To kick off tourism season, 605’s Cailyn Patterson, John Snyder, and I buckled into the 605 Sprinter Van (which the team has since named Vincent Van-Go) to head out to Pierre.
We made the three-hour drive to the state capital to experience what Tia Kafka of Visit Pierre, describes as a hospitable community that’s all about “welcoming visitors, being kind, and helping people out.”
Our first stop was checking into The Historic Farr House, where co-owner Ashley Boone was waiting for us in her favorite spot on the property: the front porch.
Built by Dr. Mary Noyes Farr and her husband (Civil War colonel Edward P. Farr) in 1904, The Farr House has South Dakota legacy stamped all over it, as it was also lived in for a time by former South Dakota Governor Peter Norbeck.
“IT’S NICE TO BE ABLE TO SAY WE LIVE IN THE STATE CAPITAL, AND THERE’S A VERY SMALL TOWN FEEL TO IT.” – TIA KAFKA
Boone and her husband Kevin Kumpf host events in the space, but it’s also available for tours and lodging.
“No event is too small,” said Boone.
The couple curates the space playfully, juxtaposing the house’s historicity with an eclectic, fun, and livable design that provides something for every visitor.
“Houses aren’t just neat in their own sense; they are unique because of the people who have called them home,” said Boone.
After we were settled into The Farr House, the team headed into town to check out St. Charles Lounge and Crabby Shell’s Seafood Shack, and then treated ourselves to some ice cream at Zesto.
“It’s neat to think about what kind of impact you can have on your community.” – ashley boone
The next day we were up early to make the drive across the Missouri River to visit Fort Pierre and check out Fun Time Rentals.
We met up with owner Derek Diedrich for our boat rental and got a tour of his storefront, where clients can rent out everything from inflatables to campers to snow cone machines.
For Diedrich it’s always been in the name of family, fun, and establishing relationships with his customers.
“We aren’t some tourist trap place that doesn’t care about you,” he said. “We are actually concerned and do care about how you feel and how everything goes.”
Diedrich drove our rental boat to the river, where the team took turns driving the boat around, taking photos, and enjoying the beautiful scenery.
Family Fun
Rental Options:
+ Boat Rentals
+ Campers
+ Car Rentals
+ Chairs
+ Cotton Candy Machines
+ Dunk Tanks
+ Inflatables
+ Kayaks
+ Paddleboards
+ Pontoons
+ Popcorn Machines
+ Snow Cone Machines
+ Trailers
+ Tubes
+ WaveRunners
Returning the rental to Diedrich, we proceeded hungrily back to Pierre for our next stop: Richie Z’s Brickhouse BBQ & Grill.
Opening in October 2017, the award-winning restaurant serves what owner Richie Zabel considers some of the best barbeque in the country.
“Everything is handmade here,” he said. “Every pasta, every salad—everything is made fresh.”
Zabel told me that while Richie Z’s is known for barbeque, that’s not all they do.
FACT
Richie Z’s sells its own rubs and sauces in stores and online at richiezsbbq.com.
“We have two bars, one upstairs and one downstairs. We also do steaks, fish, seafood, salads, pastas, and other specials, plus we cater,” he said.
Soon enough, the food was brought out. Zabel walked us through the dishes: The Boss Burger, St. Louis Style Ribs, BBQ Santa Fe Salad, Pork & Mac, The Booty & Belly Sandwich, and The Two Meat Platter with chicken and brisket.
With rumbling stomachs, we got shots of all the food before diving in. While John made plans to come back, a satisfied Cailyn packed a to-go box to the brim.
Our last stop before heading home was South Dakota Popcorn Company. Since 1969, the business has been a one-stop shop for local goods, products, and gift boxes.
More Than Just Popcorn
South Dakota Popcorn Company Offers the Following Local Products:
+ Apparel
+ Bread
+ Candy
+ Cheese
+ Chips
+ Coffee
+ Gift Boxes
+ Honey
+ Hot Chocolate
+ Jam
+ Jelly
+ Jerky
+ Popcorn
+ Salt Water Taffy
+ Soup
+ Spices
“It’s gourmet products; 95% of them are made here in South Dakota,” said co-owner Vickie Samuelson.
As the team browsed the shop, Samuelson shared more about her relationships with the vendors, telling me their names, products, hometowns, and her personal experiences on the farms and with their businesses.
Along with working with her employees, Samuelson says that her favorite part of her job is “the excitement that people have when they find South Dakota goodies that they can send to others.”
As the team swung by Zesto for one more ice cream cone before heading home, I reflected on Kafka’s words.
“Visitors are really amazed at the small town feel of Pierre and how welcome they feel,” she said.
As a first-time visitor, I completely agree.
