The Travel South Dakota Stories

Armchair Productions
  • 4.8 (25)
  • Places & Travel

Join us on an immersive first-person journey through South Dakota, the land of infinite variety. Recorded on-location, this in surround sound audio is designed to do more than just let you hear what it's like to be there; it's designed to let you feel what it's like for real. Discover South Dakota like never before, with our expert guides, local characters, and award-winning travel writer and host, Brian Thacker. Join me as we delve deep into the true heart of South Dakota – with the people and stories from this wild, free and ancient land.

  1. Mar 24

    A Life Underground

    The Black Hills are home to more than 100 known caves - including the world's third-longest cave system at Jewel Cave National Monument with its miles of unmapped passageways, and the complex caves systems at Wind Cave National Park, which are not merely a geological wonder they also make up a sacred site for the Lakota people. We join pioneer explorer Chris Pelczarski for some hands-on spelunking in seriously narrow caves (that are sometimes home to mountain lions). Then we meet Indigenous park ranger Sina Bear Eagle and learn about the Lakota emergence story and its deep spiritual meaning. - Brian Thacker, presenter Thank you to everyone who featured in this episode: Chris Pelczarski and Adam Weaver from the Black Hills Cave and Nature Conservancy   Sina Bear Eagle from Wind Cave National Park Recorded on location, this audio adventure is designed to do more than just let you hear what it's like to be there. It's designed to let you feel what it's like for real. Find out more at TravelSouthDakota.com where you'll find lots of inspiration, ideas and everything else you need to know to plan your great South Dakota adventure. Produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry www.armchair-productions.com

  2. Mar 24

    A Taste of Farm Life

    In South Dakota, the deep agricultural roots mean that visitors have plenty of chances to get a true hands-on experience, from exploring vineyards to see how wine is made to meeting farm animals and learning how to make cheese. When you participate in agritourism, you're tapping into a way of life that few visitors see. Join us as we take a stroll through a hops farm on our way to a brewery, help brew some beer, and make cheese with some friendly emus. Along the way we learn about family farming legacies, hands‑on food and drink production, experimental craft beers, and the sensory joy of tasting locally grown ingredients. - Brian Thacker, presenter Thank you to everyone who featured in this episode: Lee and Josh Anderson from A Homestead Brew Chad Blase from Farm Life Creamery Blake Thompson from Fernson Brewing Company Recorded on location, this audio adventure is designed to do more than just let you hear what it's like to be there. It's designed to let you feel what it's like for real. Find out more at TravelSouthDakota.com where you'll find lots of inspiration, ideas and everything else you need to know to plan your great South Dakota adventure. Produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry www.armchair-productions.com

  3. Mar 24

    Hog Heaven in Sturgis

    The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is the biggest two-wheeled party in the world, drawing hundreds of thousands of riders. Set in the stunning Black Hills, it's a spectacle filled with roaring motorcycles, live rock concerts, custom bikes, and communal camaraderie. Join us as we take in the stunts and music at Buffalo Chip, ride Main Street on a Fat Boy Harley Davidson, meet a 100-year-old rider, and hit the road out to Bear Butte to learn about its spiritual significance to the Lakota people.  - Brian Thacker, presenter Thank you to everyone who featured in this episode: Buffalo Chip founder Rod "Woody" Woodruff Photographer Michael Lichter Sturgis veteran Milton "Mac" McKinney Centenarian rider Gloria Struck Sturgis Hall of Famer Cris Sommer-Simmons Recorded on location, this audio adventure is designed to do more than just let you hear what it's like to be there. It's designed to let you feel what it's like for real. Find out more at TravelSouthDakota.com where you'll find lots of inspiration, ideas and everything else you need to know to plan your great South Dakota adventure. Produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry armchair-productions.com

  4. 11/22/2025

    The Corps of Discovery and the Teton Sioux

    p]:text-[#242F2F] max-w-prose text-base lg:text-lg [&>p]:text-base lg:[&>p]:text-lg leading-[1.5]"> There are two sides to every story. That's especially true when Lewis and Clark met the Teton Sioux. Their 1804 journey through South Dakota wasn't just about exploration — it was where two worlds met along the Missouri River. Long before the Corps of Discovery arrived, Boyd Gourneau, chairman of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, says his ancestors and other Indigenous tribes had already built full lives here, rooted in storytelling and protecting the land. When Lewis and Clark reached Fort Pierre, they encountered the Teton Sioux at Fischers Lilly Park — a meeting that began in ceremony and curiosity but soon turned uneasy as trust gave way to tension. In this episode, host Brian Thacker sits down with guests to revisit that moment through both Native and explorer eyes, revealing how hope, pride and misunderstanding shaped one of America's most powerful early encounters. You'll hear from: Boyd Gourneau, chairman of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Jay Vogt, retired director of the South Dakota State Historical Society Recorded on-location, this audio adventure is designed to let you feel what it's like to be there for real. Find out more at www.travelsouthdakota.com for ideas, inspiration, and eveything else you'll need to plan your great South Dakota adventure. Produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry.

