Sam And Saundra's Year Long Adventure - Part 101

Sam and Saundra’s Year Long Adventure – Part 101

Mid-West

5/6/09-5/12/09 – Deadwood, South Dakota - Fishing, Wall Drug and The Badlands

Fishing: Sam and I went fishing – a lot.  We caught fish. Trout.  The lakes are beautiful and very worth the time just to look at and ponder the meaning of – oh let’s say the different amperage of electricity. We fish at Horse Thief Lake and Sylvan Lake. We enjoyed this immensely.

Sylvan Lake

Deadwood:  On a day that is a little cold and miserable, Sam and I go to Deadwood.  Way back when, we camped there with the kids on the side of a mountain.  A big lightening storm battered our little tent trailer.  Beautiful fireworks, but a little scary. This time we leave the trailer in Custer. Where are those kids? The town of Deadwood has changed. Much less family oriented and much more adult.  The old town area, that used to have family-based live theater and shops, is now a casino area.  Since it had started to snow as we were driving up here, and the roads had iced up, we decided to spend the night.  We ended up in a hotel that had been restored from the “olden” days.  It was actually very nice and a treat from the trailer.  We enjoyed this day-trip immensely.

Deadwood, South Dakota

Wall Drug and the Badlands:  When we were fishing one day at Horse Thief Lake, a fellow fisherman fan told us about Sheep Mountain in the Badlands.  He recommended that we go a little off the regular trail and see this area.  The road ends at a sheer drop off cliff – starting at the road and going down.  We had to see.  We went to Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota for the first time.  I am sure that you have met at least one person that has told you that you gotta stop here if you are ever in the area.  Well, now you will hear it again.  You gotta!  Especially if you have kids asking “Are we there yet?”  Just be sure you have enough money.  Food, art, cloths, toys, stuffed animals, rocks, pharmaceuticals, furniture, furnishings, ice water, free coffee/donut to all veterans, and Black Hills gold jewelry, just to mention a little.  Seeing the jewelry reminded us that we had gotten Tauna a black hills gold ring for her 13^th birthday when we were in South Dakota last time.  She did not make it home with it.  We decided to replace it the best we could. Memories can sometimes be expensive, but well worth it. We spent our allocation plus on souvenirs.  Then on to the Badlands. 

Jackalope In Wall Drug's Backyard

We decide to go past Wall and take the scenic road backwards, ending up at Wall again.  We turn right off of the main highway and see wonderful, flights of fancy-type rock and mountain formations.  Shades of red, lavender and brown mixed in angled formations, including sheer walled cliffs. Looking down crevices in the ground and not being able to see the crease.  Amazing sights.  Someone has created pathways - many which are handicap accessible – without taking away from the stark beauty.  One of the signs described the area as angry looking.  I think that if you want to give the area an emotion description – I would make it haughty and uncaring of what we think of it.  It is there, looking the way it does, because that is what it is. Beautiful!  We do not go back to Wall, we follow a trail to Sheep Mountain – you need to check that area out on your own.  We loved it.  

The Good And the Bad Lands?