South Dakotans are a unique bunch who certainly have their own set of quirks and awesome qualities. While out-of-staters might scratch their heads at some of these South Dakota habits and behaviors, I’m prouder than ever to call this beautiful state home. Here are 12 extremely weird things people from South Dakota do.
- Travel an hour or more to the nearest shopping mall.
Chris Seward / Flickr South Dakota is full of many charming little communities, but when you live in a town with a population of 1,000, you can’t really count on doing all of your shopping there. Sometimes the nearest city isn’t conveniently close.
- Use the presence of a Walmart to differentiate between a “city” and a “town.”
Mike Kalasnik / Flickr This is usually the deciding factor, in case you were wondering.
- Carry on with our lives even when it snows.
John Morton / Flickr Many other states may call off school and work with even just a little snow, but we prevail even through snow storms. It takes A LOT to stop us from going about our day.
- Drive to school as early as 8th grade.
Lindsey Kone / Flickr That’s right, we can drive at just 14 years old. Let that sink in.
- Host a national motorcycle rally in a city with a population of 6,000.
Wikimedia Commons For decades, Sturgis has been attracting motorcyclists from all over the country. What’s mind-blowing? Hundreds of thousands gather in this 6,600 population city each year! The 2015 official attendance was 739,000.
- Pair chili with a cinnamon roll.
Alan / Flickr Some call this an odd pairing but don’t knock it until you try it. Most of us in South Dakota wouldn’t even fathom eating chili without a warm cinnamon roll to go with it.
- Start wearing shorts even when there’s still snow on the ground.
Lisa Moffatt / Flickr You may think we’re crazy, but we swear that we really think it feels nice out.
- Consider “lunch” a snack in-between the 3 main meals.
Alba Garcia Aguado / Flickr When we say “let’s do lunch” in South Dakota, we might just mean that we want to have a snack with you. Coffee and cookies anyone?
- Have a closet full of winter coats.
mo1229 / Flickr You can just never have enough if you live in South Dakota.
- Devour an entire kuchen, our official state dessert, in one sitting.
pixabay.com This sweet, custard-filled dessert was introduced to us by German settlers. It is truly irresistible to many South Dakotans.
- Support the Vikings as if they were a South Dakota team
Joe Bielawa / Flickr We don’t have our own NFL team, but we might get pretty heated about yours.
- Consider someone your “neighbor” even if they live miles down the road.
Wikimedia Commons If you live in rural South Dakota, the word “neighbor” is certainly used more loosely.
Quick Hits: Weird Things People From South Dakota Do By Annie Sandmeier
Chris Seward / Flickr
South Dakota is full of many charming little communities, but when you live in a town with a population of 1,000, you can’t really count on doing all of your shopping there. Sometimes the nearest city isn’t conveniently close.
Mike Kalasnik / Flickr
This is usually the deciding factor, in case you were wondering.
John Morton / Flickr
Many other states may call off school and work with even just a little snow, but we prevail even through snow storms. It takes A LOT to stop us from going about our day.
Lindsey Kone / Flickr
That’s right, we can drive at just 14 years old. Let that sink in.
Wikimedia Commons
For decades, Sturgis has been attracting motorcyclists from all over the country. What’s mind-blowing? Hundreds of thousands gather in this 6,600 population city each year! The 2015 official attendance was 739,000.
Alan / Flickr
Some call this an odd pairing but don’t knock it until you try it. Most of us in South Dakota wouldn’t even fathom eating chili without a warm cinnamon roll to go with it.
Lisa Moffatt / Flickr
You may think we’re crazy, but we swear that we really think it feels nice out.
Alba Garcia Aguado / Flickr
When we say “let’s do lunch” in South Dakota, we might just mean that we want to have a snack with you. Coffee and cookies anyone?
mo1229 / Flickr
You can just never have enough if you live in South Dakota.
pixabay.com
This sweet, custard-filled dessert was introduced to us by German settlers. It is truly irresistible to many South Dakotans.
Joe Bielawa / Flickr
We don’t have our own NFL team, but we might get pretty heated about yours.
Wikimedia Commons
If you live in rural South Dakota, the word “neighbor” is certainly used more loosely.
What are 3 interesting facts about South Dakota? South Dakota is a fascinating state so it is hard to pick just 3 interesting facts. But if we have to narrow it down, we would have to begin with the fact that South Dakota has more coastline than Florida… insane, right?! How is this possible? It’s thanks to both the 231-mile-long Lake Oahe and Missouri River! Want to know another interesting fact? How about that South Dakota has the highest summit east of the Rockies (Black Elk Peak, which sits at 7,242 feet above sea level)? Finally, Belle Fourche, South Dakota is the geographic center of the 50 U.S. states, including both Hawaii and Alaska.
What is South Dakota known for? Mount Rushmore, of course… or so most out-of-staters like to think. One of the biggest signs you’re from South Dakota is when you know there is SO much more to the state than just this iconic sculpture, like the beautiful Black Hills, majestic buffalo galore, and an incredible Native American history that helped shape this unique state.
Is South Dakota a good state to live in? Let me put it this way: Not only is South Dakota a good state to live in, but rather the BEST place to live, period! What makes South Dakota so great? For starters, Midwesterners (namely South Dakotans) are some of the kindest and friendliest people you will ever meet, so you can count on someone always having your back and bringing you a casserole for any (and every) occasion. Next, your backyard looks like something out of a painting, as the South Dakota landscape is colorful and serene. Do you like to save money? You can do so in SoDak, where the cost of living is low and residents do not have to worry about paying income tax. Sound good? Great, as these are just a few of the South Dakota characteristics that make living here so grand.
What other weird or unique things do we do in South Dakota?
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