Mckinney Falls State Park

The Upper Falls on Onion Creek

This park was our last stop on our way home. It’s at the SE corner of Austin, TX.

If you’re looking for some nature while visiting the state capital, this would be your place. Just be aware the park is still recovering from the widespread flooding experienced by the state of Texas in 2016. The campgrounds and bathrooms are fine. But the visitor’s center is still being repaired, and a trail below the upper falls was washed out. You can still visit the falls on Onion Creek, though. There are also several other trails, including one to the horse trainer’s cabin. The park is named after an early Texas settler who originally owned the land where it’s located. Since we were at the end of a two-month trip, our explorations were kept closer to the campsite. From what we saw, it’s a pretty park. We’re certainly willing to return at a later date.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/mckinney-falls

Pool below the Upper Falls

Cypress trees

Remains of the Horse Trainer’s Cabin

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Monarch Migration

This beauty was photographed in our yard Jan. 2016.

Even in Texas it’s rather unusual to see butterflies in the winter.

This might seem like a bit of a cheat, to combine three camping sites in one post. Especially since they aren’t located near each other. Bear with us. They have one thing in common - Monarch Butterflies.

We’re going to begin with Kaw Lake, sitting on the border of Kansas and Oklahoma. It’s east of Ponca City and west of Food Network’s Pioneer Woman home turf. This is a Corp project with a few campgrounds located around the lake. We stayed at Coon Creek on the west side. The roads which take you into the various campgrounds can be a bit rough. They’re not necessarily an indication of campground condition, though. We were there in early Oct., shortly after the main camping season had closed. The campground was still open. A volunteer host wasn’t available to assign a site and check us in. There were envelopes available for self-check in. Which we strongly recommend you do, along with hanging your America the Beautiful Pass, if you have one. The campground was still being supervised and maintained.

The storm and cold front which followed us.

The butterflies had disappeared for the day by this point.

Kristal wished she could get photos of them.

They were mostly staying under the trees where the light was not so great.

Her cold wasn’t helping with photographic endeavors either.

This is the first location where we’ve experienced Monarch Butterfly migration, ever. Shortly after we set up camp we started noticing groups of them flying thru our campsite. At first, we weren’t quite sure what we were seeing. Fall had arrived in northern OK, too. There were leaves which were falling. The butterflies were flying anywhere from 4-5 feet above ground to several feet above our heads. They kind of blended in with the leaves, until we realized they weren’t landing on the ground at all. We arrived around 3 PM to our campsite and noticed our visitors as we were setting up camp. Several groups flew over for about 2 hours. The next day, there were a few in the morning after the sun was up. We didn’t see any more after that. We think we arrived at the tail end of migration for the area. It’s also possible weather had an effect. It was 84° when we arrived. A thunderstorm with a cold front followed us in. While it remained mostly on the east side of the lake, the cold didn’t. And the rest of our stay was chilly. Still, it’s the most butterflies we’ve ever seen in one place. We didn’t choose this campground with the expectation of seeing them either, since we didn’t see any while further north. It was an unexpected blessing after a rather difficult day of travel. (Kristal’s cold was settling in.) Which illustrates the best blessings are always the ones you don’t expect to receive.

Lake Arrowhead SP, approximately seven miles south of Wichita Falls, TX was our second butterfly encounter. We actually stayed at this park twice, while leaving Texas and on our return. We don’t think there is a campsite here which isn’t level. Heard of mesquite? Perhaps as BBQ wood? There is plenty of it here. Along with cactus, prairie grass and some wildflowers. Some sages were still blooming in October. There was the occasional Monarch along with some other species flitting thru the park. The main attraction for Kristal was the discovery of a butterfly garden on the park’s map. It’s by the ranger station/park entrance. We stopped as we were leaving, for a photo op & to ask questions. A Monarch did visit, but Kristal wasn’t yet in the habit of wearing her new glasses while using her camera. Which gives her trouble when zooming for close-ups. The photo came out fuzzy. Pooh! Oh well, she learned something new while inquiring about the garden. The previous week the park employees had been tagging migrating Monarchs. We didn’t know such a thing was possible.

