Cool Things to Do in Sioux Falls

There is specific, local restaurant fare that I crave from time to time, and a Nick's gyro falls into that category.  A half-assed Arby's gyro isn't going to suffice, nor is a hipster gyro-esque concoction.  It has to be the real deal.  When that craving hits hard, I head to Nick's. Nick's has been serving up gyros since the early 80s, before most Sioux Fallsians even knew what a gyro was, much less how to pronounce it. Warm pita, spiced gyro meat, onion, tomato, and home-made tatziki sauce combine to make a simple, mouth-watering sandwich that satisfies. The Nick’s gyro sandwich is expertly wrapped in paper and tinfoil making it easily accessible with no mess, a perk if you’re downing a gyro sandwich in your car.  Pride of ownership shines through Nick's Gyros Restaurant inside and out.  They've taken an ancient Taco Bell and transformed it into a thing of beauty.  Colorful plants and flowers abound.  Both interior and exterior reflect a Grecian vibe...

  If you spend any amount of time in Sioux Falls, you’ll begin to notice a pattern of pink:  pink streets, pink courthouses, churches, schools, prisons, and homes. Pink is a prevalent color.  Sioux Falls was sorta built on pink, pink Sioux Quartzite that is.  Sioux Quartzite is one durable stone.  In fact, it's purportedly second only in hardness to the diamond.   Falls Park is a playland of pink Sioux Quartzite.  There are plenty of rock formations to climb on throughout the park.  Just be careful not to fall in the river.  It happens.  The Big Sioux River cascades over the quartzite to create the falls.  If you're visiting Sioux Falls, it's pretty much a requirement to go to the falls.   My favorite part of the park is the small sandy beach to the west edge of the smaller falls.  You will have to do a little climbing to get to it, but you'll probably have the cove to yourself once you get there.   The Fal...

  Sanaa’s restaurant is a Sioux Falls treasure.   I go there during the week to pick up lunch takeout.   Mr.  C  and I usually get the (GF and dairy-free) Shish Tawook with tabbouli salad, $12.95.   A few things I completely love about Sanaa’s takeout are that it’s deli-style so it’s really fast, leaving me enough time over lunch to get home, eat, AND walk the dogs; the staff is obviously very loyal and treated well; Sanaa is almost always there with a friendly smile and a thank-you; and the card reader does not prompt you for a tip; instead, there’s a tip jar, which I tend to be generous with. I also love that Sanaa does her best to package my takeout with recyclable or compostable materials.   No Styrofoam and plastic guilt! So, what about the buffet, you ask?   On Saturdays, the restaurant is open from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.   for the buffet, $16. This is a great way to sample a variety of Sanaa dishes, salads, soups, and appetizers. ...

  Sometimes sitting in a dark theater not caring about hair, makeup, clothes, or even conversation is just what the doctor ordered.   The last movie Mr. C and I saw at the State Theater was Eo .   Mr.  C promised it was about a donkey, was Polish, and had subtitles.   That was enough for me.   We went to the 5 p.m., Saturday evening show, and the theater was not crowded.    It rarely is.   Occasionally, the movie doesn’t quite live up to expectations, as in the case of Eo , (for me, not Mr. C) but the obscenely comfortable seats and yummy treats keep me going back.   Truly, the seats are beyond anything a household recliner can offer.   Not only do they fully recline, but they also lower.   Feet up, you sink into a puffy cloud of leather and completely relax.   Mr.  C has fallen asleep in them on a couple of occasions.   The seats have trays for all of your treats as well as multiple cup holders for the bev of c...

  Only 30 full-size replicas of Michelangelo’s Statue of David exist in the world with perhaps 10 being in North America.  Outside of Sioux Falls, there are no full-scale Davids to be found in the Midwest.  The Sioux Falls David is a bronze casting, which makes him among the highest quality of existing replicas.  David is located at Fawick Park , or as I like to call it “Phallic Park,” on the southeastern edge of downtown Sioux Falls.  He overlooks the greenway, bike trail, and Big Sioux River.  The statue of David is best seen in the warmer months; during the winter, you really just want to cover him up with a 15-foot-tall fur coat.  The poor guy looks pretty chilly when there’s snow on the ground and it’s -10 in Sioux Falls.  Prime selfie ops abound on all sides of the David, and there’s ample seating in the park for taking it all in.  If you find yourself wanting more after whetting your appetite with the magnificent David, you can walk a ...

  Mr. C and I love to frequent the Phillips Avenue Diner  as does most of Sioux Falls it seems.  If you go during peak weekend dining hours, there's often about a 20-minute wait for seating, but we've discovered a fun way to kill the wait time...ping pong!   Just a few steps from the Diner is the Phillips Avenue Plaza .  The Plaza is located to the north of the Diner on Phillips Avenue between W. 9th and 10th Streets.  You'll find the all-weather, concrete ping pong table ensconced toward the rear of the plaza (west end).  It's tucked back, away from the wind and pedestrian traffic.   We always pack our paddles and a few balls, whether driving or bicycling to the Diner.  Once we arrive, instead of being annoyed with a wait, we embrace it.  A quick check-in at the host stand and we're off to the Plaza for a few games of "ping" and plenty of trash-talk.  It's an excellent way to burn a few cals before diving into that Farmer's Sc...