Great Faces. Great Places. Celebrate 605 day!
The nail was sure hit on the head in 1990 when South Dakota was tagged with it’s slogan, “Great Faces. Great Places.” It truly is an incredibly accurate description of a genuine South Dakota experience. I mean, us South Dakotans really do have great faces, don’t we? Or I guess they might have been talking about Mount Rushmore too. Either way, our state is full of faces to remember!
With all faces considered, how about South Dakota’s beautiful places! We are blessed people to be able to enjoy the wide range of habitat, plains, ridges, hills, rivers and much more that our state has to offer! It amazes me to think about the fact that we live within miles of places that people will travel hundreds if not thousands of miles to vacation to. According to the annual South Dakota Department of Tourism report, approximately 13.7 million tourists traveled through South Dakota in 2015, all to enjoy the great places that we are so lucky to live in.
When considering the many unique traits and characteristics of South Dakota, one that stands out is a simple three number sequence, 605. We are one of 12 states in America to still use a single telephone area code statewide. From the time it was first created in 1947 until now, the code has grown to become another well known slogan of South Dakota. The 605 is now used frequently as identification and as a representation of South Dakota on advertisements, signs, license plates, shirts and other state personalized items.
Now that we are aware of several things that South Dakota is known for and by, let’s talk about June 5. What does that date have to do with anything? (You’re probably wondering.) Well hold onto your hats because I have some exciting news for you! The South Dakota Department of Tourism has officially declared June 5 to be “605 Day!” Yes, that’s right! An entire day dedicated to the recognition of our amazing state!
In celebration, let us remember that it’s not just the mottos, places and faces that make South Dakota a one of a kind state. It’s the people working hard to make it great everyday, the heart behind the great faces and the Lord’s blessing upon us. As our state seal quotes from the Constitution itself, “Under God, the people rule.” Celebrate your South Dakotan heritage this Sunday, June 5.