A friend of mine subscribes to Outdoor Photographer magazine. Today, I happened to see the most recent (April 2010) issue sitting on the coffee table and was just casually flipping through it when I came across a nice surprise.

Spearfish Canyon is featured in the “favorite places” section of the magazine!

The article focuses mostly on the fantastic fall colors that light up the canyon every year. With the healthy mixture of spruce, ponderosa pine, birch, aspen and oak trees that fill Spearfish Canyon, it’s easy to understand why it is featured as a favorite place.

Autumn is obviously the most colorful time in the canyon, but it is an undeniable spectacle all year-round. Crystal clear Spearfish Creek flows across the canyon floor, cutting ever deeper the steep limestone cliffs that tower high above.

Wildlife is plentiful in Spearfish Canyon, although it sometimes shies away from the well-traveled Highway 14A that parallels the creek. Deer and smaller animals like squirrels, chipmunks and marmots are fairly common near the roadway and often pose just perfectly for photographers. Elk and a handful of mountain goats are scattered around the higher elevations of the Spearfish Canyon area, but they are seldom seen along the highway.

There are three easily accessible waterfalls in the canyon that make for some spectacular shots. Bridal Veil Falls, Spearfish Falls and Roughlock Falls are all visually dramatic falls that draw thousands of photographers each year. All three are clearly marked on most Black Hills visitor maps and and with roadside signs.

The article gave some tips and hints for how to best photograph Spearfish Canyon, including using a wide-angle zoom and a polarizing filter. The complete article can be read online at the Outdoor Photographer website.

Even for folks like me, who are not gifted with a photographic eye or a high-end camera, Spearfish Canyon is still a beautiful place to visit. My best advice – don’t be afraid to park your car and explore a little. Chances are you’ll love what you find.

A brand new event, the Dakota Rogaining Championships, will take place in Custer State Park on Saturday, May 8 and Sunday, May 9.

And, No – this event has nothing to do with the hair care product.

A “rogaine” is a long-distance, cross-country navigation race for teams traveling on foot, using only a map and a compass for guidance. The term “rogaine” is a combination of letters from the names of three Australian adventurers who began the sport. It also has come to stand for “Rugged Outdoor Group Activity Involving Navigation and Endurance.”

In simplest terms – this event is a competitive, timed scavenger hunt. Teams of two to five people will explore Custer State Park looking for and documenting locations of numerous checkpoints. This is basic orienteering at it finest; no GPS units, no altimeters, no pedometers. Just a map, a compass and your own two feet.

I called Rick Emerson, event coordinator, and he was able to boil it all down to make more sense.

Photo courtesy of Rick Emerson

“There will be several different rogaining courses, for all skill levels. We’ll have everything from a four-hour course, covering just a few miles for the junior division all the way up to a 24-hour course spanning 50 or so miles for the experienced racers,” Emerson told me.

Emerson was also involved in the planning and direction of last year’s hugely successful Primal Quest Badlands race. He said the new Dakota Rogaining event will be another way for people to enjoy outdoor recreation in the Black Hills. “This race won’t be nearly as intense as Primal Quest Badlands. We want the course to challenge people, but not kill them in the process,” Emerson laughed.

Emerson said that one of his favorite parts of Primal Quest Badlands was how excited the young kids got watching the experienced athletes compete and he wanted to give youth an opportunity to be a part of this new event. The junior division will be for youth ages ten and older accompanied by one adult.

The event will be open to the public and promises to be a great new addition to the Black Hills’ outdoor recreation scene. For more details, check out the Dakota Rogaining Championships website.

The bright neon lights of the Las Vegas strip suddenly go black. The Sphinx and the Great Pyramids of Egypt are thrust into darkness. And the giant spotlights that typically illuminate Mount Rushmore National Memorial are switched off.

It sounds like something from an end-of-days science fiction movie, but it really will happen – and for good reason – on March 27th. Mount Rushmore National Memorial will be dimming its lights that night as part of a world-wide event called “Earth Hour.”

Earth Hour was an idea originally conceived by the World Wildlife Fund to symbolically show support for action on climate change. But it has apparently turned into a much larger movement than was first imagined.

