{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.thune.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=0ADBE190-1E9C-42C1-8582-C6B9427AE2DA", "Thune: Theres Nothing Better Than A South Dakota Road Trip", "2019-07-31", "2019", "2019-07", "Republican", "House", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Clickhereor on the picture above to watch Thune's speech.\r\n\r\nWASHINGTON U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed the upcoming congressional state work period, what he likes best about traveling around the state, including some of his favorite stops, and why South Dakota is the best place in the country to take a road trip.\r\n\r\nThune's remarks below (as prepared for delivery):\r\n\r\nMr. President, I love August.\r\n\r\nI head back home to South Dakota almost every weekend to meet with South Dakotans.\r\n\r\nBut August is wonderful for two reasons.\r\n\r\nFirst, August gives me time to visit the furthest corners of the state  places it might be hard to visit on just a weekend.\r\n\r\nPlaces like Bison, and Milbank, and Clear Lake, and Huron, and Mobridge.\r\n\r\nI get to talk to folks who make their living in production agriculture in some of the most rural parts of South Dakota.\r\n\r\nThere's nothing more valuable than getting to talk to these South Dakotans firsthand  to hear what challenges they're facing and what I can do here in Washington to help out.\r\n\r\nNot to mention how wonderful it is to spend time in these beautiful parts of the state.\r\n\r\nIf you haven't taken in the rugged beauty of the Badlands or the rivers and prairies of central South Dakota, you're missing out.\r\n\r\nThe other thing I love about heading back to South Dakota for August is that it's fair season.\r\n\r\nThe Sioux Empire Fair. The Turner County Fair. The Brown County Fair. Yankton Riverboat Days. And pow wows in tribal communities around the state.\r\n\r\nThe list goes on!\r\n\r\nYou'd be hard-pressed to find better events, better people  or better food.\r\n\r\nI often joke that in August I'm basically just eating my way across South Dakota.\r\n\r\nIce cream at the fair in Parker.\r\n\r\nPork sandwiches with the pork producers.\r\n\r\nMilkshakes at Dakotafest.\r\n\r\nCheese curds at the state fair.\r\n\r\nI could go on.\r\n\r\nI vividly remember the year I had a Tubby Burger, plus a big fries, plus a malt at the Brown County Fair.\r\n\r\nThen I got up early the next morning to run the 5K at Riverboat Days in Yankton.\r\n\r\nIt was not my best run time.\r\n\r\nBut it was worth it for that burger.\r\n\r\nThere's really nothing better than a South Dakota road trip.\r\n\r\nOur state has so much to offer.\r\n\r\nAn incredible range of scenery, from rolling prairies to the heights of Black Elk Peak.\r\n\r\nHundreds of miles of wide-open country.\r\n\r\nThere's nothing better than a summer afternoon driving down a South Dakota highway.\r\n\r\nYou feel like you can see forever.\r\n\r\nWe have an incredible number of outdoor opportunities  from fishing and hunting, to hiking, biking, rock climbing, water sports  You name it; we have it.\r\n\r\nSouth Dakota is an affordable place for families too  you're not going to break the bank on meals or lodging.\r\n\r\nAnd of course, we have unforgettable road trip stops, like the Corn Palace in Mitchell or Wall Drug.\r\n\r\nMake sure to grab a homemade doughnut or a free ice water at Wall Drug, and take a picture for Instagram with the giant jackalope outside.\r\n\r\nAnd as for South Dakotans  well, they're the nicest people you're ever going to meet.\r\n\r\nA South Dakota road trip is worth it for the people alone.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the wonderful memories I've made traveling across the state as an adult, I cherish my memories of trips to the Black Hills as a child with my parents and siblings.\r\n\r\nWe used to go out there for Labor Day, stay in this little non-air-conditioned cabin, and just glory in the outdoors.\r\n\r\nWe'd hike and visit the caves, or go to Mount Rushmore, or head to the lake.\r\n\r\nI loved  and still love  visiting Sylvan Lake.\r\n\r\nI loved being there with my parents and siblings, and I loved taking my daughters there on trips like the ones I took growing up.\r\n\r\nNobody who visits South Dakota should miss the Black Hills.\r\n\r\nI'm not sure there's a more beautiful place on earth.\r\n\r\nThe interplay of light and shadow on the trees and rocks late on a summer afternoon.\r\n\r\nThe endless South Dakota sky reflected in the clear blue of Sylvan Lake.\r\n\r\nPeople in Washington D.C. don't know what the Milky Way looks like on a clear night in the Black Hills  as if the sky had been carpeted with millions of diamonds.\r\n\r\nMr. President, I'm lucky to be a son of South Dakota.\r\n\r\nAnd I'm looking forward to getting out of D.C. this week and heading back to my home state for some of the best weeks of the year.\r\n\r\nAnd Brown County, if you're listening to this, please save me a Tubby Burger.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://www.thune.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=0ADBE190-1E9C-42C1-8582-C6B9427AE2DA"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.363332848995924, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}