Rapid City is central to South Dakota's most famous Black Hills locations like Mount Rushmore, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and the old west town of Deadwood. For those lucky enough to live in this beautiful area either in town or in adjacent Rapid Valley, a fabulous landscape with upscale outdoor living spaces can give you an idyllic environment to spend the summer months without ever leaving home. Just a few miles south of town are the Reptile Gardens, Rapid City's most popular place to see flowers and gardens during the season. But with such a short northern growing season, spring ends late and fall wraps early limiting the number of evenings for outdoor entertaining. Add an outdoor fire feature, be it purely artistic or practical like a fireplace or fire pit, so you'll have welcome warmth for those nippy days and colder evenings while everyone else is forced indoors.

This is the center of Pennington County which includes outlying communities that are suburbs of the capitol. Blackhawk and Box Elder next to Ellsworth Air Force Base are both charming home towns with access to a wide range of wilderness sports. After a long day at work or perhaps out fishing, coming home to a patio to gather and grill fresh caught delicacies adds more opportunities to stay outside well into the evening. For hunters, a powerful grill protected from summer rains with a sizable pergola is the best way to smoke your game or grill venison sausage.

For those living on ranches where the views are spectacular and lifestyle is decidedly western, creating expansive outdoor living spaces maximizes the overall usability of your property. Providing a weatherproof roof and perhaps a natural stone outdoor fireplace will make this your favorite spot to gather after rodeo or a long trail ride.

Whether you're on a city lot or a hundred acres, you'll find living a lot easier and more versatile when you can do a lot more outdoors. Creating an outdoor kitchen or areas for entertaining adds a whole new dimension to your small home or ranchette. After the long cold winters of this arid country, the ability to head out and stay out for the duration becomes a reality upon completion of your beautifully designed living space.