The Near West

 

 

 

   Uncle Vern was turning 100 down in Mesa, Arizona and we planned to be there. The distance from Wannaska to Mesa is 1800 miles. I won't bore you with the details of our trip, other than to say the Karlsdad Korner station is like an old fashioned bakery. Also, coffee is free with a gas purchase. 

  We crossed into North Dakota at Drayton. The steam pouring out of the sugar beet factory is always impressive. We wended our way across the Dakotas to the Cattleman's Club restaurant a few miles east of Pierre. The menu says they serve half a million steaks a year. I wonder how many steaks you get from a cow.

  The Governor's Inn in downtown Pierre had good rates and a reputation for cleanliness. One on-line reviewer complained of the wildlife theme in the lobby. Another complained that there weren't enough good restaurants in Pierre. I replied to this innocent that he should take a drive out to the Cattleman's. 

  The next morning was perfect weather for driving west.  High cirrus clouds stayed out of the sun's way. The temps remained mild as we slowly gained altitude. After a few passes, the big hill known as Bear Butte came into view. This little mountain was and is sacred to the native people of the plains. 

   The Black Hills start around Sturgis, America's biker bar. There were a fair number of bikers cruising the streets or sitting in bars telling stories. The gigantic three story bars were empty this day. During the August rally these places would be filled to the rafters with Vikings lookalikes. 

  The next spot on the tourist trail was Deadwood. As Sturgis is to bikers, so Deadwood is to gamblers. Cadillac Jacks, a combination casino/restaurant/hotel had rooms available tonight starting at $385. Just for fun, I searched for a room for December 7. Then I could have the same room plus a bucket of chips for $39.00. Maybe I'll book it. I can always cancel.

  There's one more town before the true Black Hills: Lead. Lead is famous as a launching pad for the outdoor adventurer.  West of Lead, the road climbs into the hills. Some of the passes are over six thousand feet above sea level, but it doesn't feel like the mountains because of all the trees and the biker bars. We did manage to get over to Wyoming and down to Colorado where the weather turned sour before we crept through Denver for the night's lodging.

Bear Butte