South Dakota hotel bargains

My cousin Pat travels frequently to the praries and badlands of the U.S. West, and usually finds great bargains. One recent find is the historic Ortman Hotel in Canistota SD (ortmanhotel@goldenwest.net) where a single room costs $25 without television, $30.50 with television.

The Silverado Franklin (www.silveradocasino.com) is another historic hotel, built in 1903 in Deadwood SD. It has hosted celebrities like Teddy Roosevelt and John Wayne, and continues to welcome guests to its renovated Victorian-style rooms. The hotel is now part of a gaming complex. A quick check online showed rates for rooms start at $99, but you can probably find better rates by booking ahead or through various bargain hotel Websites.

For those who have forgotten, South Dakots is most famous for Mount Rushmore with its carved heads of four American presidents.

Who said there are no bargains left in American travel?