Spearfish Canyon is a 20+ mile winding road through an ancient, wooded forest that is part of the Black Hills National Forest, beginning outside Lead, SD and ending up in Spearfish, SD. There are several places to stop and soak in the beauty, and a huge lodge/hotel about halfway along. We stopped there for coffee and I inquired as to the room rate during this. the peak season, fully expecting to hear that it was $300+ a night. I was surprised to learn that it was a mere $190 per night and would certainly give that some thought as a place to stay if (when?) we come again. Although isolated, it isn't far from anywhere and certainly beautiful.
After a lunch at the Spearfish Burger King - no, Cheryl, they don't have frozen Coke out here in the West! - we rolled back into Deadwood and headed for the gravesite of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. From Wikipedia, "His skills as a gunfighter and scout, along with his reputation as a lawman, provided the basis for his fame, although some of his exploits are fictionalized. His nickname of Wild Bill has inspired similar nicknames for men known for their daring in various fields.
Hickok came to the West as a stagecoach driver, then became a lawman in the frontier territories of Kansas and Nebraska. He fought in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and gained publicity after the war as a scout, marksman, actor, and professional gambler. Between his law-enforcement duties and gambling, which easily overlapped, Hickok was involved in several notable shootouts, until he was shot and killed while playing poker in a Dakota Territory saloon.
Next to Wild Bill's grave is that of "Calamity Jane", herself a very interesting story on Wikipedia. Seems like she was at the very least infatuated with Wild Bill and, perhaps, his wife who fathered a child by him. Her dying exclamation was "Bury me beside Wild Bill" although some of his compatriots later said he had no use for her and putting her there was a last prank on him - unrequited love is always sad says Mrs. Douglas (Cheryl).
The day concluded with a trip to the legenday Buffalo Chip to see Jeff Bridges and Friends (John Fogerty and Stevie Nicks). A unique thing about "The Chip" is that bikes park right along with people close to the stage, and when concertgoers hear something they like, they rev their engines. Stevie Nicks opened with "Landslide" just as we got off our bike on arrival. We had VIP admission (which simply means a more expensive ticket) and found ourselves right down front. Cheryl moved through the crowd to get front and center so she could get a good perspective on the still wonderful Stevie Nicks.
Her set, though, was pretty short - only about 4 songs. One notable thing, though, was the tornado watch on for the evening exhibited itself as an incredibly strong wind, pushing right into the band's face and actually blowing her microphone over. As little as she is, it was tough for her to stand there and belt it out. It actually blew the banners hanging from the back of the stage right off and somewhere into Kansas, I think.
The stage was cleared and on came, as Jeff Bridges introduced him, as the "man who wrote the soundtrack for the Vietnam War" and he didn't disappoint a crowd I'd estimate of 3,000 or so. It was one hit after another - "Up Around the Bend", "Hey Tonight", "Willie and the Poor Boys", and all those great Creedence songs as well as those big hits of his own, e.g., "Centerfield", "Hot Rod Heart", etc.
For the encore, he invited Jeff Bridges out and they sang together "Proud Mary". Clearly, Jeff Bridges, aka Jeff Lebowski whose Creedence tapes were stolen in the movie, was enjoying watching someone he idolized very much, as before his appearance he was offstage swaying and dancing. It was truly enjoyable watching them both!
The traffic back toward Deadwood at midnight was surprisingly heavy, and it was spitting rain. Given that the road between Sturgis and Deadwood (14A) is one twist after another, I was concerned about being out there, in the dark, and in the rain, but the rain held off until we were on the outskirts of Deadwood with about 3 miles to home. We were blessed, once again, to be safe. Mrs. Douglas says it was because she was praying fervently the entire trip.
Today (Friday) is probably our trip to the wildlife loop of Custer State Park where we expect to see all kinds of critters - bison, bighorn sheep, burros, wild turkeys, etc. - right by the road. Will let you know with another post later this evening. Thanks for reading.
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