Deadwood and the big rock

The weather cleared after we arrived at the Rush-No-More Campground and we are expecting several sunny days. This area is in the Black Hills - called that because of the dark green of the pine trees in the mountains. These are Ponderosa pines, one of the long needled pines. They are quite attractive in their natural setting but, in Pennsylvania this tree does not do well at all. This area has been having higher than normal rainfall for the last several weeks and everything is lush and green. But I suspect in August, the trees will be the only green thing since water does not appear to be as readily available as it was in Montana.



Our first stop was Sturgis and no, I didn't buy a new outfit. We made a quick stop and asked a storekeeper why Sturgis has become such a mecca for bikers, especially Harley riders. She told us it started with one man who loved to ride and race his bike. He invited 10 friends with similar interests to come to his house in Sturgis for a weekend and they raced on the flats, partied and had a great time. It was continued every year and has grown into an event that draws riders from all over the world. Some fly in and rent bikes for the week and some of the campgrounds cater to Bike Week attendees. Their rates are sky high - $600 for no services, just a place to pitch a tent (and pass out, no questions asked).


This weekend is Wild Bill Days in Deadwood so we decided to visit on Friday since the main events appear to be on Saturday and Sunday. The Main Street is blocked off for free concerts with Glen Campbell (is he still alive?) and Ricochet performing Saturday and Sunday. So this weekend Deadwood is anything but dead. Deadwood has a law banning open containers of alcoholic beverages but during "events" you can buy a commemorative mug and get it refilled at numerous establishments and walk about on the main street with the special mug.





Of course no visit to this old west town would be complete without a stop at Boot Hill to see the graves of Wild Bill and Calamity Jane. We opted for the tour bus and the guide was a lot of fun. Some of the stories may have been better suited for an adult only audience but he believed in calling a spade a spade. I just wouldn't have wanted to have to explain syphilis,prostitutes, and alcoholism to my 9yr old son. But then, that is a large part of what Deadwood was about. Boot Hill is, by the way, on a hill - a very steep hill - that overlooks the town. There are no Catholics buried in the cemetery but there is a Jewish section and a section for Chinese workers. Some of the older headstones have deteriorated or been vandalized and been replaced from the $1 admission fee charged visitors.


Main street is full of gambling houses - probably 10 times as many as were there in Deadwood's prime. Of course, we visited several! Lunch was in the Midnight Star, which is owned by Kevin Costner. The restaurant is decorated with costumes from his movies and we had a great lunch that didn't break the bank. He actually owns the tour bus company also, but he wasn't our guide on this day. Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed in Saloon No 10 by Jack McCall. Our tour guide said McCall fell off his horse when attempting his get-away and the local law enforcement still had trouble catching him as he ran down Main Street. His trial is reenacted regularly in Deadwood, as are numerous shootouts on Main Street.



We left Deadwood in late afternoon and drove to Devil's Tower. Our Senior Pass is certainly getting a workout at these National Parks. The rock is so impressive when you get closer. Of course I was at the wrong angle with the sun but thought this picture was interesting anyway. The 3 mile drive into the Visitor's Center passes a prairie dog town and the little guys were busy whistling and grunting.









The Visitor's Center had two versions of the Native American explanation about how the tower was formed and both were different than the one I relayed in last post. However, they all involved a huge bear that clawed the sides of the tower, leaving long claw marks in the rock. Of course there was the scientific explanation about super heated rock cooling quickly and splitting into columns. Which one to believe?




















As we travel it is interesting to see the various signage used by State Highway Departments. In South Dakota, left lane closed is indicated by a "Left Lane Ends" sign; two way traffic is "Head On Traffic". One thing that is morbidly interesting is the way highway fatalities are marked. We saw small white crosses in Montana but here in Wyoming and South Dakota they use different signs. This is the South Dakota sign. Wyoming uses a headstone with a red heart and white flower.








As I mentioned previously, AT&T isn't very good in this area. The owner of Rush-No-More Campground (our present location) told me this is Verizon territory. Well, on the way to Deadwood we came across this sign. Apparently Verizon isn't as strong in that area. By the way, I didn't have much signal at this spot either.










We're off to enjoy a trip to Mt. Rushmore and Wind Cave. It's pretty windy this morning and I'm watching the neighbor's awning flap in the breeze. They pulled in yesterday and put out their patio mat, setup lawn chairs and opened all their awnings. The lawn chairs are blown over and if the awning wasn't staked down, it would be up over the coach and they'd be looking for a repairman. Oh and maybe this is where Dan and Ann need to look for a new bike for Ann.