September 13, 2012 (Posted 2 days afterward)
Our old hotel in Deadwood was very cold in the
night. There was a frost here. Some of the leaves are turning
yellow, and it just makes this fabulous scenery all the more
beautiful. I am in love with South Dakota.
We did another footwalk through
Deadwood before we left. I actually figure that I won about $20 in
slot machines, and promptly lost it all back to them. My favorite
machine is right inside the door of Kevin Costner's casino, The
Midnight Star. It pays off periodically, so the people on the street
will see it, I think. It gave and it took. Addictive.
We visited the #10 Saloon which claims
to be, “The only museum in the world with a bar in it.” And it
did. That's where we saw Bill Hickok's last hand of poker cards and
lost a few quarters.
We also went to the Adams Museum which
the tour book says is the attic of Deadwood. The Adams Family (not
the TV one........) lived in an old Victorian house near the
cemetery. Within 48 hours, Mr. Adams lost his wife, his daughter,
and a newborn grandbaby. He was desolate. Eventually, he
remarried, a woman 40 years younger than he. When he passed on, the
new wife closed up the house, moved out of town, and never returned.
She claimed that the house was haunted, and many of the belongings
from the house are now in the museum.
We learned that there had been an
underground, literally underground, Chinese population. They had an
opium trade and some shops down there under the streets of Deadwood.
Tours used to go there, but I heard that they were not very
interesting.
Whenever people would ask, “Why
South Dakota?” when I would tell them where I wanted to go to
celebrate my retirement, I would answer, “To eat an Indian
flatbread breakfast in Spearfish Canyon at Cheyenne Crossing.”
Today was the day I got my wish. I've
never forgotten the breakfast in 2007 that I had there. I've tried
to recreate it in my own kitchen, quite successfully, I think.
Perhaps being the one of the most gorgeous places in our country
helps the flavor.
Spearfish Canyon is so named due to the
Indians using spears long ago to catch their fish. It has high
mountains of stone and rock, tall pines, rushing creeks. Blue skies
contribute to the beauty. The Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway is worth
going up and back and up and back again..............
We stopped at Cheyenne Crossing at the
junction of 14A and 85. There is a store and restaurant there, where
now twice I have literally swooned over the Broken Arrow Ranch
Breakfast. This consists of either Indian flatbread or hash browns
covered with a layer of chili covered with green chilies, black
olives, red onions, chopped tomatoes, two eggs cooked your way,
shredded cheddar cheese over this all, and topped with sour cream.
OMG. I ate the whole thing.
First we took a mile ride into the
woods to see the Roughlock Falls which were Randy's favorite thing
today, I think. A yellow jacket stung my hand while I was oooing and
ahhhing, but it didn't spoil my visit here.
We are in a suite with a king bed, a
fireplace, sofa, and amenities beyond anything we've seen on this
trip. We spent some time at the bar in the lobby, then enjoyed wine
on the porch while we sat in the rocking chairs just watching the
scenery.
A long hot dip in the hot tub finished our evening. Tomorrow we will stay in the lodge until checkout time, and visit the Spearfish Falls near the Latchstring Restaurant across the street, after breakfast.
Almost Heaven.
It will break my heart to drive out of Spearfish Canyon.............
