Meet the man who has visited every S.D. community

The internet never forgets, so Seth Varner will never live it down that he agreed with a man who greeted him with a journey to a northern state with these words: “Welcome to the better Dakota.”

“I didn’t think much about it then, but having now toured more of North Dakota than most people on the planet … I think the man was onto something.”

He did write that, Varner admits, but as someone who has visited every incorporated community in South Dakota, this state has more than its share of charms too. In fact, when it came time to pick a location for his bachelor party, Varner and his friends went to Deadwood.

He recorded what can be seen, explored, tasted and enjoyed in South Dakota villages, towns and cities in a book, “Wandermore in South Dakota,” that was released in 2023 and recently has been updated.

As South Dakotans begin making plans for summer vacations, the new release might spur some ideas for locales to visit, Varner said.

And those who want to explore the neighboring states — yes, even North Dakota — might want to pick up one of Varner’s other books. He’s up to six now: Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas, North Dakota and Minnesota and currently is visiting Colorado.

It all began in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic closed the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus, sending Varner back to his hometown of Wahoo, Nebraska. He attended classes via Zoom and returned to his high school job at the local Dairy Queen. He was only 20 years old and had enjoyed his first taste of freedom at college. Returning to the small town where he had spent his first 18 years seemed bleak.

So he enlisted a friend and started to travel around Nebraska, following pandemic protocols. After his parents learned of his plans, they were unhappy at first. They relented after convincing him to share his travels via Facebook so they could track his whereabouts.

Response from others was quick and enthusiastic. In three months’ time, the site amassed 21,000 followers. Although Varner was still a college sophomore and had no book-publishing experience, he decided to share what he had discovered in book form. He titled it “Visit531Nebraska: Our Journey to Every Incorporated Town in the State.”

Then, in March 2021, Varner crossed the Missouri River. He visited Iowa’s 939 incorporated communities and turned that into a book. Next on his list: South Dakota and its 310 communities — fewer towns but farther apart. That trip began in February 2022, and the book that resulted was released under the new name he had chosen for his business, Wandermore Publishing. Except for Nebraska, the books now are titled “Wandermore in …” with the state’s name inserted.

A high school friend accompanied Varner to his first two states. In South Dakota, he was joined by his future best man, Jack McGonigal, who also had done some traveling with him in western Nebraska. They met in August 2019 as co-workers in the UNO athletic department. McGonigal now works in broadcasting in Iowa.

Both men are free-spirited and adventurous, McGonigal said. Varner also is adventurous, open-minded and creative, he said.

When McGonigal thinks back on his travels in South Dakota, he said he remembers how kind its residents were to the young travelers.

“I remember obviously the Black Hills,” he said. “I think Sioux Falls is a beautiful town and an underrated city in the Midwest. I’ve lived in small towns before, so I liked seeing all the small towns and communities.”

Now that he’s an Iowan, McGonigal said, he expects to turn to “Wandermore in Iowa” when he begins exploring his new state.

“I travel to different communities for work like Dubuque and Cedar Rapids and Iowa City,” he said. “I have checked out some of the smaller communities. Probably, I should have done more than I have since I’ve lived in Iowa for a year.”

Varner’s newest, and permanent, travel companion is his wife, Eliese. She joined him during his travels to about 40 percent of Minnesota’s incorporated towns.

“She would find things that I might miss like a mural on the back of a building,” he said. “Her palate is amazing for food. She’s able to find those restaurants that may be a little hidden gem. She’s improved the books that way, and it’s nice having the love of my life at my side.”

Marnette Hofer, executive director and archivist at Heritage Hall Museum & Archives in Freeman, carries “Wandermore in South Dakota” in the museum gift shop. She describes Varner as “down to earth, friendly, inquisitive, always looking for information and enthused about everything he saw.”

She has seen books covering South Dakota where the authors have not done their due diligence, she said, adding that Varner can be trusted for his accuracy.

The gift shop keeps about a half-dozen volumes in stock, Hofer said. They provide a useful resource, especially for the area towns.

Varner visited South Dakota while he was still enrolled in college and serving as a dormitory resident director. He calls it the busiest six months of his life, scheduling visits around work, meetings and school.

“If I had five days that I could get away, I’d take out my Rand McNally map, look at Facebook and plan the itinerary. We’d finish at noon on a Sunday and race back to Nebraska for a 7 p.m. meeting and class at 8 a.m. the next day.”

His visit to Deadwood impressed him so much that he didn’t hesitate to choose it for his bachelor party. “It’s this little Nashville, this little Las Vegas in its own right,” Varner said.

In Madison, he was allowed to fly a biplane for two minutes. Belle Fourche meant a visit to the continental center of the United States. Dell Rapids impressed him with its Sioux quartzite architecture. Roslyn, the International Vinegar Museum.

“What sticks out to me are the unique identifiers,” Varner said. “The things they are proud about help bring people to town, for future generations to enjoy.”

The smaller communities can’t be overlooked.

“Even in the small towns, like the ghost town of White Rock, South Dakota, where the last population was six people,” Varner said. “You go there and all you find is two houses and just a bunch of grown-over abandoned buildings. But the story is that it once was a booming railroad town. People forget that every little town was once a thriving community.”

If he had more fun in North Dakota, Varner said with a note of apology, it’s because he no longer had the pressures of college taking up his time.

“I do love both states,” he said. “My sister-in-law lives in Marion. I give the edge to North Dakota only because I had more time to enjoy the state. If the years were reversed, I might say South Dakota is the better Dakota.”