Located in the far southeast corner of the state in a part of the country the features another very approximate ‘four corners’ where South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska all come close to meeting. Lewis and Clark on their expedition across the country camped near the site of present day Vermillion. This small town offers plenty of attractions for visitors. Start with a stop in the historic downtown – perhaps for lunch or dinner at the Silk Road Cafe and order up some tasting Kung Pao Chicken. This part of town is walkable with several blocks of historic buildings housing local specialty shops, restaurants and art galleries. Also several pieces of outdoor art worth visiting.
Valiant Vineyards is South Dakota’s first winery having been founded by winery pioneer Eldon Nygaard & his wife in 1996. Located just on the outskirts of town, this winery is known for producing a variety of wines and well as distilled products. Their most well-known product is the Wild Grape, a wine made from vitus riparia, a grape that grows wild in this part of the country. A short drive from Valiant Vineyards is Clay County Park, located along the banks of the longest river in the United States, the Missouri River. This is an extremely relaxing place to hang out for a few days – with plenty of campground space, access to the river via a concrete boat ramp and a floating dock and several hiking trails through river area foliage. But one of our favorite activities here is to bring several good books, from the campground hike to the edge of the Missouri River and spend hours alternating between reading and jumping into the refreshing waters to cool down during the heat of the late spring and summer.
Vermillion is also home to the University of South Dakota, the W.H. Over Museum (focused on the life and times of this area naturalist), birthplace of singer, Shawn Colvin and the DakotaDome, a 10,000 indoor seat stadium.
For more information visit: www.livevermillion.com
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