As part of Earth Hour 2010, families, business, cities and international attractions and landmarks will all be going dark for one hour on the 27th. From 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m local time, the lights will go out,  in an effort to reduce power usage and lessen their impact on the environment.

In a recent press release from the organizers of Earth Hour 2010, Mount Rushmore Superintendent Gerard Baker said “Earth Hour directly links with Department of Interior and National Park Service priorities. Our stewardship mission is to manage this country’s most treasured landscapes for the enjoyment of future generations.  This mission is being challenged particularly by climate change. ”

Baker went on to say, “As stewards of our national parks, we must be visible leaders to demonstrate commitment to energy and water conservation… and to use our parks to teach the public about climate change and the ways citizens can reduce their carbon footprints.”

With its participation in Earth Hour 2010, Mount Rushmore National Memorial will be in good company – other global landmarks that will be dimming the lights as part of the event include: St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Big Ben in London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Sydney Opera House in Australia. For a really cool visual of what Earth Hour 2009 looked like, check out this video from last year’s event.

Nestled in an often overlooked section of downtown Rapid City, is an unassuming attraction that is well worth the visit. On the southwest corner of the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, in Memorial Park, stand two original sections of Germany’s historic Berlin Wall.

Purchased by an area resident and donated to the city in 1996, the Berlin Wall sections in Rapid City are part of one of the most unique displays of its kind. There are only about 40 locations in the U.S where original sections of the wall are displayed and the one in Rapid City is considered to be among the most comprehensive.

The two wall sections are each 12-feet tall and stand as a sobering reminder of the differences between freedom and control.

In front of the Berlin Wall sections are two iron “tank traps” – wicked looking iron X’s that stand about three-feet tall and used to serve as extra safeguards for the wall on the Communist controlled East Germany side.

This side of the wall is the simple drab gray of concrete, compared to the still visible graffiti paintings on the opposite side that used to face the more politically free West Germany.

The display is an absolute history lesson in itself as there are more than 30 photos, along with interpretive signs, that tell the story of the construction and eventual demolition of the Berlin Wall.

Situated less than 20 miles from Mount Rushmore, America’s Shrine of Democracy, the Berlin Wall exhibit in Rapid City is a very different kind of tribute to freedom. Although not nearly as massive as the famous faces, the Berlin Wall display is often remembered just as vividly by those who visit.

I’m always amazed by the number and variety of different places that the Black Hills and area attractions are mentioned every day.

This week on the Gozaic Blog (a part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation) the Hot Springs Mammoth Site was one of the featured attractions. The Mammoth Site is an active fossil dig-in-progress. It is the site of the world’s largest collection of mammoth bones and has become one of the busiest visitor attractions in Hot Springs.

The first mammoth teeth and bones were uncovered at the site back in 1974, when soil was being moved in preparation for an incoming housing development. Local citizens worked to preserve the area and help turn it into the top-notch research and education site that it is today.

Researchers at the Mammoth Site have discovered that back about 26,000 years or so, the area was home to a spring-fed pond that turned much of the ground around it into a sort of quicksand-type trap. It became the unfortunate resting place for what they believe could be more than 100 mammoths and 85 other species of Ice-Age organisms.

To date, 55 Columbian Mammoths and three wooly mammoths have been unearthed. Other fossils that have been found in the area include: a giant short-faced bear, camel, llama, prairie dog, wolf, fish and a number of small invertebrates.

The visitor center is open year-round and has a 30-minute guided tour along with several educational displays including hands-on areas for the young or young-at-heart.

It’s easy to spend a full hour or two at the Mammoth Site, so if you go – be sure to give yourself plenty of time to explore.

Yesterday, in the Rapid City Journal, there was a really interesting article about the folks down at Reptile Gardens who work with the visitor attraction’s dangerous residents.

The popular tourist stop, near Rapid City, was founded back in 1937 and has long been a favorite among vacationing families in the area. The Journal article highlighted one of the Reptile Curators – Terry Phillip and his work with the venomous snakes and crocodilians on the site.

According to the article, Phillip might have as many as 1,000 encounters with venomous snakes in a single week! But, despite the dangerous nature of many of the animals at Reptile Gardens, he’s only been bitten once in 13 years.

