July 9, 2020

This paid piece is sponsored by the Lincoln County Economic Development Association.

From unique shopping to rooftop dining and the area’s only climbing gym of its kind, there are tons of new reasons for a quick day trip to Tea this summer.

Stacey’s Vintage-Art-Boutique

Technically, Stacey’s Vintage-Art-Boutique has a Sioux Falls address, but it’s still the perfect stop on your way into Tea.

Located at 27102 Albers Ave. on the east side of the Tea exit at I-29, this sprawling marketplace has something for every shopper.

“You’ll find all different types of items, home decor, jewelry, some pottery. We have paintings and some antiques,” store manager Carrie Jenson said.

And that’s just the start. There are 90 vendors, largely from the Sioux Falls area, with a mix of handmade and curated merchandise.

“We do have a lot of variety. We don’t like to double up on things,” Jenson said. “We like it to be a place where you can find just about anything for anybody.”

This spring, Stacey’s got even bigger. Nearly as soon as this new addition was ready, it was filled with new vendors – including some who downsized from storefronts.

A grand opening for the space will be held Saturday, as many people are still discovering the new shopping option. It will feature food trucks, desserts and vendor specials.

“I think that the word is still just getting out,” Jenson said.

But once shoppers get inside, they tend to become repeat customers, she said.

“They’re like, I didn’t even know you were here and they’re like, I have to come back when I have more time.”

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.

Climberz

Your next stop in Tea should take you to new heights. Indoor climbing gym Climberz opened in June on the north side of town, offering a one-of-a-kind workout.

“I created a climbing space that is open for everybody of all ages, all experience levels,” owner and Tea native Travis Klinghagen said.

“People looking to just have a fun day out, try something new and then people who are looking to really excel in climbing and go outdoors and, you know, push the limits.”

This is free climbing – there are no ropes or harnesses involved. But there are varying degrees of challenge throughout the gym.

“Our one section that is 12 feet high is a little bit more for the beginner climber,” he said. “Somebody can come in and feel really comfortable going up the wall getting used to it. And then our bigger section, which is 16 feet high, that’s where everything has a difficulty rating to it.”

Colors mark different routes according to their difficulty. But before you start on any of them – you’ll have to learn how to fall.

“We have these really cushy mats, so big thick mats. We teach everybody how to fall properly,” Klinghagen said.

“We practice that and push that really hard, making sure that everybody feels really comfortable when they fall because it’s going to happen in here.”

Climberz also offers one-on-one coaching, camps and classes, plus a space upstairs for parties.

Up next – a new high-tech addition.

“This really cool training board that’s coming in about a few months — it’s all app-driven. So you can go onto the app, and it’s got 18,000 different routes on it,” Klinghagen said. “And the LED lights basically light your way to figure out where the next hole is to go.”

You can come for one visit or buy a membership. Hours are 1 to 9 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 6 p.m. Sundays.

“I feel privileged to be able to kind of be that first step into creating a community that is strong and growing,” Klinghagen said.

“I think it’s great because it creates another avenue for kids and adults to kind of get out of the norm, especially during the winters.”

Squealer’s Smoke Shack

And finally, don’t miss Tea’s newest and potentially most popular dining option – the expanded Squealer’s Smoke Shack. Its new location opened this spring.

“It has been so overwhelming. People are loving it, and it’s been great,” co-owner Andrea Kuipers said.

Squealer’s started as a food truck in 2014 and then moved into a physical space in Tea two years later.

But this place at the main intersection on the northeast edge of town takes it to a whole new level – literally, with a rooftop deck opening soon and lots of extra outdoor seating downstairs.

“We really wanted to have just a lot of light and an open, airy feeling. So having the two garage doors was a huge benefit for us, and they turned out amazing,” Kuipers said.

“So it’s nice to be able to open them up and have the fresh air, customers walking in and out. It also has been really nice for live music.”

There’s an expanded menu too.

“We are no longer doing just all smoked foods. So we have hamburgers. We have some seafood on the menu, and it’s just going to be huge when we are able to actually put our steaks back out there on a menu too,” Kuipers said.

With all the extra room, the restaurant can seat up to 400 people when it’s full, and it will be adding volleyball courts soon.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

“We’ve had a lot of new faces,” Kuipers said. “A lot of people from Sioux Falls have been coming out to check us out too.”