Deadwood, Wall Drugs, Mother Nature, Kansas City and Home.......

Downtown Deadwood.  We Had The Town All to Ourselves

Day six of our winter adventure involved moving from our motel in Gillette, Wyoming to newer digs in Deadwood, South Dakota---a move of only a few miles, but a total upgrade in luxury. 

Aaahhhhh, yes---this was the life I envisioned for myself.....lodging at a downtown casino hotel where the grub was good and plentiful in the all-night restaurant; where scantily clad waitresses and casino workers existed only for the purpose of making moi feel appreciated.

Cindy Shot This Pic Of A Mannequin (I Think?) In The Window Of A Downtown Deadwood Hotel.  I Think It Had Formerly Been  A House Of Ill Repute In Deadwood's Glory Days

Of course, the Cinderoo and I were just about the only people there, seein' as how it was 5 degrees outside and the streets were solid ice. 

"What in the sam hill are you folks doin' here this time of year?, asked the nice lady at the registration desk.

I had my answer down pat by this time, having had to respond to that same query several times over the course of the past week.  "I always wanted to see Devil's Tower".   I always got the same look when I said those words, and I very much enjoyed getting that reaction---loosely translated, that look meant "What mental institution did you escape from?"

Deadwood is an interesting and historic town.  On a memorable evening in 1876, Wild Bill Hickok was shot dead at a poker table at Saloon # 10 in downtown Deadwood.  He was playing five card draw poker at the time, and the hand he held was aces and eights, which has since become known as "the dead man's hand".  If you play poker, you don't wanna be holdin' aces and eights.

Anyhooo, I digress.  We spent two days in Deadwood, roaming the almost deserted streets, prowling through the shops and casinos.  We don't gamble much, but we do enjoy sitting in the gaming halls and people watching.  We ate like kings at the ubiquitous buffets.  We napped.  Our only discomfort was when we ventured out into the streets because we had to contend with the ice.  It's a wonder we didn't fall down. 

Typical Snow Bank

On the morning of day number eight, we checked out of our hotel and set sail for Omaha.  Interstate 90 was clear enough, although it was still around 10 degrees and snow drifts along the roadside were ten feet.  When we got to the tiny burg of Wall, South Dakota, we stopped to visit the legendary Wall Drug Store. 

Me, Getting Ready to Explore the Legendary Wall Drug Store

Now, my friends, I do not have enough space to adequately describe Wall Drug Store.  It's one of those things you must see to believe.  The history of it is rich.  Bottom line is that it is the largest, most unique place of its kind anywhere.  It is a combination drug store, restaurant, art gallery (with hundreds of pieces of western art), chapel, knife shop, clothing store, woodworking display shop, and so much more. 

Me, Chatting With A New Wooden Friend Inside Wall Drugs

I was dumbfounded as I munched on a delicious burger from the restaurant.  And once again we were almost alone because the weather was keeping everyone but us crazy Texans (at the time) at home in front of a fire.  If you have not been to Wall Drugs, please put it on your bucket list.

Inside Wall Drugs

Back on the road to Omaha.  The weather was turning really bad.  Snow was now coming down in dense sheets.  We got to our hotel in Omaha just as darkness fell. 

We Had Several Hundred Miles Of THIS---And Remember, This is an Interstate Highway!

The next morning we were advised by hotel workers not to try to drive on the interstate.  It was still open, but the highway patrol was considering closing it because of the ice and snow.  Other travelers in the hotel lobby were canceling their planned travel in favor of staying another night in the hotel.  Not us.  I spent half an hour cleaning the snow off our trusty chariot, which was now a tried and true veteran of the most severe road wars. 

Windy, Too

We struck out southward at 9:00.  Driving about 30 miles an hour most of the way, we set our sights for Kansas City.  I figured if I could get us that far, we could make it home the following day.  The roads were barely passable because of the ice and snow.  It was pretty scary.  We stopped for gas at a little roadside station and the attendant there was so worried about us that he asked us to please call him when we got home so he could stop fretting over our fate.  Cindy did call him when we arrived alive.

We will never forget that day on the road, with the conditions so bad, with other cars and trucks scattered off the roadway for miles and miles as we slowly plodded southward.

As we neared Kansas City, the weather began to improve.  We stayed overnight there, and awoke the next day to warming weather and clear roads.  We sailed out of the wintry pall and into the sunshine.  North Texas and home lay ahead.  And the best vacation we ever had was planted in our memory forever.