One of the official Texas State Longhorns.

Note the yellow flowers at the bottom of the photo.

They attracted butterflies at both state parks.

Kristal tried to take photos. The butterflies were just really skittish.

And her patience was a bit short.

San Angelo SP was Monarch stop number 3. The weekend we were there, the park was hosting a Monarch themed BYOH (bring your own horse) trail ride. San Angelo is referred to as the Gateway to West Texas. It bridges prairie and desert, with the desert becoming more prominent, than it is up by Wichita Falls. The state park is located just north of the city. We were actually in the area to see if we might like to live there, and looked at some real estate in a town 30 miles north. The real estate hunt wasn’t so successful, but we did take note of large bushes in peoples’ yards. Those bushes attracted a lot of butterfly activity, of varying species. (Sometimes called Texas Sage. See the wildflower.org link.) Unfortunately, the cold weather found us in San Angelo the last two days we were there, when we had more time to explore and take pics at the SP. There are several Texas Sage bushes at the south entrance. But the butterflies had skedaddled.

Now, what does any of this info mean to you, the RV traveler? Monarch migration is a major miracle, in our opinion. Such fragile beings, and yet the last generation of summer/fall makes the trip to their special place in Mexico, to ensure the survival of their species into another year. If you want to witness this event, you have to be in the right places at the right times. And you need to be observant. Or you may miss them. In our case, our butterfly encounters at each of these campgrounds was a total fluke. None of them were planned ahead of time. For those who are interested in tagging, we definitely recommend visiting the following butterfly websites. It’s a very interesting study which gets a lot of its help from citizen scientist volunteers. Earlier summer Monarchs don’t migrate. However, it’s not a bad idea to practice your butterfly netting skills, identifying genders, proper handling of the subject, and documentation. (You never know. Data you collect on summer butterflies might be valuable to another study.) When migration begins, you will hopefully feel confident in your abilities to return a healthy specimen to the skies. Once you run out of tags, submit your documentation, then a few months later you can check to see if any of your butterflies arrived in Mexico. This is an activity for people of most ages, as long as they can be patient and very gentle. RVers who are traveling thru a large geographical area have the potential to provide a lot of interesting data on one report. It could also be a way to volunteer at state parks.

http://www.kawlake.com/

https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-arrowhead

https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/san-angelo

https://www.monarchwatch.org/

https://texasbutterflyranch.com/2012/09/04/butterfly-faq-how-to-tag-a-monarch-butterfly-in-six-easy-steps/

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LEFR3

Victorian Acres RV Park

This private RV park, just to the SE of Nebraska City, NE, deserves to be mentioned as a nice place to stay. Unfortunately, we don’t have photos from our visit. Kristal was developing a cold while we were there. But their website does a nice job of showcasing their facilities.

It’s within reasonable distance from I-29 on Hwy 2. Not far from the interstate are some fuel centers on the hwy. Depending where you’re going when leaving the park, you can either top off the tanks on the way back to the interstate, or fill up before arriving if you’re heading for Hwy. 75.

Besides being an easy place to reach, there are some reasons you might enjoy visiting the Nebraska City Area. It was the home of the Arbor Day founder. His house is a state park. The Arbor Day Foundation still resides there and has all kinds of education and interactive activities. We would like to visit during apple season. To discover tourism opportunities, visit the links below.

