Days 45-47: Getting to the Good Part

Sat, Sun and Monday were blitzing across fly over states to get to southeast SD where we will stay a week. About 800 miles with a third on interstates. Not so many trees and pretty flat, and WINDY at least half of it was a stiff breeze from the side, which does not help with our profile. We did find some good campgrounds and in Bismarck, there was a wonderful museum which was free, and had a great section on dinosaurs, since it was once a huge lake bed.

There is a lot of smoke in the air. Not that you smell it but it has lowered the visibility, and we are not running any marathons. Apparently this is swept in all the way from the fires in Montana.

We made it to Deadwood in time to do some looking around and watch a shootout that they stage on the street. They both emptied their guns without hitting each other and the only thing that died was a window! (an enactment of a real gunfight)

Wild Bill Hickok was "assassinated" in 1876 here. So we toured the cemetery (it's a big deal) but did not take the bus ride. It was the cemetery for the town until recently with over 3600 buried going back to 1878. The Masons moved James Butler (Wild Bill) up there because the growing town was encroaching on the old grave. There was a young herd of big horn sheep near the cemetery while we were there, though these were not native to the area.

Calamity Jane was buried next to him in 1903. Dora Dufran was the next most celebrated resident of the cemetery though, as she was a "sporting house proprietor".

The town is squeezed between the walls of a gulch and is well preserved with a huge parking structure and casinos. It does not get a lot of traffic in the winter, though nearby are the highest chairlifts between Colorado and the Alps!

One shop we went into was a clothing shop for women, but it had a bar in the middle so the guys could have a beer while the women shopped. This would not likely happen in CA but I'm sure goes over well with Sturgis attendees!

Pix below are in Deadwood