DAY #14 – JUNE 23, 2021- BELLE FOUCHE, SD – RAPID CITY, SD - WILD BILL & THE BADLANDS

 

Yesterday seemed longer than it really was as I backtracked to the Devils Tower National Monument.  I don’t like to eat the same ground twice, but I wanted to see the Devil’s Tower and I must say it was worth it, but it did make for a long day.

I spent the night here at the Econo Lodge in Belle Fouche. Now, the only thing that I knew about Belle Fouche was it was where John Wayne was heading with his herd in the Movie, “The Cowboys.” It is a really small town with not a lot of going on. The Econo Lodge was ok. It was a budget hotel and when you chose a budget hotel the clientele changes. At the Comfort and Sleep Inns along with Holiday Inn you get the more family/tourist type of people. At the Econo Lodge and other budget hotels you get the people who are more of long-term client, who are in the are working. That was the case here, lots of work trucks in the parking lot and at night the workers sitting outside socializing drinking beer. They didn’t cause any problems and they weren’t loud or anything like that. It’s just that it’s a different look from some of the hotel that I have stayed.

Anyway, like I said, Belle Fouche is a small town but last night when I was planning todays adventure, I found something Interesting just a mile or so from my hotel. So, I opted to skip the hotel breakfast and the Hotel Coffee and checked out at 8:40 a.m.

Five minutes later I was at the Center of the Nation Monument.  Yep, this is geographic center of The United States. This is NOT to be confused with the Geographic Center of North America, which is near Rugby, North Dakota, or the Geographic Center of the Lower 48 near Lebanon, Kansas.  When you throw in Alaska and Hawaii, this monument represents the center of the 50-United States. While the actual center of the nation is located on private property, the Geographic Center of the Nation Monument is in Belle Fourche in western South Dakota. The National Geodetic Survey designated Belle Fourche as the town closest to the actual site and the monument was placed there. The 21-foot diameter monument is located next to the Center of the Nation Visitor Center and the Tri-State Museum. The Museums were closed when I arrived, but the monument is accessible year-round.

After spending a few minutes walking around the park where the Monument is located, it was time to find some coffee and hit the road. It took me about 40-minutes to make the 30-mile drive to the Historic Town of Deadwood.

It was a nice drive into town and arriving just a little past 9:30 a.m. I was able to find free parking at the Visitors Center. After a quick stop at the Visitor’s center to pick up a map of the Historic District, I began my walk down historic Main Street. 

I had to stop and take a quick selfie under the entrance arch before continuing my walk downtown. There is only a few building dating to 1876 when Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and other old west figures roamed these streets. Most of the building including the #10 Saloon where Jack McCall shot Wild Bill Hickok on August 2, 1876. Most of the town burned to the ground in a massive fire three years later in 1879.

Since then, the town has been rebuilt and turned into something of a tourist trap. While not a bad a Tombstone in Arizona there is not a lot to be said for the actors dressed in period clothes hawking you to visit various saloons, casinos, and other attractions along Main Street.

While the original #10 Saloon was destroyed in the 1879 fire, another building has been built on the original site and a sign proclaiming this as being the site where Jack McCall Shot Wild Bill hangs above the entrance.

As I said earlier Deadwood is a tourist trip and one of the artifacts in the new #10 Saloon is the chair that Wild Bill was sitting in the day he was shot.  It hangs in a glass case above the door of the saloon. Now while I was at first thrilled that this noted artifact has been preserved, I soon found out that a few other saloons along Main Street also claimed to have Wild Bill’s Death Chair. After talking with one of the fine folks at the Visitors Center, I found out probably none of the chairs are legit. The gentleman I was talking too said it was highly unlikely that anyone had thought to save the chair after Wild Bills Murder, and it was continued to be used in the saloon until the 1879 fire.  He went on to say that the death chair was more than likely destroyed with the saloon and much of the town in the 1879 fire.

I spent a little more than an hour walking around the historic district. I have to say while I enjoyed it, the Tourist Trap theme really didn’t impress me. So, I made my way back to the Visitor Center and made the drive up the road to the top of a very steep hill to Mount Moriah Cemetery.

