Get a Jump on Back-to-School with an Education Vacation to Rapid City, SD

RAPID CITY, SD, August 23, 2010 (Press-News.org) This is the time of year when many families start thinking about the end of summer and the start of school. But "back to school" doesn't have to mean summer fun is over. Located on the edge of the Black Hills in western South Dakota, Rapid City offers a blend of both - the education vacation.

Affordable, family-friendly educational destinations are easily accessible from Rapid City. Mount Rushmore National Memorial is less than 30 minutes away. Badlands National Park is a 45 minute drive and Crazy Horse Memorial is a little over an hour.

"Rapid City is uniquely positioned to essentially be an interactive, hands-on classroom for travelers who want a fun way to teach their family about the world around them," said Michelle Lintz, Executive Director of the CVB. "The list of options for education vacations goes on and on."

Other teachable moments can be found at;
- The Journey Museum, where visitors take an incredible trek through time as it tells the story of the nearby Black Hills through interactive displays.
- The City of Presidents, where travelers can walk among a series of life-size bronze statues representing American presidents.
- The Museum of Geology, where vacationers can see local fossil specimens and minerals from the Black Hills.
- The Dahl Arts Center, where visitors can enjoy paintings, sculpture and original prints from selected regional artists. It's also home to a 200-foot on canvas mural depicting two centuries of American history.
- Cleghorn Springs Hatchery, where families can learn how the facility produces and releases close to 1,000,000 trout annually.
- Memorial Park, where travelers can see a section of the Berlin Wall.
- Reptile Gardens, where families can see, and sometimes touch, the world's largest reptile collection along with 50,000 tropical flowers.
- Bear Country USA, where guests can watch bears, buffalo, wolves, elk and more than 20 other species of North American animals that live on 200 acres in the Black Hills.

"Nothing teaches quite like seeing and experiencing," says Lintz. "And unlike most schools, we're open year round."

Learn more about the education vacation opportunities in Rapid City by visiting http://www.VisitRapidCity.com or contact Michelle Lintz, 605-718-8485, lintz@visitrapidcity.com

The Rapid City CVB is a division of the Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce. The CVB's mission is to market the Rapid City area as a convention and leisure destination and to promote economic growth that will enhance the area for visitors and residents.