Keystone, Hill City and Deadwood, South Dakota
We are just loving the Black Hills area. There is so much to see and do. we have mainly stuck to the government or civic type attractions, a lot of the private attractions are just no so much for us. Many of these are more targeted at families with children. Over the last couple of weeks we have visited the three towns and did little walking tours in and around these areas. We also drove through Custer, South Dakota, but didn't stop to walk around town. Custer is also a neat looking little western mountain town, but we spent our walking around time in Custer State Park looking at the natural surroundings and at Crazy Horse Mountain.Keystone, South Dakota
Keystone is a pretty little mountain town that is in the path of Mt Rushmore National Monument, Custer State Park, Jewel Cave National Monument and Stockade Lake. Like the others, the main industry here is tourism. That makes for lots of places to eat and stay and gifts to take away with you. We tried to drive up to the local cemetery on the hill; we heard there was a good view of Mt Rushmore from there, but the road was was not wide enough to allow our F-450 to pass. We took a few pictures around town during our walk.
More Keystone beauty...
Hill City
On the way to Hill City we discovered a small National Forest Picnic Area, Strawberry Picnic area. We stopped for a look and found secluded beauty.
Main Street Hill City
Curiosities in Hill City...
We stopped to get a photo of the old steam engine on display...
... when all of a sudden this guy comes around the corner blowing his whistle!
To our delight we found that there are many Wineries in the Black Hills area and on this day were visited two. Naked Winery...
... and Prairieberry (home of the famous Rhubarb Wine), where we stayed for a snack with our wine.
Deadwood, South Dakota
Perhaps the most beautiful and I was attracted to the wild history of the town. There we saw the famous Boothill (Moriah) Cemetery, Roosevelt Peak and the Saloon #10 where Wild Bill Hickok was shot in the back with his black aces and eights.Deadwood
We rode up to Boothill, and I mean up! It is a very large and well maintained cemetery. There is abundant history there of the hearty people that made Deadwood. The most famous were Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane buried right next to Bill per her last wish. We discovered Seth Bullock who met President Teddy Roosevelt by chance and came to forge a 30 year close friendship. Seth became a Legislature Senator and later Sheriff of Deadwod. The two built the Friendship Tower on Roosevelt Peak.
Dash Cam shot riding up the steep street to Boothill Cemetery
Gari & I found a nice shady spot up on the hill overlooking Deadwood where we enjoyed our picnic lunch before our tour of Boothill.
Boothill Cemetery
Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane's grave sites
At the top of Boothill there was even more. Seth Bullock wanted to be buried at the very top so he could keep watch over Deadwood. We climbed a steep trail another 1000+ feet to find his beautiful gravesite.
Coming back down the very steep trail...
Deadwood in town
Pam's Purple Door was the last legal brothel in Deadwood and was closed in 1980.
Residences behind Main Street
Gari checks out a memorial statue of a local saddle bronc rider who was tragically killed in an auto accident
Saloon #10, the place Wild Bill was killed with Aces and Eights
300 feet down the street (now Goldberg's) they found Jack McCall the shooter
We watched the 2:00 street gunfight show
Calamity Jane; we stepped into the hotel to use the facilities before the show and Gari shared the private space with Calamity Jane!
We left Deadwood and headed to Mt. Roosevelt to see the view and friendship Tower built by President Teddy Roosevelt and Sheriff Bullock.
Dash Cam shots of the road up to Mt Roosevelt. It was narrow, steep, unpaved and gorgeous!
View from Mt Roosevelt
Friendship Tower at the top of Mt Roosevelt
We found a tree stump chair for a rest after a long day!
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