If you’re a fan of the “Little House on the Prairie” books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, then De Smet, South Dakota, is a must-see stop. Wilder’s books began in Wisconsin and took readers to Kansas then, finally, South Dakota. Today, you can tour homes the Ingalls family lived in and see the schoolhouse the children attended.
Tip: Reread The Long Winter, one of the best books in the series, before visiting, then stand on the inexplicably wide Main Street and imagine trying to cross it in a total whiteout.
– Colleen Smitek