DEADWOOD-WALL-BADLANDS

FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2009

ON THE WAY TO DEADWOOD

DEADWOOD-CEMETARY

RAILROAD COMES TO TOWN

OLD TOWN-BLACK HILL FEVER (GOLD)

FIRE

SIOUX INDIANS-LUNCH IN RAPID CITY

RAPID CITY PARK AND COMFORT STATION-WALL

WALL DRUG--BADLANDS

BADLANDS

BADLANDS

BADLANDS

BADLANDS

SEABED
Stayed in a Cabin Type Motel.....something like, ("It happened one Night" a Clark Gable Movie--boy does that date me) in Custer SD....No continental breakfast....ate next door....and took off for Deadwood...

Deadwood was disappointing...Not much there...Did get to see where Wild Bill Hitchcock and Calamity Jane was buried. Left Deadwood and headed for The Salvation Army Camp in Rapid City`SD. .....nothing there.....not even a sign indicating that it was a Salvation Army Camp .....so we stopped and ate lunch at one of their beautiful parks. .

WALL DRUGS is our next stop. Surely WALL is much more developed than when Wilma & I saw it back in 1954....Took Debbi's advice....Stop and buy their .05 cents a cup coffee....that's right.....just .05 cents a cups....serve yourself.....place .05 cents in the box....AND THEN, THIS CONNOISSEUR OF DOUGHNUTS (Debbie V) suggested that I buy.....They are the best......What could I do.....I was totally influenced by her judgment.....and totally against my better judgment I reluctantly.....yes reluctantly I say, I bought a chocolate iced doughnut....I must admit that the doughnut was exceptionally good...However, just to make sure that my taste buds were not playing tricks on me, and wanting most of all to confirm the opinion of my expert connoisseur of doughnuts had stated, I BOUGHT A MAPLE ICED DOUGHNUT.....RELUCTANTLY OF COURSE. I brought the doughnut on board while THE NAVIGATOR (my wife) was still shopping. Bad bad...bad...decision..a few miles up the road....THE NAVIGATORS fine....delicate senses were able to detect.....a maple flavor aroma.....HM.. Hmm....must be coming from the cornfields.....? no the truck that just passed us????? okay ..I CONFESS......Now I owe her more Starbuck stops...Hate to admit this folks....THE NAVIGATOR is addicted to STARBUCKS.

Badlands are an unusual landscape of geological structures. We are told that for over 30 million years, layers of mud, sands and gravels were laid down. In those layers are fossils of many different prehistoric animals that are preserved for modern study.

The various mineral deposits give a purple... orange.....and tan colored layers. There are also deposits volcanic ash that produce white layers. French trappers who explored the west in the early 1800's called the area a "bad land to cross"..Hence the name, Badlands. Much of the area within the Badlands is still level and fertile. I was surprised to learn that some descendants of the early settlers still live on the ranches and run good sized herds of cattle and sheep.
I'll let the photos speak for me. At this point,...I feel like I have been feasting at a table so full of wonder and inspiration that I don't know if I can handle anymore...I am beginning to feel like a stuffed pig.....So much to see and touch and taste.....and being able to digest all that you have seen and touched....

Stayed in Kadoka. SD. A very small town....did the laundry in their downtown launderet...Street was empty.