Dawn of Travel: November 2015

Friday, November 6, 2015

A Visit to the Wild West-Deadwood, SD

What a great little place to spend a few days while visiting this part of the country. Even Deadwood's origins are illegal. The Black Hills had been given to the Lakota Indians in 1868 but Custer's discovery of gold soon led to an illegal settlement in 1870. Land disputes are still ongoing and have reached the United States Supreme Court on several occasions. It set the stage for what was to become a lawless mining town that would spawn folklore and legends that live on today. After its sordid past and a bout of smallpox and a devastating fire, Deadwood struggled to survive and hit some very hard times which came to an end in 1989 when the town legalized gambling and their financial troubles came to an end. In spite of, or perhaps, because of, its colorful past, modern day Deadwood is a fun little town to visit.

A view of downtown Deadwood.

Accommodations are many and varied but try to stay in town so that you can walk everywhere. There are plenty of great restaurants located in its environs that run the gamut in quality and price. We ate at the Gem Steakhouse and the Deadwood Social Club. They were both wonderful, reservations recommended. Also Mustang Sally's was great for lunch. The casinos all have restaurants also so you certainly won't go hungry in Deadwood.

While visiting, take a tour and learn all about the characters and folklore of the town, we really enjoyed it. Of course, Deadwood's most famous citizens were Wild Bill Hickok, whose shooting in reenacted every day, and Calamity Jane whose relationship with Wild Bill is still the matter of much speculation. Both are buried in Mount Moriah Cemetery which sits high above the town and has some great views. There is a great little museum downtown if you want to learn more about the personalities and history of the area.

The graves of Deadwood's most famous citizens, Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane

We used Deadwood as our base to visit the surrounding area. Of course Mount Rushmore, is a must see as is, the Crazy Horse Memorial. The latter is still in progress and probably will not see completion in my lifetime but it is impressive and completely privately funded. From time to time, there are blastings at night and you can watch. I am told it is really a neat thing to see. My personal favorite, in this area was the Needles Highway in Custer State Park. The views are rock formations are just stunning and of course there is wildlife everywhere. While visiting the area we saw antelope, wild horses, wild burros, mountain sheep and of course, American Bison. Most of them are harmless and will run should you get too close but be very wary of the bison, they can, and do, get very aggressive. Do not get out of your car unless they are a good distance away. People are hurt every year because they get to close and I, for one, do not want roughly 1400 pounds charging at me.

Looks just like it does in pictures.

The wild burros walk right up to people.

Needles Highway

We left Deadwood with some reluctance and traveled through the South Dakota Badlands on our way to Sioux Falls for our flight home. The Badlands are beautiful and desolate and also full of wildlife and it made a fitting ending to a great trip to the wild, wild west.

The Badlands

Couldn't believe how well these animals blend with the rocks.

Until next time, safe travels!

Travel Tips

-Border control agents DO NOT understand humor or sarcasm.
-Always, always, always, contact your credit and/or debit card companies before you leave home and advise them of your upcoming trip. In these days of credit card fraud and identity theft, if you do not do this, your cards will be locked and you will not be able to use them which could be a nightmare. Try to keep cash to a minimum (though I do recommend have a few bucks handy for those moments when someone doesn’t take credit cards). ATM’s are readily available at most places in the world.
-Get yourself a really good tour book and read it, prior to your trip or on the plane so you are somewhat familiar with the cultural norms at your destination. Things that are acceptable at home may not be so in other lands. You never want to insult the residents of your host country. Always remember their way may not be the same as ours but it is not wrong, it is only different.
-When travelling abroad it is best not to talk politics. Not every country has the freedoms that we do, so err on the side of caution and leave the political banter at home.
-Do not let your cell phone roam or you may come home to an astronomical bill. Either set up an international plan before you leave or use your phone only on Wi-Fi. This tip holds true for cruises also because once you enter international waters you will get hit with very expensive charges.
- When you check into your hotel, ask for their business card (one for each member of your party). That way, if you get lost, are too tired to walk or had one drink too many, you can simply hail a cab and give the driver your card. Even if you don't speak the local language, it will be obvious where you want to go!
-Always carry pjs, a change of clothes, a toothbrush, your jewelry or any other valuables and any necessary prescription drugs in your carryon. Keep a copy of your itinerary in your checked bag. In the event that you and your bags get separated, the airline can quickly determine exactly where you are going to be and that will expedite the process of getting those bags back to you and in the meantime, you should be okay for 24 hours.
-When traveling abroad, always leave a copy of your passport at home. Also have a copy in your suitcase or take a picture of it with your phone. In the unlikely event that your passport should be lost or stolen, it is much easier to replace when you have a copy with all of the pertinent information needed.