We do need to give a shout-out to some fellow Airstream owners/Wally Byam Caravan Club members who happened to be there during our stay. They were a Nebraska chapter who was having a rally and swearing in new officers. We enjoyed having the opportunity to visit with some of them.

http://www.victorianacresrvpark.com/

https://www.arborday.org/

http://gonebraskacity.com/

http://outdoornebraska.gov/riverviewmarina/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g45722-Activities-Nebraska_City_Nebraska.html

http://visitsoutheastnebraska.org/

Maka-Oicu County Park

We stayed at this campground for 3 nights while we visited some friends who live just a couple miles away. It’s about 19 miles North of I-90 and Worthington, MN. It’s location in southern Minnesota does mean it’s surrounded by farmland, which really isn’t uncommon for rural campgrounds in the Midwest. (The same is also true for Lake Pahoja.)

For now, we’re giving it an honorable mention. It’s a work-in-progress, with a new county employee, who’s in the process of upgrading the facility. Besides a face lift, he’s also planning to extend its usable seasons. One of the completed projects includes new power posts. The work was completed by our friends, who are licensed electricians. The bathrooms aren’t fancy, but are cleaned and had hot water in October. Future improvements are making the campsites better defined, and addressing water quality. The campground’s water has a mineral odor due to some excess iron. For now, we definitely recommend using an inline water filter, if you fill your fresh water tank there. Besides smell, you won’t want any sediment making its way into your hot water heater.

Catfish a jumpin’?

Or maybe wall-eyed pike?

Kristal’s camera isn’t set up yet for high-speed photography.

She wasn’t quite quick enough to catch the fish out of water.

The ripples they left behind weren’t too difficult, though.

This campground, with its neighbor around the corner, are on two small lakes. They are natural spring-fed, rather than damned reservoirs. A joy-killer for us, it rained 2 out of the 3 days we were there. We were getting tired of cold, wet weather. (The weather wasn’t the campground’s fault.) Still, Kristal went out with her camera and explored a bit between storms. There are trees and shrubbery on the shores of most of the lake, which limits the campground view a bit. She wanted a closer look. While she was down at the dock/boat launching area, the fish were quite active, jumping at the surface. The population appears to be healthy and some were decent sized. She forgot to ask our friends what species live there, but that info is available from Minnesota’s DNR, along with information for obtaining the necessary fishing license. If you enjoy fishing, staying here for a few days may be worth it. We certainly would have enjoyed spending more time down by the lake, had the weather been more cooperative. The county website below lists the other activities available here. We had the place to ourselves due to the timing of our visit. Our friends confirmed it’s a popular destination for locals during summer weekends and holidays.

Do be aware of coyotes if you’re staying here with small pets or young children. Just use some common sense, and everyone will be fine. They probably aren’t as active in the immediate campground areas during the busy summer months, while more people are around and staying up late. When there are groups of these critters, they do sing. But you can’t count on absence of vocalization as a sign they aren’t around. Solitary animals, or while they’re hunting, aren’t going to make much noise. You need to be observant, or you may not see them until it’s too late. We caught a few glimpses of a howler or two sneaking from one soybean field to another, mostly at dusk. They’re also active at dawn. Encourage your kids to stay in sight and out of neighboring fields or tall prairie grass. Don’t ignore campground leash rules for pets. You should take wildlife safety seriously, especially as the weather begins cooling. Small animals start going to ground, making a meal harder to find. Retractable leashes are a bad idea, and are often against the rules anyway. A pet kept close to you is far less likely to become the target of a hungry predator. Staying in areas where there is decent lighting, when Pookie needs to take a bedtime “walk”, is also a good idea.

Farm country does attract other wildlife too. Sightings might include white-tailed deer, wild turkeys and pheasants. And it can be a great place to get some peace and quiet for a few days. Exceptions would be during planting or harvest, when a lot of large, noisy equipment is out & about. Including being on the roads while the farmers are traveling between their homesteads and fields. For those who have never seen farming in action, you might find it fascinating. Farm equipment runs the gamut from practically antique to mega machines equipped with GPS and other tech goodies.

