The Scenic Route Series: A Quiltbound Road Trip Through Nebraska, the Dakotas, and the Black Hills

Some trips are planned around the destination.

This one felt more like a string of little roadside surprises stitched together with hotel waffles, national park dust, kiddo-approved water features, and the occasional “pull over, I need to photograph this quilt” moment.

Which, honestly, feels very Quiltbound.

We recently took a road trip from Castle Rock, Colorado through Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, and back through the Black Hills, and while this trip was built around family, it also turned into the perfect reminder that inspiration rarely waits for a perfectly styled studio moment.

Sometimes inspiration is a giant Smokey Bear chainsaw carving.

Sometimes it’s a prairie dog town.

Sometimes it’s a boutique hotel in downtown Sioux Falls that makes you immediately wonder why nobody told you Sioux Falls was this cool.

So I’m kicking off what may become a new little series here on the blog: The Scenic Route Series.

Part travel recap, part quilt photo scouting guide, part “here’s where we ate and stayed so you don’t have to fall into the same Google rabbit hole I did.” I’ll also include nearby quilt and fabric shop stops when I can, even if I didn’t make it there myself, because obviously we support the sacred art of adding just one more stop.

Stop 1: Castle Rock, Colorado to Kearney, Nebraska

Our first leg took us from Castle Rock, Colorado to Kearney, Nebraska, where we stayed at the Crowne Plaza Kearney by IHG.

The big win here was the indoor water park.

If you are road tripping with a kid, this is the kind of hotel feature that immediately becomes the main event. Forget the luggage. Forget the snacks. Forget literally everything else. There are slides.

The hotel’s official listing includes a full indoor waterpark with large waterslides, smaller slides for younger kids, an indoor pool, and a hot tub, so this was a very strong first-night stop for burning off car-seat energy.

The next morning, we stopped at The Archway in Kearney before continuing east.

I wasn’t totally sure what to expect, but it ended up being a really good museum stop. The exhibit is self-guided with an audio tour, and it walks through 180 years of history along the Great Platte River Road. It was interesting, kid-friendly enough, and a nice way to make the drive feel less like “we are trapped in the car forever now” and more like an actual adventure.

Quilt and fabric shops nearby

I didn’t stop at quilt shops in Kearney on this trip, but if you’re planning your own route, this would be a good spot to search for local fabric shops before you go. I’d treat Kearney as a practical overnight stop with a surprisingly fun kid-friendly hotel and a worthwhile museum stop the next morning.

Stop 2: Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Sioux Falls completely surprised us.

We stayed downtown in The Steel District at the Canopy by Hilton Sioux Falls Downtown, right along the Big Sioux River. The hotel is next to Falls Park and close to restaurants, outdoor spaces, and Jacobson Plaza, which has a playground and the city’s largest splash pad.

This was one of those places where we instantly wished we had more time.

We could walk to dinner, walk to breakfast, walk to the park, and I was able to sneak in quilt photos of my new Scenic Route quilt near Falls Park. That quilt already has big road trip energy, so photographing it in a place that felt like a fun little surprise stop was chef’s kiss.

Downtown Sioux Falls gets a very enthusiastic 10 out of 10 from me.

Where we ate in Sioux Falls

For dinner, we ate at Dahlia Kitchen and Bar, a contemporary Mexican restaurant also in The Steel District. I had the bang bang shrimp tacos and a no-jito mocktail, and honestly, that is exactly the kind of road trip dinner I want after a full day of driving.

We had breakfast at Cascata Italian Cuisine, which is located inside the Canopy by Hilton in The Steel District. It was absolutely amazing and very convenient if you’re staying at the hotel.

Quilt and fabric shops nearby

If you want to add a fabric stop in Sioux Falls, a few nearby options worth checking before your trip include:

Dutch Rose Quilt Shop
Located at 5231 W 26th Street in Sioux Falls.

Quilters Headquarters
A full-service quilt shop in Sioux Falls specializing in premium cotton fabrics, longarms, and sewing machine sales and service.

JJ Stitch Studio
A Sioux Falls shop that carries quilt patterns, kits, and sewing supplies.

Stop 3: Grand Forks, North Dakota

Next, we drove to Grand Forks and stayed at The Olive Ann Hotel.

This was a newer boutique hotel inspired by Olive Ann Beech, who is often called the First Lady of Aviation. The aviation theme felt polished without being over-the-top, and it made for a memorable overnight stop in a place I probably would not have thought to build a whole trip around on its own.

From there, we continued into northeastern North Dakota for a family funeral.

While we were in the area, we stopped at Icelandic State Park, which sits along Lake Renwick and shares North Dakota’s early settlement history.

We also visited the historic Icelandic church in Mountain, North Dakota. The Vikur Lutheran Church is known as the oldest surviving Icelandic church on the continent, which is such a specific and fascinating stop. I love when a road trip includes something you would never randomly learn about otherwise. 