While at the Visitors Center I ask one of the people there if I could just walk to the cemetery. It smiled and said “Yea, you can but I wouldn’t advise it.”  He went on to say that the cemetery was at the top of a very steep hill and if I wasn’t in really good shape and in this heat he would not suggest walking.

After arriving at the small parking lot near the entrance to the cemetery, I can see why walking was not advised. I arrived at the Cemetery shortly before 11 a.m. and the temperature was already pushing 90.

After stopping at the small visitor’s center and paying my $2.00 fee to enter the cemetery and picking up a map, I made my way up the hill to the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and Marth “Calamity Jane” Canary.

Calamity Jane and Wild Bill are buried near each other with a Bust of Wild Bill sitting on a pedestal marking his grave.  There were several other tourist in the cemetery and it was difficult to get a clean photo of the graves and two buses full of tourist just arrived so its was about to get even more difficult.

So I hustled and got the best photos that I could and moved on to the Veterans Memorial Overlook which gives you a good view of Historic Deadwood in the valley below.

By the time I made if back to the visitors center, I was drenched in sweat and was looking forward to the air conditioning. I grabbed a couple of bottles of cold water from the Visitor’s Center and then headed back down the hill.

Last Night when I was Planning today’s adventure I had considered heading east to Mitchell or Chamberlin, but I want to visit the Badlands National Park and if I moved east it would be a very long day. So, I decided to head to the Badlands this afternoon and then back track and spend the Night in Rapid City.

So about 11:30 a.m. I hit Interstate 90 and head east.  It’s a little over 100-miles from Deadwood to the Interior, South Dakota entrance of the Badlands National Park.  The 100-mile drive took me a little more than an hour and a half.

As I arrived at the Northeast Entrance station for the Badlands National Park the temperature on my car thermometer showed 104 degrees. Once again, I used my National Park Senior pass to waive the $30 per car entrance fee. My NPS Senior Pass is one of the best purchases that I have ever made. It cost me $20 per year and has more than paid for itself on this trip. Plus, once I get four $20 annual Passes, I can get a free lifetime Senior Pass. 

After making it through the entrance station my first stop was at the Big Badlands Overlook. This was my first true view of the South Dakota Badlands and just a preview of the amazing scenery that was to come.

After leaving the Big Badlands Overlook, it was just a shot drive to the Ben Reifel Visitors Center. Here I picked up a map. There was a sign out front informing visitors that several hiking trails are closed due to extreme heat.  I talk to one of the rangers who told me that temperatures are as high as 114 in some areas of the park and hear at the Visitors Center it was currently 105.

Leaving the Visitors Center, I spent the Next 3-hours or so driving the 35-mile scenic drive along Route 240.  Even though it was only 35-miles, I stopped at most of the Overlooks and was always amazed at the views. Pictures just can’t capture the rugged beauty of this park.

After completing my 3-hour tour of the Badlands National Park I arrived back in the small town of Wall, South Dakota and decided to make a stop at the World-Famous Wall Drug. If you think traditional Drug Store you are wrong. While it may have started out as a drug store that offered “Free Ice Water” to people traveling along Interstate 90. Today it is a large complex of Building housing souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and a host of gimmick attractions. 

If You have ever been to South of the Border in South Carolina well Wall Drug is a western version of that. Although it is a gigantic tourist trap it is popular and today it is very, very crowded.  I don’t like the crowds and ended up getting a free glass of Ice Water and a souvenir t-shirt and cap and headed back west toward Rapid City.

The 50-mile drive back to the Main Stay Suites in Rapid City took only about 45-minutes. Once I got checked in and settled in my room, I decided to walk across the parking lot to Sickies Garage Burger and Fries. It looks like a popular place and the online menu looked pretty good.

It was popular place, and I chose to sit at the bar. Since I walked over and was not driving, I decided to have one of the over 100 beers that they Have on Tap.  I chose the house IPA which was really good and after a long hot day it was very refreshing. My Big Classic Burger and Fries was great. It filled me up so Sickies was a good choice for supper.

Back in my room, I set about my nightly routine and set about planning tomorrows adventure. It looks like I’ll head east and begin really begin my trek east. Not sure how far I will make it as it will depend on what I can find along the way.

The Adventure Continues.