While on your travels, keep an open mind when looking for places to stay. Occasionally, they may be a diamond-in-the-rough. Then again, you might just find a true gem.

http://www.co.nobles.mn.us/departments/public-works/parks/nobles-county-parks/

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/windom/lakes/topfishinglakes.html

Insiders’ Guide to NW Iowa

Our daughters during Orange City’s Tulip Festival, in the late 1990s.

They’re all grown up now.

We’re aware the Midwest states are often considered pass-thrus while people are on their way to more “interesting” places. We’ve been Texans for almost 18 yrs. now, and it’s probably safe to say our state is in a class of its own. Still, we have a soft spot for our former home. We enjoyed a few local specialties and businesses as a part of daily life, and still miss them. One is relatively new to the area, developed several years after we moved. Most of them are on our list when we visit, and you might enjoy trying them too.

Starting near Lake Pahoja, Grand Falls Casino/Golf Resort is on Hwy 9 just a few miles SE of Larchwood, IA. It does have a 14-site RV park next to the golf course (link below). We haven’t stopped there, but Karl’s brother & sister-in-law enjoy the casino occasionally. It’s a just few years old, and looks very nice. Gambling isn’t our thing quite so much (Kristal thinks she sucks at it.) But there is also dining and entertainment. We might be tempted to visit in the future.

Our Rock Island post provided some info on Rock Rapids in 2016. So, we’re going to travel south on Hwy 75 from there.

Take a little side trip to the small town of Hull, IA.  It’s home to the Foreign Candy Co. (E on Hwy 18. to the town. FCC is at SW corner of town.) Their core business is school foreign language teachers, but the public can purchase goodies at the Warehouse Outlet. In researching this attraction to determine what they’re up to these days, I came across a reviewer who was underwhelmed by the outlet’s selections. They complained that the inventory was found just about everywhere. Which is actually true, but I don’t think this individual knew Foreign Candy Company was one of the importers responsible for bringing gummy bears from Germany to the US in the 1970s. (Were marketed to high school German language teachers). Haribo is a German brand. To be fair, anyone who is the same age or younger than our daughters, probably believe these candies have always been in the US.  When our kids were young, in the 1990s, FCC was the place to get interesting candies and other goodies for birthday parties. Kristal took the girls there once, as a special treat for a streak of good behavior she really appreciated.

Return to Hwy. 75. Your next stop is Sioux Center and Casey’s Bakery. It’s in the Centre Mall, located in the middle of town on Hwy.75. Kristal used to treat herself to an occasional lunch at the bakery deli, when she worked in Sioux Center 20 years ago. Can’t think of anything we wouldn’t recommend there, but if you’re looking for a regional specialty try the almond patties or soft rusk buns (6 in pkg.) They also have a gift shop stocked with kitchen items and Dutch imports such as Delft pottery. If you’re passing thru Sioux Center in the summer, keep your eye out for folks selling sweet corn at the city park (north side of downtown, also on 75.) The town’s summer festival is coming up at the end of May.

Of course, we almost always go to our home town of Orange City when in the area. The Dutch fronted downtown is popular with visitors. No surprise it’s the setting for the Tulip Festival, which is coming up very shortly. (Usually the third weekend in May.) Difficult to say if the tulips will be blooming in time due to the cold spring. But they can be surprisingly hardy plants, often coming up under the snow. Our favorite store, Woudstra Meat Market is a must-stop to stock up on cured smoked beef, brats and Saucijsjes (sa-saw-shees - AKA pigs-in-a-blanket.) If you ever do attend the Tulip Festival, yes, it is worth it to stand in line for the brats. Fresh meats can be ordered at the meat counter if you’re looking for something to cook right away. However, if you’re like us and don’t live close by, we recommend buying from their storefront freezers. Kind of handy to put already-frozen items in the RV freezer. The ready-to-bake Saucijsjes are only available frozen. (Can’t speak for anyone else from the area, but one of our favorite meals is still Woudstra’s cured beef in cream sauce on sliced rusk buns from Casey’s.) Orange City does also have a small bakery downtown, on the block just to the north of Woudstra’s. If we happen to be there with either of our daughters, we get cream filled long-johns and Care Bear cookies.

