Straight Outta Pierre: Summer plans, TikTok and 2026 races

Sharp, snappy and South Dakotan — An anonymous shot of insight with a twist of sarcasm

Summer rolled into South Dakota like a lobbyist on sine die — sunburned, underprepared and already looking for a cold beer. The humidity’s rising, accountability’s dropping and half the state’s vanished into a park faster than a legislator dodging a tough vote.

Hit the bike trail in Sioux Falls, climb Black Elk Peak, paddle Sylvan Lake, float the Missouri or just disappear into a state park for the weekend. That $40 annual park pass? It unlocks everything good about living here — wide skies, cold water and the kind of silence you can’t scroll past. In this economy, it’s basically charity. I’ve blown more than that on gas station jerky and a losing scratch-off.

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