Day 79

Deadwood Today

Jul 24, 2013, 9:53 AM

We are on our way to Deadwood. We just so happen to be visiting while Deadwood is celebrating their 91st Annual Days of '76, a big deal on the rodeo circuit. So I'm sure a lot will be going on. When I was watching the news this morning they had a segment about the Days of '76 and they gave a web address to get more information. So I checked it out and I learned that aces and eights was called a Dead Man's Hand because that's what Wild Bill Hickok was holding when he was shot dead. Neat little bit of trivia. Not being either a poker player or a cowboy aficionado, I had no idea there was such a thing as a "dead man's" hand and I had no earthly idea why, but now I do. The things you learn. Oh and this tidbit will sure piqué the guys interest. Prostitution was a huge industry in Deadwood. The working girls came with the gold rush and the gold dried up but the girls sure as heck didn't. They were an institution from 1876 up until 1950 when the brothels were closed for a few months, but then a legal loophole allowed them to reopen and they weren't closed for good until 1980. Well I bet that's more than you wanted to know isn't it?

Lunch at the Silverado Hotel & Casino

Jul 24, 2013, 3:36 PM

We got to Deadwood just in time to have a really good lunch at the Silverado. They boast they have the only Vegas style buffet in Deadwood and I'll tell you what it was good. My husband however, shocked the hell out of me at lunch. I got some bread pudding with a nice vanilla sauce and whipped cream for desert and he announced he not only didn't like bread pudding, but he's never even tried it. That is the first time I can remember him EVER being so unwilling to take a chance on a food item. I'm completely blown away. 

After lunch we, actually I, wanted to at least try a slot machine. Mind you, the only other time I have gambled was when we were in Vegas to get married, and no I wasn't gambling on the marriage, I actually played craps and a couple slot machines, but that was it. So I told Steve I wanted to at least put a dollar in a slot machine. So we both stand there really not knowing what to do at all. We saw a $5 slot machine and I didn't want to throw away that much money, then we saw a $1 slot machine, so that was the one. I had no idea if you put money in or a credit card or you had to get something from the cashier. So we walk up to the slot machine and we realize you had to have cash, it didn't take cards. Well Steve pulls out a $5, and hands that to me. I put it in and I thought I was playing a dollar, but I was playing three. That pissed me off, so the next time I played a dollar. First two times nothing, now I've got one dollar left. I pushed the button and won $15, so I cashed out. I'm no fool!!!!! Steve on the other hand put a $10 in a machine and lost the entire thing. 

After that we found a bus tour. That was pretty good. It was an hour and a quarter and there was a lot more talking than driving. The town is very small and it was smaller still in the 1800's. we did get cool facts. We rode up to the cemetery. Saw where Calamity Jane was buried, and Wild Bill Hickok. It was kind of cool to look between two buildings and see a mountain across the street, but other than that the majority of the store fronts were either gift shops, casinos, or saloons, or a combination of the three. So we are going to go to Bear Country. I'll let you know how that goes when we are done. 

Jul 24, 2013, 6:05 PM

Well Bear Country was pretty darn cool. There wasn't one area that we didn't see animals in. We saw Rocky Mt. Elk, Reindeer, Arctic Wolves, Timber Wolves, Big Horn Sheep, Rocky Mt. Goats, Buffalo, Mountain Lion, Black Bears, and then smaller animals and baby bears. It took about a half hour/forty five minutes to drive through. You drive your own car so you are able to go at your own pace which of course was just perfect for me. Then Spanky had to get in the act and have his picture taken. Oh and Spanky got a new pin for his ever growing collection. So now we are on our way home. We'll just have a lighter dinner, we had a big lunch and call it a night after some TV.  Have a good night everyone, I'll check in with you tomorrow.