It is possible to get small pumpkins and winter squash as edible souvenirs.

These beauties made it all the way back to our house,

even though we traveled for a month after their purchase.

Just make sure there is no damage to their hard skins.

Otherwise, they should fit in an RV oven or Dutch Oven, if you enjoy campfire cooking.

Planning a late summer/fall trip? Be sure to visit Pumpkinland, just north of Orange City. They started in the 1990s with an assortment of pumpkins and squashes, including several heirlooms; at a time when many people were just starting to rediscover the almost lost diversity of our ancestors’ gardens. Now, they not only have the pumpkins, but a community craft fair; Alpaca products from a nearby farm; a variety of treats including preserves, caramel corn and whole pies; a corn maze and farm animals to visit. Kristal and Kristen stopped by while we stayed at Lake Pahoja. If it works with your travel plans, we definitely recommend going on a weekday. They’re very popular on the weekends.

http://www.grandfallscasinoresort.com/hotel/rvpark.html

http://foreigncandy.com/index.html

http://www.caseysbakery.com/

http://www.siouxcenterchamber.com/events--calendar.html

https://orangecityiowa.com/

http://www.woudstrameatmarket.com/

http://www.pumpkinlandiowa.com/

http://siouxcountyparks.org/

The last website is for the Sioux County Conservation Board, in case you’re looking for more camping and rec options.

Lake Pahoja Recreation Area

Lake Pahoja was our home base for the last 2 weeks of Sept., while we visited with Karl’s family in NW Iowa. Autumn was also making its appearance there; with leaves changing color, waterfowl beginning to migrate, corn field harvests and mercurial weather.

The rec area is about 13 miles W/SW of Rock Rapids, IA. It’s a Lyon County Conservation Board project. We chose to stay there, rather than the park in town, because it was quieter during the week. For the most part. West Lyon Community School is just a couple of miles to the E of the rec area. There were some school related activities, such as a picnic lunch for elementary students and a high-school cross-country meet. During the 2 weekends, a surprising number of campsites filled up, even though it was after Labor Day. (West Lyon School is on Hwy 182. Lake Pahoja is off 180^th street which runs on the S side of the school.)

Would we stay there again? Most definitely, though like most campgrounds we’ve stayed at, there were positives and negatives. Campsites 1 – 42 have a lot more shade, are a bit shorter in length, and some aren’t level. We stayed in #19. While we had a view of the lake from that site, it went downhill a bit. We also had to get creative when parking the van to keep it out of the road. The shade on those sites would be nice in the middle of summer. But as the weather was cooling and days getting shorter, the ground just wasn’t drying out much between thunderstorms. We were rained on about half the time we were there. Cleanliness/stocking of the bathrooms isn’t exactly a complaint. County employees took care of the bathrooms every morning. Our main issue was night-time use. If campers left the interior lights on all night, bugs invaded in droves. The creepy-crawlies were “not quite dead yet.” There hadn’t been enough freezing weather at that point.

Lake Pahoja is an ADA compliant facility. The main roads in the park had recently been resurfaced. Gravel areas are also kept maintained. The paved path around the lake is easy to access. It was one of our favorite features, nice for walking the dogs, especially when there was plenty of wet weather. There aren’t any specific campsites labeled handicapped, but those with mobility issues would definitely find campsites 43 – 71 suitable, and sites 64 – 71 have water hook-ups. This section’s sites are generally longer and more level. The lake isn’t within sight, but it’s not very far away. There are also seasonal sites. 1 – 8 are paved with concrete. The seasonal sites were all occupied by RVs, most likely owned by locals. We weren’t there for the season, so we don’t know how often those sites become available. (Don’t own an RV? There are cabins to rent.)