Let me do some math here: 1,000 interactions with dangerous reptiles every week. 52 weeks in a year. 13 years of working with these animals. That’s 676,000 encounters with dangerous reptiles. And only bitten once!

That’s a pretty good safety record, if you ask me.

The story went on to discuss how Reptile Gardens keeps a large variety of anti-venom on hand, just in case the unthinkable would happen. It’s a good thing too, because the Black Hills area hospitals aren’t equipped to deal with non-native cobras and black mambas – such as they have at Reptile Gardens.

That impressive safety record among the employees is evident in all aspects of a visit to Reptile Gardens.

Although the dangerous animals often get the majority of the attention, there is much more to Reptile Gardens than that. It’s a great place for the entire family. From the slow and gentle giant tortoises to the lively animal shows – it’s one of the Black Hills’ family attractions that children and adults alike will long remember.

Every year, round-about the beginning of March, a lot of people claim to have some Irish heritage in their families. Some are telling the truth – others are just spreading a bit of blarney to feel a part of the quickly approaching St. Patrick’s Day holiday. Regardless, it’s usually a fun day for all.

Deadwood always celebrates St. Patrick’s Day in a big way! The luck ‘o the Irish will be alive and well in the historic downtown area on Saturday, March 13 and Wednesday, March 17.

Deadwood’s annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations kick off Saturday, March 13, with a pub crawl, poker run, parade and live entertainment. On Wednesday, March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day – festivities start at 5 p.m. with a parade on Deadwood’s Main Street followed by Irish cheer throughout town.

Saturday, March 13 begins with registration for the pub crawl and poker run at noon at the Lucky Nugget Gambling Hall on Deadwood’s Main Street. The crawl and poker run begin at 2 p.m., and both events are free to enter. Participants will be eligible for numerous prizes and special discounts at downtown merchants.

The Saturday parade is at 7 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony for the afternoon’s events. There will also be live entertainment at various venues throughout Deadwood.

I come from a genuinely Irish family, so St. Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite celebrations of the year. In the past, I haven’t been able to attend Deadwood’s St. Patrick’s Day bash, but this year I’m excited to be able to be a part of it. Look me up if you’ll be in Deadwood for the event – I’ll be the one in the green.

Having explored most corners of the Black Hills, in one form or another, I definitely have my list of “favorite places” in and around the area. You know, the sorts of places that when friends and family come to visit, I just have to show them.

Almost everybody who explores the Black Hills region ends up having something stick with them that becomes their “go to” place. A few days ago, over on the Black Hills Facebook Page, we asked folks a simple question.

If you could be in your favorite place in the Black Hills right now, where would it be?

The responses (and there were more than 300 of them) were awesome!

Answers of all types came in. Everything from “playing cards at Saloon #10″ to “sitting on the front porch of my grandparents cabin near Hot Springs.” Of the hundreds of “favorite places,” there were two that were named much more frequently than others.

Spearfish Canyon was, by far, the most popular response. Some folks mentioned particular areas of the canyon like Devil’s Bathtub or 11th Hour Gulch. Others preferred a specific time of year such as “the amazing colors in the fall,” or “snowshoeing in the dead of winter.”

The second most common response to the “favorite place” question was Custer State Park. Prominent places throughout the park were named such as Sylvan Lake, Harney Peak, Little Devils Tower and Needles Highway.

Although it didn’t name a place, one of my favorite responses to the question was, “If you’re lucky enough to live in the black Hills, you’re lucky enough.”

I completely agree. Every day, I look around this inspiring place that we call the Black Hills and I’m continually amazed at what I see. Dark green pine trees and ragged granite peaks. Obvious scenic overlooks and off-the-beaten-path trails that meander into rarely seen sanctuaries.

All spread out and just waiting to be discovered. To be explored. To be enjoyed.

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Just like any other Midwesterner, trying to get through the winter months, I’m often guilty of not taking full advantage of all the wonderful winter activities there are here in the Black Hills. Many of which can be found right in my backyard. After a recent trip to Custer State Park, I have vowed to never sit home bored during the winter months again.

