15 Things Longtime South Dakotans Wish They Could Tell Newcomers

Sure, it might be cold where you're from, but until you've experienced the wind here you have no idea what cold is. Wait until that icy blast of air chills you right down to the bone.

So you've seen Deadwood on HBO? Yeah, it's nothing like that anymore. The days of shootouts in the streets and gambling halls are long over. Wait...ok, now that we think about it, you can see shootouts (staged ones, of course) in the middle of Main Street, and there's plenty of gambling to be found. Enjoy!

Welcome to a land without state income tax. Whatever will you do with all that extra money? Lower taxes combined with our already low cost of living will make you feel like Midas.

Native American culture has a lot of influence on South Dakota. Nearly 72,000 Native Americans call this state home, and you'll see their rich history everywhere you look.

North Dakota and South Dakota might be neighbors...but there are plenty of differences between the two. And yes...your relatives are going to want to come visit you so they can see Mount Rushmore.

If you want to fit in here, you'll choose either the Minnesota Vikings, or the Green Bay Packers.

But we have plenty of hockey! The Sioux Falls Stampede plays at the Denny Sanford Premier Center, and it packs the house in the largest stadium in the USHL. You can also catch the Rapid City Rush in the ECHL, and Aberdeen Wings and Brookings Blizzard playing some pretty good juniors hockey.

Sioux Falls is home to around 183,200 residents, and approximately 74,000 people call Rapid City home.

We're proud of our farming traditions here in South Dakota. We grow corn, wheat, soybeans and more, and our small towns are great places to grow up.

South Dakota is home to 3,650,000 cattle, which means that we have real, live cowboys working on real ranches. It also means that this is one of the best places in the country to enjoy a juicy steak.

Pheasant hunting season is a big deal here, and some of South Dakota's small towns host huge festivals for the season opener. We also like to fill our freezers with elk, deer, pronghorn and even bison.

The majestic Missouri River neatly divides our state into two distinct geographic areas. If you're "East River," you likely live in a more populated town and you'll enjoy rural areas with rolling fields and farms. If you're "West River," you might live in a smaller town or on a ranch, and you get to enjoy our national parks, Mount Rushmore and the entire Black Hills Forest.

The Sculpture Walk celebrates arists with new sculptures every year.

While you're in Rapid City, take a walking tour to see the life-sized statues of 42 U.S. Presidents.

We're glad you're here, and we're sure you'll feel right at home in now time!