Find family fun across S.D. in remaining weeks of summer

This paid piece is sponsored by Travel South Dakota.

If you’ve reached a stage in your summer where your family wants to make the most of the remaining weeks – and also has gone a bit stir-crazy at home – this is for you.

Travel South Dakota’s latest digital passport – the Family Fun Escapes Passport — will connect you with hidden gems within an easy road trip from Sioux Falls.

Explore outdoors, indulge your sweet tooth, make some memories, and even win prizes when you download the passport and start discovering the fun escapes that await.

Here’s a peek at what you’ll find:

Gaylen’s Gourmet Popcorn

118 E. Center St., Madison

Looking for something a little sweet and a little salty? Try Gaylen’s Gourmet Popcorn in Madison. You can have one of more than 20 flavors of gourmet popcorn or SDSU ice cream, as well as candy and sandwiches.

“We are a family-operated business making the best quality product we can,” said Tyler Backus, manager of Gaylen’s. “We are more than just a shopping place – we are a destination!”

It also offer services such as popcorn bars for events, promotional popcorn bags and fundraiser boxes.

New this year are panini sandwiches, Backus said. There are seven sandwiches on the permanent menu – such as a Hot Honey Chicken and a Grilled Cheese – and a rotating monthly feature.

After lunch, you probably need dessert – and Backus recommends the homemade caramel popcorn, ice cream and fresh fudge. You can enjoy them inside or on the summer patio. The store is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

“But there’s one thing you can’t miss at Gaylen’s,” Backus said. “We have a beautiful panoramic mural of all the Lake County depots that existed throughout history. Come and marvel at this hand-painted masterpiece as our train circles around the store.”

Stockyards Ag Experience

301 E. Falls Park Drive, Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls is about so much more than just the namesake waterfalls at Falls Park. Right next to the iconic park is where one of the country’s largest stockyards once operated.

The stockyards operated from 1917 through June 2009.

You can learn more about that and the history of agriculture in the state when you visit the Stockyards Ag Experience Plaza and Barn, located right at the edge of Falls Park.

“The Stockyards Ag Experience is a great choice for free, interactive, family-friendly entertainment and education,” said Abby Bischoff, executive director. “From learning where your food comes from to understanding the importance of agriculture to our region, our museum has something for everyone.”

The stockyards exhibit includes historical images and high-tech interactive displays.

The museum has been adding monthly programs, including a Piglet Story Time in August. “We’re bringing more unique experiences to our museum,” Bischoff said.

She said a favorite experience is learning the history of the area, and the museum features firsthand accounts from the people who were integral to the industry that fueled Sioux Falls growth. The second phase of the site is Woster Plaza, named after South Dakota legend Jim Woster.

The site will include hands-on, interactive elements and exhibits that encourage visitors to experience agriculture connection with how their food is produced, according to the museum site.

Bischoff said more than 35,000 people have come to the museum since it opened – from all 50 states and 39 countries. She said the museum is free for visitors, though freewill donations are appreciated.

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The Boxcar Sweet Shop

110 Capital St., Yankton

The Boxcar Sweet Shop in Yankton is a combination of experiences for locals, said Carmen Schramm with the shop.

“When you walk into our store, you’re greeted by bright neon colors, wall-to-wall toys, games, puzzles, candy, ice cream and friendly staffers. It’s super-fun to watch people’s expressions when they first walk in – it’s a bit of sensory overload,” Schramm said. “Kids are the best. When they come in, their eyes light up, and they don’t know where to start.”

The shop has new and nostalgic games and candy, she said. “We hear visitors reflect on how they remember these items as a kid.”

Plus, there’s ice cream.

This year, there are more games and puzzles, she said, for age 3 and older. New this year are family puzzles. “These have three different puzzle-piece sizes, so the whole family can work the puzzle together.”

The shop has a party room and can host birthdays, showers and other events.

“You have to try our South Dakota-made hard ice cream,” Schramm said. “We get our ice cream from Family Treats Homemade Ice Cream in Brandon. They provide us with the widest variety of flavors in the area, featuring over 16 flavors to choose from on a regular basis.  We carry seven flavors – vanilla, chocolate, cookie dough, cookies-and-cream, strawberry, mint chip and salted caramel pretzel – on a regular basis and rotate seasonals for the rest.”

Summer hours are noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Fall hours are noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The website is being updated, so call the shop at 605-260-7904 for information.

“We want people to come in and be a kid again,” Schramm said.

NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center

8700 Archery Lane, Yankton

Did you know the world’s largest archery center is in Yankton?

The NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center is on more than 140 acres and includes a 90-meter indoor range, three outdoor field ranges, two Olympic-sized FITA fields and a 3D range with a 40-foot elevated platform meant to mimic sitting in a tree stand.

Not into archery? That’s OK. The center also has four indoor tennis courts, two indoor pickleball courts and an air-rifle range, said Morgan Wittmeier with the center. There’s also a fitness center and space for conventions and banquets, she said.

“The whole mission of the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center is to foster, promote and expand the sport of archery to all skill levels and ages,” Wittmeier said.

“One of our main ways of sharing our love for archery is with our program offerings. We offer classes for all skill levels year-round but have focused on offering more advanced offerings and some adult-level classes. We are also working on a pickleball course for teens and adults, called Pickleball 101. This class aims to foster a community for pickleball, one of the few sports that can be played at almost any age!”

Wittmeier said the outdoor ranges are excellent and offer great experiences for bowhunters and target archers alike. “Who wouldn’t want to shoot outdoors, surrounded by nature and even some wildlife?” she asked.

The center is open year-round for all skill levels and has a mission of exposing more people to the sport of archery, Wittmeier said. Day passes are $12, including equipment and a quick instruction. Every Saturday, you can try archery from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for $5.

The NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center is home to the National Field Archery Association National Headquarters, which is one of the governing bodies of the sport of archery and has hosted many world tournaments.

To sign up and see all the stops in the Family Fun Escapes passport, click here.