Deadwood, the basis of the 2004-07 HBO series, was next on our list of attractions. We came direct from Wall and drove by Rapid City and Sturgis on our way to this famed wild west town. There are many historical significances to the town, most notably the death of Wild Bill Hickok and the Moriah Cemetery which serves as his final resting place.
To kick things off, we decided to take a guided bus tour and hear from a local expert. Tour guide Dave was hilarious and told us all about the history of Deadwood, even beyond the scripted tour stop info. After driving through town and hearing about the many famous sites, we headed up to the cemetery to check out the graves. We got out and saw the final resting places of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane.
Once back in town after the tour, we headed to the No. 10 Saloon after lunch to watch a reenactment of Wild Bill’s final minutes.
Of course we ordered a sarsaparilla (and a couple of beers) to finish up our stay.
(Link to all unedited photos from Deadwood.)
Our next stop was just up the road a bit in Spearfish canyon. Given the very warm temperatures, we weren’t going to go through the whole canyon including hiking and exploring. Instead, we stopped at Bridal Veil Falls and spent a bunch of time taking pictures and enjoying the cool water.
It was a long, hot day. The frigid cool water was a nice respite.
(Link to all unedited photos from Bridal Veil Falls in Spearfish Canyon.)