This rec area can be a destination in its own right. There is more to do there than just camping; such as disc golf, swimming, no-power boating, fishing and archery. You can get a history lesson at the museum site just north of the lake dam. There are also signs along the path identifying different trees and plants. Kristal enjoyed the photography opportunities which were provided by the transition of seasons. Besides changing leaves, there were purple asters still blooming and bushes with ripening berries. As an overnight stop from I-29 or I-90, it’s probably not as practical, though it is less than an hour from I-90. But if you’re looking for a nice little detour for a few days’ rest, Lake Pahoja might suit you. There is an entrance fee on top of campsite fees. Pay by the day, or a season pass can be purchased. Our visit was long enough the season pass actually made more sense for us.

Find more information and directions at the following website.

http://www.lyoncountyiowa.com/lake_pahoja

Sioux Falls, SD is the closest large community. It’s about 45 minutes away. Need to take care of “household” matters while in the area? There are newer shopping areas E of I-229 & off Hwy 11/42 (Arrowhead Pkwy). Target (Dawley Farm Village) and Walmart are around the corner from each other. A Hy-vee grocery store is a bit further to the west on the pkwy. Take Hwy 9 thru Larchwood. It becomes Hwy 11/42 in SD. Restock on any supplies you need & head to northbound I-229. From I-229 you can reach I-90. Heading to southbound I-29? From the east side of Sioux Falls, travel S/SW on I-229 to the interstate. If you need to do laundry while in the area, there is an Uptown Laundry on 26^th street. The laundromat is almost new and well-maintained. The owner was on the premises both times we were there. (She’s very friendly and does offer laundry services. Why not drop off your items? Then go have a nice lunch, check-out downtown, or do your shopping?) We were there on weekdays, so it wasn’t a problem to use multiple machines at one time. Even with the 45 min. drive, we found it faster & easier to do laundry there than at the relatives’ house, whose laundry room is in the basement. From the pwky, turn south on 11. (Dawley Farm entrance is on this road.) The next light is 26^th. Turn right, heading west. Uptown Laundry is on the south side of the street. A gas station is on the corner just to the east of it.

So you know… many counties in Iowa have a conservation board. If you find yourself traveling thru any part of the state, visit the site below to find and learn more about CCB camprounds. You might find a campground in an area where there aren’t many other options to stay with an RV.

https://www.mycountyparks.com/default.aspx

Hill City, SD

Like some other towns located in the Black Hills, Hill City is another gold rush settlement founded in the 1870s. Deadwood is in the northern hills, Hill City is in the southern hills.

It’s located on Hwy 385. Which route you take to reach it will depend on where you’re coming from. Hwy 16 from Rapid City, Hwys 40/244 from Hermosa, Hwy 385 from Custer in the south and Deadwood/Lead to the north.

While there is more to do, for us, Hill City is the place to eat and drink. Especially for mommy – daughter outings. Our daughter had a list of activities she wanted to enjoy while we were visiting. Now that she’s a college grad in her mid-20s, her tastes are more sophisticated. Kristal’s birthday was a couple of weeks away during our last visit. Kristen hadn’t been home for them since leaving for college, so she wanted to take her mother to some of her favorite places.

Their first outing was at Prairie Berry Winery. The Hill City location does wine flights. Patrons can sample up to 5 wines for free and be entertained by the wine experts serving them. The winery also serves food. The patio, with its grapevine covered pergola, is a nice place to sit when the weather is pleasant. If you don’t have wine drinkers in your party, they can still enjoy the food and find other products in the retail space. Kristal bought South Dakota honey, Kick-Ass Compote (delicious on pork and poultry), and Red-Ass Roast Coffee. Kristen likes the Frost Bite Wine Freeze. (Kristal didn’t buy any wine during that outing, but she did purchase one bottle each of Calamity Jane and Strawberry Fusion a couple of weeks later, while we were in Sioux Falls.) Fall in love with some wines you can’t live without? Prairie Berry has a wine club and does ship in case your address is outside their retail distribution area (SD & WY). 12 bottle cases get free shipping. Like beer instead of wine? They have a brewery next door.

