Finding Black Hills Gifts

Before we headed out on our great Midwest roadtrip, my wife suggested that we put together some small gift bags to leave with all of the friends and family we were planning on staying with. In exchange for a night in a guest room and some home-cooked meals, it seemed like a good idea. After we counted up our potential hosts, we ended up with a list of eight. Let’s just say that this is one epic trip.

We thought it would be nice if the gift bags had some distinctive South Dakota items. And, generally speaking, I prefer to give people some sort of edible goodies. It’s usually more difficult to offend someone’s sense of taste with food than with, say, art.

So the day we left I spent some time at the Deadwood Gift Shoppe on Main Street in Deadwood. They stock all kinds of South Dakota-made stuff, including art and craft items, but also food things - like honey, popcorn, salsa and candy. That’s really what I was after. And with eight gift bags to deliver on the road, I was hoping for something on a budget. Fortunately, the folks who manage the place specialize in creating gift baskets on-demand. I ended up with eight really beautiful bags (tied with twine and pine cones) for $61.32.

I’ll be honest - I’m not usually a fan of gift shops. I’ve been to too many kitschy tourist stores hawking hokey souvenirs. I rarely find anything in these Rubber Tomahawk shops that I wouldn’t feel embarrassed giving to my friends and family. But the Deadwood Gift Shoppe surprised me. Friends and family so far have been thrilled with the little goodies we’ve had for them. And some of the stuff I’ve tasted - like the raspberry whipped honey and American Indian-blended teas - are a bit difficult to find at other regular stores, even in the Black Hills. I may be shopping there for myself when we get back.