The Wild West: Deadwood and Mount Rushmore, SD

“Well, Bill [Hickok] was a pretty good shot. But he could not shoot as quick as half a dozen men we all knew in those days, nor as straight either. But Bill was cool, and the men who he went up against were rattled, I guess. Bill beat them to it.”

~ Buffalo Bill Cody (related to Brandy’s family on her Gigi’s side)

What a beautiful morning. We decided to have a later checkout so that we could enjoy this amazing campsite and let the pups stretch and relax. Ron made breakfast burritos for us and our new friends at the campground, and the kiddos managed to turn in their school assignments and log on to their class Zoom meetings. I like these days when I can find balance between this amazing trip and the school schedule with the kids. 

That being said we did have to juggle around who was going to be in the RV for their class and who would be outside or in the truck. Then, my laptop died so we had a 5 minute interruption in Ariel’s lesson but we recovered.  We are learning as we go for sure, and Ariel and Wyatt’s teachers know about our travel plan. We are blessed with patient, accommodating, and amazing teachers. Ariel and Wyatt both had great classes, and the pups enjoyed the extra time running around without leashes. By 11:15 we were on the road and on our way to South Dakota.

Oh, and we finally figured out why our travel days have taken about 3 hours longer than expected. Google Maps calculates travel time based on the speed limit of the highway.  Well, the speed limit here is 80 miles an hour and we are only doing 65mph because we are towing the trailer. We had a good laugh about not realizing this sooner, and we’re happy to know it’s not our little stops along the way. I kept wondering, are we really that slow? Lol

Our first stop was Deadwood, SD.  Deadwood is the site of “Wild Bill” Hickok’s  grave, and the town is known for its gold rush history. Deadwood was so much fun for all of us.  Once we found shaded parking for the pups and let them out for a pee and some water we headed into the historic downtown. We had lunch at the oldest saloon called Buffalo Bodega Saloon. Afterwards we headed over to Saloon #10, where Wild Bill was shot. We enjoyed a beverage and then headed outside for the gunfight show, just outside the saloon.  

Ariel and Wyatt enjoyed the show, but they were a bit afraid of the gunslingers (perhaps it had something to do with the fact we told them to protect the 5 dollars they were given from the lovely couples we met at the campground, because bandits will find a way to swindle you out of your money). The gunfight didn’t phase Ron, but Wyatt, Ariel and I all jumped out of our skin when the pistols went off.  I always say that Ron was born a wild west cowboy.  The kiddos made a joke that we jumped just like GranGran (my dad).  Heads up mom for when you two explore Deadwood!

From Deadwood, we headed to  Mt Rushmore. Along the way, I explained to the kiddos what each of the 4 presidents are known for. It turned into a fun learning activity and social studies lesson. We arrived at Mount Rushmore late enough to miss the worst of the heat. With the back canopy windows open, the pups got a nice evening breeze. We’re always cautious about leaving them in the truck, and won’t stop if they don’t have shade or proper ventilation.  

Mt Rushmore was amazing to see in person. The pictures just don’t do it justice. The detail work is truly amazing—and to think that 90 percent of it was created with TNT!  The kids found it so exciting too.  I also noticed how beautiful the surrounding forest was.  This area of South Dakota is so beautiful.  It was another late arrival to our campsite but we didn’t mind because we have 3 nights here at our South Dakota KOA.  We are looking forward to exploring the Badlands. 

Goodnight from South Dakota!