Alpine Inn was the choice for a birthday lunch two days later. This restaurant is known for its Bavarian fare. In case you visit any popular travel websites, and read reviews mentioning a limited menu, that’s the evening service. Want to take a taste bud trip to Munich, Germany without actually leaving the States? Alpine Inn will take you there during the mid-day lunch. The luncheon menu is a bit larger. Kristen had Schnitzel and Mom tried the Kassler Ripchen. While there is a Spaetzle meal on the menu, the pasta can also be ordered as an additional side dish with the other meals. Which of course we did. Everything was delicious. And filling. Unfortunately, there was no room for dessert, but that was easy to fix by enjoying it later. Since we were taking half our meals with us anyway, we ordered some dessert to go – apple strudel and cheesecake with strawberries. Payment here is cash only, and they were closed on Sundays while we were in the area. Before you plan to go, check the restaurant’s website for hours and menus, just in case something has changed.

The 1880 train is another Hill City attraction. We’re actually more familiar with seeing it stopped in Keystone. However, the larger main depot/rail museum is in Hill City. The choo-choo was leaving the station as the ladies left the Alpine Inn. Which was OK. The train wasn’t on the agenda that day. The train ride is a two-hour narrated round trip. The amount of time you spend in either Hill City or Keystone can be determined by your party. Want to stay longer than the 15-minute turn-around? Follow the train’s guidelines for using the schedule to determine what time you want to leave and return. Children are allowed on the train, but parents considering going might want to read thru the FAQs page on the website. According to the site, the engines are working vintage/antiques. To keep them in good working order, they can’t travel at very fast speeds. One-way trips aren’t mentioned on the website, probably for the simple reason most tourists won’t have transportation waiting at the other end. Another option is to visit the Hill City depot, and tailor it to suit your party’s interests/attention spans. It’s a neat place to take some photos. They also serve food. If you want to see the train in action, plan your time there to coincide with the train’s arrivals/departures.

Adults only activities on the train are available too. They can be found on the special events schedule. Look for Rails & Ales, Wine Express and Octoberfest. Our daughter has heard good things about the Wine Express and is interested in trying it. We have yet to ride the train ourselves. When we do go, it will probably be one of the regular rides, as a treat for our uncle. His father was a depot agent, and he’s just old enough to remember some steam engines still being on the tracks when he was a small boy. By the time Grandpa retired in the 1970s, diesel had fully replaced steam. The 1880 Train has both kinds of engines. What they’re running on any given day depends on maintenance schedules. While steam does have a certain romance attached, it’s pretty impressive to listen to the low hum of the generators on diesel engines.

http://www.hillcitysd.com/

https://www.prairieberry.com/

http://www.alpineinnhillcity.com/

https://www.1880train.com/

Deadwood, SD

Despite its small size (2014 population of 1,261), Deadwood is probably one of the best known communities in the Black Hills. If memory serves, it was the setting of a cable TV series a few years ago.

There are 3 ways to reach Deadwood. On our first trip, we took I-90 west from Rapid City and exited at Sturgis on Alt 14. Alt 14 meets Hwy 85 just north of town. When we visited with our daughter, we took a scenic route starting from Hwy. 40. We traveled on Hwy 385 and met Hwy 85 on the south side. (Hwy. 385 will take you past Sheridan Lake and Pactola Resevior.) A somewhat faster route from, and to I-90, is Hwy 85. It’s shorter and more direct than Alt 14. The exit is a few miles west of Sturgis. On paper, it may look like a longer route, but more of the mileage is on the interstate with its faster speed limit.

