This is easy! Far and away my favorite spot to visit was my grandparents’ little town in South Dakota.
I don’t think most people would look at this little town and name it on their dream destination lists, but my goodness, I loved it.
There are so many reasons this was a highlight of my childhood summers.
For one thing, small town life was such a fun thing to try. We got to ride our bikes to the town pool, the park, my uncle’s house, and the shops on Main Street. For a kid who lived in an area where a car was a necessity, this was a fun change of pace.
Also, my cousin Lynn lived there, and my sister and I had a fantastic time spending a week with her.
There were adults I loved to see as well; my grandparents, of course, and my aunt and uncle, Lynn’s parents.
And I cannot forget my grandma’s sweet rolls. She always made a huge batch of them when we came to visit, and I thought they were just the most heavenly thing ever.
I know nothing on this earth is without flaws, but when I think back to these trips, I just remember feeling almost perfectly happy.
For a lot of people, Disney is the happiest place on earth, and I’m not here to knock Disney.
But I can definitely say that for me, the happiest place on earth is a small town in South Dakota in the 1980s.
I’m grew up in South Dakota In the 70s and 80s and I agree!
I also visited South Dakota every year. I have family who lived in Deadwood, S.D., and I can agree it was a world entirely different from my normal way of life. I have wonderful memories of walking all through downtown…Main Street being one of the most fun and interesting places I’d ever seen! The scenery there was (and is) beautiful. And, my grandma baked her way into my heart, as well! She always had dozens and dozens of homemade chocolate chip cookies waiting for everyone. All of the grandkids looked forward to it every year! 🙂
Oh, I have been in that area of South Dakota! My family took a trip to the Black Hills a few times, once in 1988, and one other year as well.