WILD WEST SUMMARY

TRIP 2

Day 1 - When we arrived in Deadwood, we first wandered about the old town a bit. We sat on the sidewalk to enjoy an old-fashioned gunfight in the street, then took in a couple shows relating to the shooting and trial involving Wild Bill Hickok.

Day 2 - We visited Boot Hill (the local cemetery) then made a stop at Wall Drug, an enormous store filled with numerous entertainment... such as an animatron T-Rex, giant jackalopes, and 5 cent coffee. Next we entered the Badlands, taking in several overlooks. Bison, pronghorn, bighorn sheep and wild turkeys were abundant. After setting up the tent, we took a nice walk on the Cliff Shelf Nature trail then watched the sun set at Window Trail.

Day 3 - We got to go in an old underground missile command center at the Minuteman Missile site. We also drove out to one of the old silos. We then did a long hike along Castle Trail into the Badlands' backcountry. Afterwards, we took in a few more short trails and overlooks... including the rather challenging Notch Trail.

Day 4 - We did a short ranger-led geology tour then left the Badlands, passing through the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation where we learned a bit about the Lakota people,. After seeing Mt. Rushmore, we drove into Custer State park and camped.

Day 5 - We toured the Wildlife Loop road, seeing a wide range of animals. We drove along the Needles Highway and took a hike up to Little Devil's Tower, which offered great views. Our final stop was a walk around Sylvan Lake.

Day 6 - We drove to the Mammoth Site where numerous bones of these giant beast were found. After a visit to the Wyoming state capitol in Cheyenne, we headed home.