  5. 11/21/2025

    The Powwow Spirit

    The Black Hills Powwow is the biggest powwow in the U.S., where dancers, singers, artists, and spectators come from across North America to honor the spirit and beauty of the Great Plains Indigenous culture. The powwow comes alive through handcrafted regalia and the spirited dancers who embody history.   Join us as we take in the sounds and stories from this enduring celebration that bridges generations and cultures. We meet Ruben Little Head who has been an MC at the Black Hills Powwow for 17 years, dancer and former Miss Oglala Lakota Nation winner Santana Young Man Afraid of his Horses and we get a private concert from singing and drumming group Showtime. - Brian Thacker, presenter   Thank you to everyone who featured in this episode: -  Ruben Little Head -  Santana Young Man Afraid of his Horses -  Showtime singers, Hunter Blasingame, Xavier Little Head and BJ Braveheart   Recorded on-location, this audio adventure is designed to do more than just let you hear what it's like to be there; it's designed to let you feel what it's like for real.   Find out more at www.travelsouthdakota.com where you'll find lots of inspiration, ideas and everything else you need to know to plan your great South Dakota adventure.   Produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry www.armchair-productions.com

  6. 11/21/2025

    Heroes of the Hunt

    In South Dakota, hunting and fishing traditions run deep and are woven into the very fabric of the state's culture. Folks come from across the country to experience the pheasant-hunting capital of the world and to cast for walleye in the state's serene rivers and lakes.   Join us at Thunderstik Lodge, South Dakota's most luxurious pheasant-hunting retreat, for a hunt with veteran guides and some of the happiest labradors you'll ever meet. Then we hit the water, jigging for walleye and saugeye on the wide Missouri River and beneath the hydroelectric dam at Lake Francis Case. But it's not just about hunting and fishing — it's about sportsmanship, storytelling, respect for nature and sharing the day's abundance. - Brian Thacker, presenter Thank you to everyone who featured in this episode: -  Hunting guides Garrett, Jay and Gary -  Carey Story from Thunderstik Lodge -  Texan hunter Scott Senter -  Michael 'Buddy' London from Central Dakota Guide Service   Recorded on-location, this audio adventure is designed to do more than just let you hear what it's like to be there; it's designed to let you feel what it's like for real.   Find out more at www.travelsouthdakota.com where you'll find lots of inspiration, ideas and everything else you need to know to plan your great South Dakota adventure.   Produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry www.armchair-productions.com

  7. 11/21/2024

    Little Town on the Prairie

    In the winter of 1879, a man by the name of Charles Ingalls brought his family to South Dakota, fell in love with the area and filed for a formal homestead in the small community of De Smet. Charles Ingalls was the father of Laura Ingalls, the author of The Little House on the Prairie series. Join us as we roll across the prairie in a horse-drawn cart to Laura's homestead, take part in a spelling bee in the 1889 Little Prairie School, drop into rehearsals for the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant and uncover treasures in the archive room at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society Museum. - Brian Thacker, presenter Thank you to everyone who featured in this episode: - Ann Lesch from the Ingalls Homestead - Christie Hubbard from the pageant society - Mary Jo Wirtz from the Memorial society Recorded on-location, this audio adventure is designed to do more than just let you hear what it's like to be there; it's designed to let you feel what it's like for real. Find out more at www.travelsouthdakota.com where you'll find lots of inspiration, ideas and everything else you need to know to plan your great South Dakota adventure. Produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry www.armchair-productions.com

  8. 11/19/2024

    South Dakota on a Plate

    The South Dakota culinary scene is heavily influenced by Indigenous people, Scandinavians, Germans, Russians, farmers, hunters… and even church basement ladies. From all those sources the state has a smorgasbord of local specialties with names as exotic as some of the dishes themselves.   Join us as we go on a four-course road trip around South Dakota. Our appetizer is the state's 'official nosh' chislic, followed by a James Beard winning restaurant in a town of 1,800 people, and finish up with some world-famous donuts from Wall Drug for dessert. Then of course we need a digestif. Although the one we try is… just dangerous. - Brian Thacker, presenter Thank you to everyone who featured in this episode:   -  Joy Ann Smith and Andrea Bear from the Chislic Festival -  Joseph Raney from Skogen in Custer -  Sarah Hustead from Wall Drug -  Jerry Sailer from Black Hills Contraband Distillery -  Cowboy Keith from the Blue Bell Lodge Chuckwagon Dinner Recorded on-location, this audio adventure is designed to do more than just let you hear what it's like to be there; it's designed to let you feel what it's like for real.   Find out more at www.travelsouthdakota.com where you'll find lots of inspiration, ideas and everything else you need to know to plan your great South Dakota adventure.   Produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry www.armchair-productions.com

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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

Join us on an immersive first-person journey through South Dakota, the land of infinite variety. Recorded on-location, this in surround sound audio is designed to do more than just let you hear what it's like to be there; it's designed to let you feel what it's like for real. Discover South Dakota like never before, with our expert guides, local characters, and award-winning travel writer and host, Brian Thacker. Join me as we delve deep into the true heart of South Dakota – with the people and stories from this wild, free and ancient land.

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