Customer Reviews

Moon Mount Rushmore & the Black Hills: Including the Badlands (Moon Handbooks)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First, I have to say that I like Moon travel guides. And the guide to the Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills is a great addition. The maps are easy to use and the descriptions of the activities are useful and up to date. This book not only tells me about the "must sees" in the area, but the descriptions gave me the information I needed to determine what would be a "must see" for me. My personal favorites are Custer State Park (especially breakfast at the Bluebell Lodge) and the D.C. Booth Fish Hatchery in Spearfish. There's so much to do in the Black Hills, and if you like to plan a vacation or simply explore as you travel along, this book is a must read.

Traveler is my middle name. And I have just gotten Laurel's book and just love it. I live in the Black Hills and feel like I pretty much knew what was there, just a few spots that I didn't know. Well, this book reveals many places I have not gone to. And it reveals some things that I have been past and never noticed!!! It has made me want to do a lot of major traveling right in my own "back yard" !! I love the clean, simple layout of the book. I also love that there are a lot of photos to accompany the descriptions. I can pick this book up and read it and feel like I'm taking a bit of a trip from my couch. It makes me want to get out and adventure a bit and do the sight seeing thing. It is inspiring. I realize I have taken for granted that I live in one of the prettiest places ever, and just haven't taken the time to enjoy it. Well, thanks Laurel, for all your hard work, I want to "get out there" and enjoy it!! You have opened my eyes. I can't recommend this book enough. I have only read it enough to "scratch the surface" , but I look forward to reading the rest. I am sure I will post more comments as I read it more. This is also the first " Moon " book that I have purchased, and I really like it. I will look for more. By the way, both of my sons are in the military, Navy and Marine, and I have also bought a book for each of them to send to them and have so they can read about home from abroad, and I am sure they will enjoy it. Also, we brag about being from "God's Country" and this will help them show "the buddies" !! We are blessed!! Thanks again, Laurel, for all your efforts in this book.

At first I didn't think I would like this book because there were not a lot of pictures in it. I like to see what is there like DK or National Geographic guidebooks usually do. I couldn't find any of my favorite guidebooks on Mount Rushmore so I took a chance on this one and was amazed. The information contained in this book is fabulous. I especially liked the recommendations made for scenic drives, accommodations, and restaurants. The detail of what to see and what to expect was excellent. Following up with searches on Trip Advisor to see personal experiences with hotels and places to see have made me more confident that I have researched the area well enough to have a pleasant trip this summer. I have also discovered that not all MOON Handbooks are created equal as each has a different author. This one, however, I found exceptional. Also take advantage on-line of visitor guides put out by local chambers of commerce. There is an excellent one available on the Black Hills at [...]

We just completed a whirlwind tour of the Black Hills with this great guide...easy to use, informative, and quite helpful when selecting the your "must see" stops...congratulations on your handiwork Laural!

My wife and I recently went on a somewhat lengthy road trip through the Dakotas and Minnesota. It was difficult to find a book that didn't either just gloss over or have a small section devoted to the Black Hills...and most of that was for Mt. Rushmore and/or the Badlands. This book met just about all the needs that we had during our trip. The book not only covers the main spots like Rushmore and the Badlands, but it covers the entire area in a very easy to understand manner.

In terms of just simple information about the region, to my knowledge there isn't a better book. But beyond that, Bidwell's writing shows that she's explored this area in and out and is not just an author but a local expert as well. I used the book in all facets of planning our adventure, from getting a basic overview of the history of the area down to mapping how we were going to tackle the Norbeck Scenic Byway. We used the book on the trip to make sure we weren't missing anything that would be of interest that we might regret not seeing. We used it on the fly to determine which restaurants we might eat at, especially in some of the smaller towns like Custer and Hill City. I would argue the book's biggest strength isn't so much regarding Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands (it does a fine job with those places however), but it's with the information and recommendations it provides for the rest of the area. It's nice to know a bit about the towns you're in to make you appreciate them more. In the end, we came away very satisfied with our choices...many of which were based on Bidwell's commentary and recommendations in the book.

Without a doubt, if you are planning a trip to southwestern South Dakota (which I also strongly recommend if you can), this book is a must-have, before, during, and after.

This book was incredibly helpful in planning our vacation to Mt Rushmore and South Dakota. I would definitely recommend it to anyone unfamiliar with the area before traveling!

Good book for the surrounding areas of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. The series Moon does not have a book on South Dakota and this was the next best thing. It worked out well because it has all the sites we wanted to see as well as a wealth of good information.

CLEARLY WRITTEN, WITH TONS OF SPECIFICS, CLEAR MAPS AND LINE DRAWINGS. NOT A COLOR PHOTOGRAPH TYPE OF PICTURE BOOK, BUT A SERIOUS TRAVEL GUIDE TO THE AREA. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

This book has been helpful when planning a trip to SD but it has a lot of unnecessary detail (to me it seems like it's only in there to make the book longer)

I am very happy with my purchase. I will be using my book when I got to South Dakota next July. I have never been there and I am looking forward to going and my book on all the cool stuff to do when I am there. This book looked very good filled with info. that I didn't know before.