Recently, a close friend of mine and I took a weekend trip down to Custer State Park with the intent of partaking in a snowshoe excursion.

We left on a snowy Saturday morning from Spearfish, which is only about an hour north of Custer State Park. Initially, we wanted to take the scenic route through the hills on Hwy 385, but due to the less than desirable driving conditions, we decided to stick to Interstate 90 instead. Before hitting the road, we stopped at the Alpine Coffee Co. in Spearfish for a couple of breakfast burritos and some coffee. After filling our bellies with some warm breakfast goodness, we were set for our trip south.

As we entered the Southern Hills, just south of Rapid City, all of the familiar summer tourist attractions were dark and closed. Traveling in this area during the off season seemed sort of strange, as I hadn’t been to Custer State Park since the summer months. But without having to battle summer traffic, it quickly became apparent to me that this was the perfect time to visit Custer State Park. The winding scenic roads of the park were well-cleared, and the forest glistened with untouched snow.

Because the intent of this trip was to spend as much time as we possibly could snowshoeing, we decided that it would be worth our while to spend the night in the park. We pulled into the State Game Lodge, where there were only three other cars parked. As you can imagine, the check-in process was quite fast. After checking in to our cozy accommodations, we headed over to the Peter Norbeck Visitor Center to collect two pairs of snowshoes.

We plotted out our trail in the Grace Coolidge walk-in fishing area and began our journey through the park. The trail is about three miles, one way, and is listed as moderately difficult. It follows a creek and has several log-and-rock creek crossings that add a little adventure. As we tromped through the untouched snow, the only sound we could hear was our snowshoes.

The sun peaked out of the clouds while the biggest snowflakes I have ever seen fell all around us – it was as close to the perfect weather conditions a person could possibly ask for in western South Dakota during the month of February. As soon as we stumbled upon one interesting area, a few feet down the trail something new and much cooler beckoned us further. When the sun started on its descent for the evening, we decided to head back to the lodge.

After we rested for a bit at the lodge, we bopped into the town of Custer for some dinner. We decided on the Sage Creek Grill, a small restaurant located on Custer’s main street. After dinner we hit up the local Dairy Queen for some ice cream, since we had worked so hard during our snowshoe, and headed back into the park.

On our way home the next morning, we encountered a small herd of bighorn sheep walking across one of the bridges. We slowed the truck down to get some photos and the bighorns stood still as if they knew they were being photographed.

Because the road conditions were much clearer that morning, we decided to take the scenic route north on Hwy 385 through the hills. We passed through Hill City, and by Crazy Horse and Sylvan Lake. As we approached Deadwood, we decided to go through Lead to dine at our favorite breakfast venue in the Black Hills, Cheyenne Crossing. After noshing on some sourdough pancakes and biscuits and gravy, we headed down through Spearfish Canyon on the last leg of our trip home.

Our weekend trip to Custer State Park proved to be a success. I can’t wait until we have the opportunity to head that way again.

I’ve always been a fan of the Muppets and the creativity of the late Jim Henson. Arguably the world’s best  puppeteer, Henson helped create and operate some of the most famous fictional characters in history: from Kermit the Frog and Big Bird on Sesame Street to Jedi Master Yoda of the Star Wars films. Jim Henson passed away in 1990, but his children carry on his creative spirit at The Jim Henson Company.

This morning we received a surprising email from the folks at The Jim Henson Company. Their new web series, “Wilson & Ditch Digging America,” featured Rapid City, the Black Hills and Badlands in this week’s online episode for PBS Kids.

It’s a children’s online series hosted by two digital puppet gophers – brothers Wilson and Ditch. They travel across the country learning about the nation’s most famous cities, national parks and attractions. The voice of one of the gophers is actually that of Brian Henson, Co-CEO of the company and son of Muppets creator Jim Henson.

The five-minute video shows the funny gophers as they marvel at the faces of Mount Rushmore and learn about prairie dogs and bison in the Badlands. The characters also feature the Black Hills area in Ditch’s comic strip and Wilson’s blog as part of the series.

Click on the photo above to view the full video. If you have little ones, be sure to visit the actual PBS Kids website for more of the fun new series.