The only thing I knew about Sioux Falls prior to this trip was from an art director, Paul,  we hired at work 20 years ago (he had moved from there.) And, obviously  I knew there are falls within the city, but that was pretty much it.

Our campground was 30 minutes west of town and overlooked Lake Vermillion. We couldn’t have asked for a better spot. It was just a few short steps away from the water and gave us ample time to use our ISUPs. The lake was calm enough so even the kids took the paddle boards out on their own. They’re already better at them than I am.

The town of Sioux Falls was a surprise. Their namesake falls and their surrounding park was fantastic. Of course I had expected some falls, but didn’t expect them to be as big and and pretty as they are. Plus, the kids had a blast climbing the surrounding rocks as we walked around the shore and park exploring.

After the falls we took a short drive into downtown. Countless pieces of public art line Phillips Ave and many of the older buildings have been renovated with shops and restaurants. It definitely has a cool vibe to it and was completely unexpected. 

We brought our bikes with us on the trip and knew at some point we’d need to replace Maya’s bike with something that would fit her better. We figured we’d do it later but when our waitress at lunch told us about Scheels, a small regional sporting good store we thought we’d check it out. It was awesome! We found the perfect bike for her but also rode their ferris wheel that was in the middle of the store.

On the way out of Scheels we spotted a sign for 605 Ninja Gym. Since our kids are American Ninja Warrior junkies we thought we’d check it out. The gym was incredible. Tons of obstacles, multiple sizes of warped walls and just about everything a couple of want-to-ninjas could ever ask for. And if that wasn’t enough, a “real-life” ninja from the show just happened to be in town visiting his family, win, win!

We wrapped up our stay by grabbing dinner with Paul and Lenora. It was great to catch up with them. It had been years since we had gotten together but it was like we were back at work. Such a great time. He even sent us with a couple of fantastic parting gifts. A kick-ass print he shot of the falls (check out his amazing photos) and a wonderful National Parks guide for the kids. 

Sioux Falls you beat all of our expectations.