

This may sound like a general question, but what is life like in South Dakota? How does it differ from a place that is maybe more densely populated?

Is Sioux Falls an interesting city? Is there a lot to do there? What is it like to live there?

Living in Sioux Falls seems ordinary to me, since it's the only place I remember living in (my family moved here from Iowa City when I was a baby). Really, it doesn't seem that isolated or sparse or wild. Sioux Falls is a city, and it's a growing city. Maybe life in smaller towns tends to be a bit different, and small towns are still more important in South Dakota than in most states. Plus agriculture is still pretty big in SD. I live in roughly the center of Sioux Falls, and there's a lot of activity, but I've always been used to having easy access to the countryside, which is just a 15-minute can ride away. That may not be something that those in larger population centers can necessarily take for granted, but it doesn't take long to see corn and cows around here.

[retromike22]

One of my close friends moved to Aberdeen SD. What's it like?

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

How locally acclaimed is Tom Brakow?

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

This isn't a question, but I'd like to apologize for soyjaking to your state's most prized monument with my brother last year.

[Pouring Rain and Blairing Music]

I was just there for the first time from Saturday through yesterday. Very, very windy was my impression. It’s been killing my poor nose. Seen some good ducks though since it’s migration season. Also stopped at a Culver’s.

Have you been to all of the various attractions near Rapid City besides Crazy Horse and the National Parks/Monuments?

[TDAS04]

Have you ever ventured up to North Dakota to see what happens up there?

I’ve been to Fargo a few times. It’s a good small city, seemed more neatly organized than Sioux Falls.

I’ve been through western North Dakota coming back from Glacier National Park, and it wasn’t impressive (neither was eastern Montana). Williston’s a depressing place.

[Del Tachi]

What is the coldest you ever remember it being?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Have you ever seen in person the statue called "Dignity" at the Interstate rest stop near Chamberlain?

It looks amazing.

[TDAS04]

How is the bar/restaurant scene in South Dakota?

Considerably more diverse than it used to be, at least in Sioux Falls. At the start of the 21st century, there were 0 Indian, Japanese, and Thai restaurants. Now we have all of those, and Sioux Falls has several Ethiopian restaurants because of the immigrant population. Sioux Falls is still mostly a traditional chain establishment and steakhouse kind of town though; Restaurants in Sioux Falls have long been numerous; people like to eat out, but usually at the same places they’re used to.

Outside of Sioux Falls, options are more limited, even though even such towns as Rapid City and Brookings are now fairly diverse. Huron now apparently has good Southeast Asian food thanks to the large Karen refugee community.

Downtown Sioux Falls has bars, and the amount of nightlife options is increasing, but it’s still a town where most things close early.

[TML]

Which of the state's Native American reservations have you visited, if any?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

How is the bar/restaurant scene in South Dakota?

Considerably more diverse than it used to be, at least in Sioux Falls. At the start of the 21st century, there were 0 Indian, Japanese, and Thai restaurants. Now we have all of those, and Sioux Falls has several Ethiopian restaurants because of the immigrant population. Sioux Falls is still mostly a traditional chain establishment and steakhouse kind of town though; Restaurants in Sioux Falls have long been numerous; people like to eat out, but usually at the same places they’re used to.

Outside of Sioux Falls, options are more limited, even though even such towns as Rapid City and Brookings are now fairly diverse. Huron now apparently has good Southeast Asian food thanks to the large Karen refugee community.

Downtown Sioux Falls has bars, and the amount of nightlife options is increasing, but it’s still a town where most things close early.

On that note, are you a fan of Chislic?

[TDAS04]

Have you ever seen in person the statue called "Dignity" at the Interstate rest stop near Chamberlain?

Yes, a few years ago coming back home from Pierre. Very cool indeed.

One of my close friends moved to Aberdeen SD. What's it like?

I haven't been to Aberdeen since 1998. I remember being a lot flatter than Sioux Falls, and thinking that it would be a good place to ride a bike.

What is the coldest you ever remember it being?

-34.

[Libertas Vel Mors]

To what extent is the relocation of trusts to the state visible on the ground? How (if at all) has it impacted the state’s culture? Do you support or oppose the  (inheritance, to my understanding?) laws that have led to the relocations?

[TDAS04]

Have you been to all of the various attractions near Rapid City besides Crazy Horse and the National Parks/Monuments?

There are several attractions, so it's hard to see all in a short visit, but I remember fondly my visit to Reptile Gardens (the largest reptile zoo in the world) during my first Black Hills trip when I was 7 (which was actually the only time I've been to Mt. Rushmore). My favorite place I've been to in the Black Hills region is probably Custer State Park, which is a beautiful place full of good wildlife viewing; but also a very horribly named park, and the town of Custer is full of unsavory characters, many of whom are racist hicks.

The Black Hills/Badlands region is beautiful and I want to see more of it (including Mammoth Site in Hot Springs), but I find the West River culture a bit off-putting. West River people are generally less pleasant and welcoming than East River people, from my experience. Even the West River I meet in Sioux Falls are usually not people I get along with much, and they complain about "liberal, snooty, uptight, big city" Sioux Falls.

[Sol]

What is Rapid City like?

[TDAS04]

Do you enjoy living in South Dakota despite its conservative politics?

Yes, I don’t even know the politics of most people I interact with (and I don’t ask), and while Sioux Falls is definitely a conservative city for its size, liberals are not that small a minority. People are mostly nice (I do sometimes wonder how seemingly decent people can support a cruel person like Trump, but it happens.)

Sioux Falls has good parks and neighborhoods, and the place isn’t too chaotic (yet). I like all that, but then again, I’m not as much of a big city person as most on here (East Coast posters think Indianapolis and Kansas City are “isolated,” lol). But there’s plenty of Sioux Falls that I dislike as well (lack of public transportation, lack of tall buildings, too many huge one-story buildings, too much sprawl, etc.)

[°Leprechaun]

What is your least favorite and most favorite time of year for weather in SD?
Also, elaborate if certain times are better for activities such as hiking, or other outside activities or any other time of year for other things like holidays etc