Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Learn more about where I went while exploring Sioux Falls!

Downtown Sioux Falls was the definition of a hidden gem! The initial appeal of going to South Dakota was for the nature aspect. I packed tons of hiking clothes and was ready for a weekend in nature. Que the butterflies and animals that help me get dressed in the morning. What I wasn’t expecting, was the adorably perfect downtown that Sioux Falls brings to the table.

After a quick Google search - like the planner I am - I found out that there has been significant improvements to Sioux Falls in an effort to make an incredible downtown. I was immediately here for it. Sign me up for anything that appeals to me having one stop shopping for activities while on vacation. A specific road that has food, drinks, clothing, and activities all in one place - yes please. I can park my car and just walk down the street and not have to come back until I’m ready to head back to the hotel - I’m parked and already out of the car. Let’s go. Click here to view the website I used!

The first gem I came across was Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen. If you love the hipster vibe of drinking wine out of mason glasses and eating incredible food surrounded by murals painted all over the walls, you will love this place. As someone whose soul memory of ramen noodles was the 50 cent bags you get from Walgreen that are filled with salt - I had always wanted to see what “real” ramen noodle were. So, when I walked into Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen my eyes immediately locked in on their special of the day: ramen and they did not disappoint! Delicious! My Mother had the Moroccan Chicken Salad and felt the same way. I highly recommend eating at Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen if you're ever in Sioux Falls. Learn more about the restaurant by clicking this link!

Next stop was our journey was the Butterfly House & Aquarium. Now, because I want you guys to completely trust me and not think that our blog is just about sunshine and rainbows I'm going to be completely honest with this one - I did not like this as much as I was hoping to. Was there anything particularly wrong with this? No. I can see other people enjoying the Butterfly House & Aquarium very much - especially if you have children. What happened then - you may be asking yourself. Well, that was the day that I learned that I don't like butterflies constantly flying at my face. Who knew?! Seriously though, not a fan. I learned a hard lesson that way. Insects of any kind flying around me in large numbers isn't my thing - apparently. However, the aquarium was adorable and I hung out for quiet a while by the turtles - so it wasn't a complete bust. I can honestly say, there was a lot of people around me enjoying themselves and having a great time! This was a personal preference thing, haha. Learn more about the Butterfly House & Aquarium by clicking this link!

After my traumatizing experience at the Butterfly House - I needed a treat. CH Patisserie did not disappoint! Hands down the best macaroon's I've ever had! I can not put enough exclamation marks in my sentences while talking about this luxury treat shop! I could write about 10 pages about how delicious everything we ordered from there was but really the best thing I can honestly think to say is - Go! If you're ever in Sioux Falls you need to go! I'm not kidding. We cannot be friends if you go to Sioux Falls and don't visit CH Patisserie! Learn more about CH Patisserie by clicking this link!

The true gem of Downtown Sioux Falls is the Sculpture Walk! On every block and every corner is an incredible sculpture for visitors to enjoy. There are over 50 sculptures for you to see on both sides of Phillips Avenue. Almost four blocks of art and an array of different types of shops along the way - it truly was a beautiful surprise to discover this amazing art in Downtown Sioux Falls. Head over to our Instagram page @travelwithcookies to see some of the sculptures or click here to learn more about the Sculpture Walk!

And finally - if you're going to go to Sioux Falls then you need to go to Falls Park to get those Instagram Pictures because WOW! You might have already seen some images of Sioux Falls Park and stunning waterfalls there but if you haven't - do yourself a favor and hop onto Google and check them out! I'll wait...

See!!! I did not lie to you! It's beautiful and well worth spending a lot of time there to take an unnecessary but totally necessary amount of pictures. Go in the morning, go in the afternoon, and definitely take time to go at night when they lights are on because it's beautiful at night as well. Take advantage of the walk on both sides of the water and make sure to stop at all the photo ready areas that are just perfect to snap that Instagram pic. There is also a viewing tower that lets you see the whole park at once but fair warning - it's windy up there! The entrance to the viewing tower is inside the gift shop, so if you'd like a memento of your trip - that's where you'd get it. Falls Park is their #1 attraction and I can see why. It's located at North Philips Avenue and Falls Park Drive - and I'm happy to tell you that your GPS will have no issues finding it! A must see for your bucket list - click here to learn more about Falls Park!

XoXo Leanne