Pactola Resevoir

The Welcome Center/Chamber of Commerce is just north of Historic Downtown. If you’re not staying at one of the Hotel/Casinos, plan on parking there. The hotels reserve their parking for guests only. There isn’t much parking on the downtown streets, either. Parking at the Welcome Center is free. While we were there in September, there was no difficulty finding a space. The Visitor’s Center is a newer, nicely maintained building. The front lobby has plenty of printed material covering most of Deadwood’s attractions. The help desk has friendly, knowledgeable folks and a mini museum. The public bathrooms are clean and easy to find. If you don’t want to walk around town, trolleys come and go from the south side of the building.

Deadwood began as an illegal, rowdy mining town in the 1870s. (It was built in Indian territory.) Eventually, it settled down when the search for gold switched from panning to deep mining. Fires were the most common reason for busts which caused declines. In the 1980s, the town proposed capitalizing on its notorious past as a means of revitalization. Legalized gambling was allowed by the state in 1989. Mention Deadwood to someone and gambling will probably be the first thing which comes to mind. Of course, the casinos provide other entertainment too, like various music acts. The town and surrounding area also have a pretty active event schedule year round.

The vibe does seem to be more adult-centric. Families, and those not interested in “vice”, can still find things to do, however. The afternoon gun fights and Days of ’76 rodeo might be of interest (Summer).  Otherwise, think educational. History buffs can find plenty to do. Mount Moriah Cemetery is the resting place of many western notables like Seth Bullock, Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane. There are also informative plaques detailing the town’s history. Deadwood had a Chinatown and was inclusive at a time when more established parts of the US were not. It was also got telephone lines in 1878 and was an early adopter of electricity in 1883. The Days of ‘76 Museum is north of the welcome center. Adams Museum is south downtown, and Adams Historical Home is further south on Van Buren St.

The smaller town of Lead is just a few miles away, in case you run out of things to do in Deadwood. Science types might want to visit the Sanford Lab Visitors Center at Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center. If you’re going south from Deadwood, just stay on 85. From 385, turn left on 85 and go west.

Love the outdoors? Look for the 109 mile George S. Mickelson trail. The northern trailhead is located in the Lead/Deadwood area, and the southern end is at Edgemont. (Our daughter has hiked portions of it.) Or head to Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway. From Deadwood/Lead, take Hwy 85/Alt 14 south. It’s also known as the CanAm Hwy. After a while the highway will split. Alt 14 is the scenic byway which takes you thru the canyon to the town of Spearfish.

Shopping opportunities include the standard t-shirts/hoodies, biker and western wear; Black Hills Gold and Native American Jewelry; art; postcards and books; cigars at Deadwood Tobacco (Karl’s favorite); and the Deadwood Moonshine Distillery. Our next door neighbors were watching over our house while we were away. They were also keeping us posted about Hurricane Harvey. We thought they deserved a good souvenir. After trying a couple of samples, Kristal chose a jar of apple flavored moonshine as a gift. Everyone has been busy lately, but when we have a few minutes to visit, we’ll ask if they’ve made any interesting cocktails with the moonshine. Our older daughter and her fiancé enjoy reading. We purchased books about the bad boys and girls of Deadwood for them.

Dining options are easy to find. While steak does appear to dominate, there are other choices. When we visited with our younger daughter, we ate lunch at Mustang Sally’s. They do have some outside seating if you happen to be there when the weather is behaving. We’d call it a sports bar, but it does serve all ages.

We’re mostly day trippers these days, usually only a couple of hours at a time. During our brief visits to Deadwood this past fall, we just scratched the surface a bit. However, with family living in the area, we have a good reason to keep returning. Each time we’re in the Hills, we choose a few things we haven’t done yet. The activities in this post are on our bucket list, and we’re looking forward to our next visit, when we’ll enjoy some of them with our loved ones.

You can find more information on the following websites.

https://www.deadwood.com/

https://leadmethere.org/ (Lead Chamber of Commerce)

http://sanfordlabhomestake.com/science

https://gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/george-s--mickelson-trail/

https://visitspearfish.com/