A Drive to Deadwood

The weather looks like it will be decent so we brave a drive up to Deadwood via Spearfish Canyon.

We take some time to Stop at the Rochford Mall - touted as the smallest Mall in America 

But then all roads seem to lead to Rochford

We grabbed a bite to eat at the Moonshine Gulch Saloon. 

We arrive in Deadwood 

Wild Bill Hickock was shot to death in Deadwood.  He was in a card game at Saloon No. 10 and had his back to the door he was shot by Jack McCall - he was holding a pair aces and and a pair of  8's now known as the Deadman's hand

They do live re-enactments on the Streets and in some of the Historic Buildings all during the day.

If you like gambling this is the town for you - there are 8-10 large Casinos and up to 80 gaming places with Slots.  We are not the gambling type so we go to the Adams Museum instead. 

from there we decide to drive up Boot Hill.  Gary spots an ornate house in the distance so we drive by - it turns out to be the Historic Adams House so we stop and do the tour.  The Historic Adams House was built in 1892 by Harris and Anna Franklin. Described as "the grandest house west of the Mississippi."  Harris and Anna Franklin’s son Nathan bought the house for $1 in 1905. In 1920, Nathan Franklin sold the house to W.E. and Alice Adams for $8,500. Adams' second wife Mary closed up the house in 1936, two years after W.E.'s death, leaving the contents and furnishings intact. It sat vacant for 51 years when in 1987 Mary sold the mansion to a couple who renovated the house and operated it as a bed and breakfast inn until 1992 .  They sold the home to the City of Deadwood’s Historic Preservation Commission.  All of Mary's furniture, personal belongings, toiletries and even a jar of cookies were still inside!

While touring the House another couple asks if we've been to Spearfish, we say it's next on our list and they tell us not to miss the Fish Hatchery.  Well we try to follow other's suggestions - especially if they're free!  So off we go!

Established in 1896, D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives, formerly Spearfish National Fish Hatchery, is one of the oldest operating hatcheries in the country dedicated to fish culture and resource management. The hatchery was constructed to propagate, stock, and establish trout populations in the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming.

There's

an underground viewing station 

The original Hatchery and fish runs

a Replica of one of the original Fish Train Cars used to transport the fish to the Ponds 

There is also the  historic caretaker's house and a Museum in the Old Hatchery

A great little hidden treasure.  Time to head home and we pass a beautiful waterfall along the way. 

Further down the road we see a large brown animal in the road which at firs looks like a statue as we get closer we realize it is an Elk - by the time I get the camera out and on they disappear into the woods but I managed to get a shot though it's not very clear.  Now the only animals we haven't seen are the Mt.Lion and Big Horn Sheep!