Sturgis, SD

As indicated yesterday, we took the short drive from Sundance, WY, to Sturgis, SD early in the day so we could spend some extra time doing the Spearfish Canyon drive and going to Deadwood. The drive didn't disappoint. The drive through the Black Hills and the canyon was very different and beautiful. First, there is a shot of our campsite in a very nice Park (Rush-No-More) in Sturgis:

We drove about 15 miles to the Spearfish exit off I-90 where the drive began. We stopped at a DQ before going onto the scenic highway and got a small treat which we called lunch. The drive was beautiful and was very different from the hills and mountains we had seen in Wyoming the last 4 months. Below are some pictures we took along this drive where the fall colors just added to the beauty:

We came to a resort area (Spearfish Canyon Resort) where there was a 1 mile hike to see what is called Roughlock Falls. It was a beautiful hike - and very easy - through some forested areas to reach the falls:

We spent probably 2 hours at this nice location before continuing the drive on to Deadwood.

This was a highlight of the day's trip since we've heard so much about this town. We started at the Visitor's Center where a nice, older lady told us all about the town - where to go, what to see. Of course, the main street in town was the real attraction:

The interesting part of the historic downtown area is that just about every store is also a gaming area. We never saw so many slot machines and gambling areas in one place before. We started at the Silverado with our usual small stake and left with an extra $200 in our pocket - thanks to Josie and her jackpot win.

We walked around the rest of the town - with the winnings stuffed nicely in our pocket - and fought off the temptation to try our luck at other slot locations along the way. It was a grand day all around.

Today will be a long day. We plan to go the southern loop outside Rapid City to see Mt Rushmore, Custer State Park and the Crazy Horse Monument. I hope we get to see everything so check back tomorrow...