|
|
Our Story
|
| The SmartAlec idea...
Back in July of 2005 Ken Jones ran into someone running around the Black Hills looking for something called a 'cache'. The woman gave him a geocaching.com card and the craziness began. Ken is the adventurous type and was very intrigued with the thought of treasure hunting throughout the Black Hills. It only took one trip to the local adventure store to get a super-duper, floating, flying GPS Unit. You could say he's an over the top sort of guy. Anyways after a few wanderings throughout the Black Hills the thought occured to him that it would be great to have a peronsal GPS tour guide that would show anyone intersted all the popular places plus a few secret ones too. It would be really cool for everyone not on a 'bus tour' to have access to the same 'tour guide' info like history, legends stories etc. Well, after little bit of research and a lot of brainstorming Ken and his wife Melita came up with the SmartAlec Tour Guide. They are very excited to have created something that is cutting edge and brings out the good stuff that every adventure or vacation in the Black Hills should have. All types of folks, young and old can use a SmartAlec. It's easy and mobile so anyone that wants to drive or walk can hear about the area around them as they travel.
|
Ken Jones:
|
| I grew up in the Black Hills area, just outside of Rapid City. My family is in the tourism business, Mount Rushmore Tours or motorcoach sightseeing tours to be exact. Every summer my dad would spend every day taking tourists out into the Black Hills showing them all the great places like Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Custer State Park. He would make a point of stopping by the many gift shops in the hills and taking their old popcorn off their hands just so the folks on his bus could have something to feed the donkeys. This area is amazing and a real secret paradise to anyone who visits and wants to get away from the hustle and bustle. My favorite thing to do when I have some down time is hike trails like the Stratobowl Rim or take people to the secret spots by Sylvan Lake like Poets Table. Being alone or with some friends wandering through the Black Hills is a blast because there is so much history, so many stories and so many hidden treasures to discover.
See ya out there!
Ken Jones
|
| Melita Jones: |
| I grew up in Minnesota and traveled around the United States for years in a family band. Of all the places that I saw, the Black Hills were my favorite. I moved here 5 years ago and I love it. The people are friendly, the weather fantastically dramatic, and the scenery lovely. I like to hike and bike in the Hills with my husband as much as I can. If you have a family, this is a great vacation spot as there are lots of things to do with kids. The first time I came to the Hills, we spent the day with 14 of us driving around in a mini-van. I don’t recommend that, but we still managed to enjoy ourselves and make some great memories! If you have never hiked in the Badlands, I highly recommend it. Also, Custer State Park is a great experience – don’t miss the donkeys! I hope that you enjoy your stay in the Black Hills and maybe you will fall in love with them like I did.
Enjoy!
Melita Jones
|
|
|
|
|
Home | Adventures | About Us | FAQ'S | Prices | Community | Calendar | Contact Us | Site Map
|
|
|
|
