Sunday, August 25, 2013

The Black Hills, part 2

August 15th finds us on our way to Custer City, SD, and the French Creek RV Camp.  This is probably the friendliest campground we have ever visited....the owner (Rock) is a 70-something cowboy-biker type BSer who is a HOOT!  The camp is in town, two blocks from main street, with everything within walking distance.  The Friday night cook-out for camp guests is pictured below.  What a wonderful way to meet new people with like interests!


Custer City is such a fun little town to walk and browse.  Touristy shops along with museums and eateries fill the main street.  



The director of the town Visitor Center provided an excellent history lesson on Gen. George Custer, Crazy Horse, and the Battle of Little Bighorn, along with the early history of Custer City.  This prepared us for our visit to the Custer Courthouse Museum.


Old school items are always fascinating!  This is probably the oldest globe I've ever seen.  Notice the strange water fountain and the old pump organ also found in this museum classroom.


"Must Do" (we did it twice!!):  Eat lunch and/or dinner at Black Hills Burger & Bun Co.  The Western Bison Burger and fixings are PHENOMENAL.  Yum. Yum. Yum.



Our time in Custer City was short but sweet.  Yes, this is a place to return to in future trips to the Black Hills.

Now, on to Deadwood!  Before arriving at the campground, we stopped at the Crazy Horse Monument and were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the whole site.  This monument is another "Must See" .  The monument and museum honor not only Crazy Horse but all of the Native American Nations.  Artist Korczak Ziolkowski has definitely captured the spirit of the Native people and this hallowed land.


As we were walking from the parking lot to the museum, I couldn't help but notice that Crazy Curt looks a lot like Crazy Horse.







This was not our first trip to Deadwood, so very few pictures were taken.  Just a couple of new discoveries.  The Celebrity Hotel uses a "movies" theme and displays a variety of costumes and props used in well-known films.  My heart pitter-pattered with this one, the armor worn by Sean Connery in "The First Knight".



Life is about experiencing new things, right?????    No, Mom, I am not in jail.

A trolley car tour, live cowboy music (including musician/historian Randy Christiansen) at the Bullock Hotel, and the re-enactment of the cold-blooded murder of Wild Bill Hickock at Saloon #10 rounded out our visit to Deadwood.

There is SO MUCH to see and do in the Black Hills!  Have we been here before?  Yes!  Would we come back again?  Absolutely!!

Coming next:  Wyoming

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