Aug 5, 2012 - Safe and Sound in Lead, SD

What a Saturday! The gang was up VERY early. They are in Central Time. Sunny day but the temperatures sure did change. Frank, Franklin and Lisa had their chaps on! They took off from Mitchell, SD for the final leg of the ride. They made a stop a the famous Wall Drug store. You can’t be out in that part of the state without stopping (so I’ve been told). Wall Drug will ever be the same. Franklin visited the “comfort room” but the hazmat team had to be called in and the men’s room closed! See photo. After some sightseeing it was back on the...

Jul 5, 2009 - Black Hills Highlights

I took a ride on dirt roads past Ranch A and eventually ended up on Spearfish Canyon Road where Roughlock Falls is located. They improved the park's access in 2008, so it looks a bit different from when Mom and I were here 3 years ago. The falls got its name from when wagons had to traverse this rough terrain and ravines. To get down the ravines, they locked the wheels so they skidded down them, providing more control. Oh, Black Hills is called that because the kind of pine tree besides Ponderosa Pine, has dark green needles, making them...

Aug 30, 2007 - Lead, SD

After breakfast, Rita and I headed out to tour Lead and Deadwood cities, about 50 miles north of Hill City. We toured Lead first. We viewed the Open Cut Mine from the visitor center patio viewing platform. The hole was 1200 feet deep and ½ mile wide. It was very impressive. The color striation, of the mine walls, was spectacular. We drove down Main Street and viewed the turn of the century buildings. Next, we headed for Deadwood. Again, we drove down the Main Street to view their turn of the century buildings and storefronts. We found...

Aug 17, 2007 - Gold to Neutrinos

We spent parts of two days in Lead , a town that doesn't have a straight or level street in it. That's because it's built entirely on hills, the few that weren't wiped out by the town's single industry - the Homestake Gold Mine. The Homestake closed a few years ago, but while it was open it was the longest operating gold mine in the world. At 8,100 feet it was also one of the deepest, and richest . When it closed real estate values in town plummeted. Houses were selling for as little as $200 and some people just walked away and left them...