If there’s one thing I can really get down with in winter, it’s impromptu trips with hopes of warmer weather. I had been checking the weather forecast whilst feeling the need to get out of town and scouted out some mid sixties in South Dakota. At the end of January! It’s been years since we’ve had winter weather like this. I’m still not a fan of winter driving, so the only way I’ll head out is if I can have a 100% guarantee of safe roads.

I booked a couple nights at the Alex Johnson Hotel in Rapid City. Since it’s the off season for the Badlands area, most cabins aren’t operating, and the major area attractions are closed, besides Mount Rushmore. The plus side of this is that you can stay for much cheaper. The hotel room I booked at the Alex Johnson was 60% cheaper than it will be in May through October!

There are a few pros and cons to staying at the Alex Johnson Hotel with kids. Since this is a historic boutique hotel in the downtown area, parking is a pain. The hotel does not have a parking lot and the available parking is sparse. It’s all metered city parking. You need to get lucky! When you’re toting six kids, this is not fun. But we made the best of it. They did have valet parking for an extra $28.50 a night, but it’s so chaotic getting kids out of the car, I would have been a tad bit flustered trying to rush.

We were staying on the 5th floor, so there was also taking the elevator up and down. They’re smaller elevators, leaning toward the old historic side. However, these were the fastest and least scary elevators I’ve ever ridden! I had no fear of it breaking down. We did end up taking the stairs quite a few times, which were fun in that they were old, narrow, and almost felt like hidden passageways.

The things I loved about the Alex Johnson are in abundance. The design for starters. I could have wandered those halls for days taking photos. The chandeliers, curved entryways, the dark wood, the rich jewel tone coloring. It. is gorgeous. There’s a mix of historic and modern boutique style notes, and they tie together so good. When Alex Johnson was designing the hotel, he decorated it in a tribute to the Native Americans and the Germans that had immigrated to South Dakota.

Our room was cute, cozy and clean, with beautiful views of the hills and art alley. The sunrise through the windows in the morning had me held in a moment of happiness. I couldn’t imagine living somewhere where you woke up everyday to a beautiful sight.

Another perk to the hotel is the Starbucks cafe off the lobby if you fancy a quick coffee without leaving the Alex Johnson! I’m a huge fan of coffee shop exploration, so we didn’t frequent it but once out of desperation.

If you want some good coffee nearby the Alex Johnson, both Harriet & Oak and Essence of Coffee are within a couple blocks. I love them both. Essence of Coffee has a delicious berry cream cheese pastry that I def recommend. Oh, and for breakfast, try Tally’s Silver Spoon, right across the street from the Alex Johnson. I got the cinnamon swirl French toast 😋 try it.

This day and age of hotel advancement is kind of cool. I checked in, set up a digital key for the room, and checked out after our stay, all on the Hilton app. I never once had to go to the front desk. I think the only staff we encountered were the valet service, who always smiled and held the front doors open when we came through. Considering there is a bar, Paddy O’Neills (named after the first ever guest to stay in the hotel when it’s doors opened in 1928) downstairs and a rooftop restaurant/bar, Vertex, on the top floor, it was surprisingly quiet around there. We rarely ran into any other guests and I did wonder a time or two if we were the only ones on our floor. That really added to the uneasiness at night, when you know you’re staying in a haunted hotel.

My older girls were literally begging me to book our room on the 8th floor, which is the floor that the “Lady in White” and a little giggling ghost girl haunt. I am waaaay too chicken for that. The first night there was borderline disastrous for me. I found myself awake nearly every hour, checking to see if there was a ghost in my room. It sounds so ridiculous, but I have a fabulous imagination and I’d concocted all kinds of theories of why the ghosts would decide to venture down off the eight floor. I’d start to fall asleep and would jolt my eyes back open, nervously looking at the mirrors and out the windows. Mirrors and ghosts are such a scary combination.

The story with the “Lady in White” happened in the 1970’s. Allegedly, a young woman flung herself out of her room window (room 817), while wearing her wedding dress. Her friends had told investigators she would have never killed herself and that she was pushed. They never had a suspect. Now, there she goes, she roams the halls, searching for her killer. Some have seen her gliding along wearing her wedding dress, others have seen her as a flash of white moving about. I’d prefer to see neither.

Along with the apparition of the Lady in White on the eighth floor, is the ghost daughter of the original hotel owner, Alex Johnson. She died in the hotel of polio as a young girl and has been heard giggling in the hall and knocking on guests doors, then running away. It sounds very innocent, but I’d most certainly lose it if that happened.

And then to top it off, Alex Johnson himself has been seen meandering around the third floor area. At least he doesn’t seem to be on any form of mission. Just keeping watch over his beautiful hotel.

Besides the scare factor, or maybe because of the scare factor, please do yourself a favor and stay here at least once. You will not regret it. Most likely you will not encounter a ghost, don’t worry.

❤️ Bethany