Quilt and fabric shops nearby

I didn’t personally visit quilt shops in Grand Forks or northeastern North Dakota, but this part of the trip would be a good one to pre-plan if fabric shopping is high on your priority list. Some North Dakota quilt shop listings change over time, so I’d double-check current hours before building a stop into your route.

Stop 4: Medora, North Dakota and Theodore Roosevelt National Park

After northeastern North Dakota, we headed west to Medora, the gateway town for Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

We stayed at the Rough Riders Hotel, which has an older historic charm and a really cool sense of place. The hotel is named for the volunteer cavalry led by Theodore Roosevelt, and the property leans into that historic western feel with a grand hearth, tin ceiling, and a large private library of books by and about Roosevelt.

Medora itself was adorable. I would absolutely go back.

We toured the Theodore Roosevelt National Park visitor center, saw Roosevelt’s first log cabin, the Maltese Cross Cabin, and learned more about his time in the Badlands. The cabin was built from ponderosa pine logs and is preserved at the park’s South Unit Visitor Center.

The park itself was breathtaking.

We drove through the park and saw bison, feral horses, and prairie dogs. We also stopped for two short hikes and took in views of the Little Missouri River. The National Park Service reminds visitors to keep at least 25 yards from wildlife, including bison, feral horses, and prairie dogs, which is worth remembering because those animals can look very chill right up until they are absolutely not.

Quilt photo note

Theodore Roosevelt National Park would be an incredible quilt photo location, especially if your quilt has earthy colors, bold geometry, or that rugged road trip feeling. Just keep the quilt photo dreams secondary to safety, wind, weather, and not becoming a cautionary tale involving a bison.

We are not doing that for content.

Stop 5: The Black Hills, South Dakota

After Medora, we drove down to the Black Hills.

Our first stop was Hill City, South Dakota for dinner, where I found a giant chainsaw carving of Smokey Bear and immediately had to take quilt photos in front of it.

As one does.

From there, we drove to Custer and stayed in a treehouse at Buffalo Ridge Camp Resort. The resort offers several types of stays, including treehouses, cabins, glamping tents, teepees, RV sites, and tent sites.

The treehouse was so much fun, and we discovered we had a family of squirrels living in the roof, which honestly only added to the treehouse experience.

Would this bother some people? Probably.

Did I decide it was part of the charm? Also yes.

Wind Cave National Park

While we were in the Black Hills, we visited Wind Cave National Park.

We toured the cave and learned a ton about geology, history, and local lore from Ranger Ella. Above ground, the park is also home to wildlife like bison, prairie dogs, pronghorn, elk, and more.

We saw more bison, prairie dogs, and pronghorn, which somehow did not get old. Prairie dogs are basically tiny chaotic town council members, and I will not be taking further questions.

The Mammoth Site in Hot Springs

We also drove down to Hot Springs, South Dakota to visit The Mammoth Site.

This was such an impressive stop. The Mammoth Site is an indoor active dig site where visitors can see Ice Age fossils and learn how the site formed, how it was discovered, and what researchers are still learning from it.

It’s the kind of museum that makes you realize how much history is sitting under our feet while we’re just out here trying to find coffee and a decent parking spot.

Where we ate in the Black Hills

In Custer, we enjoyed Black Hills Burger and Pizza, which serves burgers, pizza, salads, and wraps downtown.

We also stopped at Horatio’s Homemade Ice Cream, a local small-batch ice cream shop in downtown Custer located in the historic 1881 First National Bank of Dakota Territory building.

For coffee and breakfast, we liked Miner’s Cup in Custer. I’d recommend checking current hours before you go, especially if you’re traveling in the off-season.

Quilt and fabric shops nearby

I spotted The Quilted Buffalo in Custer but didn’t get a chance to stop in, which is tragic but also a great excuse to go back. The shop carries fabric, notions, longarm quilting services, and locally hand-dyed yarn.

If you’re passing through Hill City, The Farmer’s Daughter is another nearby quilt shop option. It’s listed as a participating shop in the Quilting Across the Dakotas shop hop.

Final Thoughts From the Road

This trip reminded me that quilt inspiration does not only happen in sewing rooms.

It happens in hotel lobbies, national parks, weird roadside stops, museum exhibits, splash pads, treehouses, and downtowns you did not expect to love.

It happens when you pack the quilt.

It happens when you pull over.

It happens when you take the scenic route, even accidentally.

And honestly, that feels like the whole point of Quiltbound.

You are not just making quilts to fold them neatly in a closet someday. You are making things that can come with you, hold stories, mark seasons, and give you a reason to notice the places you pass through.

So yes, I’ll be packing quilts on more trips.

And yes, I’ll probably keep looking for giant roadside animals, weird little museums, great tacos, and quilt shops I may or may not actually make it inside before closing.

That’s the scenic route, baby.

Want more Quiltbound road trip notes?

This is the first post in The Scenic Route Series, where I’ll share travel stops, quilt photo ideas, places to stay, places to eat, and fabric shops worth adding to your route.

Pack the quilt. Bring snacks. Leave room in the car for fabric.

Obviously.