OffBeat Pathfinder Basecamp

Been coming to Makanda since before the hippies had WiFi. Favorite: sculpture garden at sunset. Also: you’ll never find all the fairy doors, but you’ll have fun trying.

Real question: why is the chowder here better than my grandma’s? (Sorry, Gram.) Also—lobster rolls at the food shack behind the aquarium, do not miss.

Quilt shops in Hill City are legendary—grabbed fabric for my travel quilt, and the locals shared a dozen hidden picnic spots. Loved the old gold mine tour in Lead—bring a jacket, it's colder than you'd think. Next trip, I want to hike Spearfish Canyon in the fall.