Calamity

This morning I woke up before the crack of dawn, 4:15 to be exact, to watch the sun as it began to warm the faces of the presidents.  It was a little chilly out, and the mosquitos were out in full force, but I was able to watch the life come into the faces of these four distinguished gentlemen.  It really was beautiful, but what I loved most was, the emptiness.  There were only two other souls there, besides the birds and the chipmunks.  It made crowds of the day before seem like a distant memory.  If you make it to Mt. Rushmore, I highly recommend an early morning visit, it is like visiting an empty chapel, a quiet place to sit, reflect and marvel.

About 4:50 am

About 5:30 am 

The emptiness.  Look carefully and find a fellow soul: a chipmunk.

On another note: I love musicals.  In fact, I wish real life was more like a musical.  Why do people not burst out into song and dance on the street more often?  I love being able so sing along while watching a movie or a play.  Growing up, Calamity Jane was one of my very favorite musicals.  Starring Doris Day and Howard Keel, this musical has great music and fun "transformation" scenes.  (You can rent it on iTunes or Amazon Prime, go ahead and treat yourself!)

While researching for my trip, I discovered the town of Deadwood, where Calamity Jane takes place, was a real town.  I also discovered that I could see both Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickock's headstones in the cemetery there.  I was so excited because, even though I knew their legends were outside of the musical, I'm not sure I really believed they were any more than legends, sort of like Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, Babe.

I was in high heaven walking around Deadwood today, as the downtown looks almost as it did over 100 years ago.  I must admit that I was hoping people would burst out into song and dance on the street, which did not happen, but I did enjoy the old town.  The town is one of the only in the country to be named a National Historic Landmark District as an entire town.  The gold rush in the late 19th century created a boomtown out of Deadwood where sharp-shooters and ruffians flocked to.

Deadwood

Deadwood

Now, it is hard to separate fact from fiction about these great legendary characters, but what they know about Calamity Jane was that she was born in Missouri, moved to Montana then Wyoming.  Orphaned and the oldest of six siblings, she had to make money to support the family.  Not a very attractive woman, she began to dress in men's clothing to disguise her gender so as to make a better living, but eventually her reputation was so, um, "good," that her nickname overtook any gender bias there might have been.  She traveled extensively working on cattle drives and as a scout, earning quite the reputation.  The town of Deadwood loved her, especially for her good-hearted nature.  She is known for helping people through a small pox epidemic that hit the town.  No one knows for sure if she and Wild Bill had a love affair, for their paths would have only crossed in Deadwood for a short time, but her dying wish was to be buried next to him, so the rumors seem to be there for the taking.

Tokens left at Calamity Jane's grave.  I think she'd be happy with these.

After the gold rush ended, the town went through multiple fires and a large decline after the interstate was built a fair distance away.  In the late 20th century, the town applied for legalization of gambling as a way to maintain historical qualities.  That did the trick, the boomtown once again became a boomtown!

A burger at Mustang Sally's, amongst all of the slot machines, fueled me for my short journey into Wyoming.  The countryside I've seen so far in Wyoming is just beautiful - rolling hills of pasture land, patches of tall pines and long stretches of straight roadways.

Devil's Tower

On September 24 (a really good day, I think), 1906, Theodore Roosevelt declared Devil's Tower in Wyoming the country's first National Monument.  The monument remains a huge attraction for the area today.  I, myself, marveled at the enormous structure, amazed at its size, intrigued by its shape, and in wander of how it was created.

I could give you the geological reasons for this formation, but even I'm not sure I really understand that, so I'll give you the legend.  Native Americans told a story that seven little girls were playing when a bear began to chase them.  They ran and jumped on a rock only a few feet high and prayed that the rock grow taller to save them.  The rock grew so tall that the girls are now in heaven, forming the constellation of the Seven Sisters.  The column-like formation of the tower?  Well, the bear clawed at the tower trying to climb up it leaving these marks.  In all honesty, looking at the tower, that story seems to make just as much sense as the geological one.

To give you some perspective, look for the climbers on the tower!

When leaving the Devil's Tower, there are lots of prairie dogs that greet you along the roadside.  No, you are not supposed to feed these little guys, but man, they are very cute to look at.  It also provided a good spot to try to get this photo:

I won't embarrass myself any more by showing the progression of photos that it took to finally get this one.  I'm only sorry that I couldn't simultaneously show you what was going on on the other side of the camera: a prairie dog watching me intently from his hole, wandering what in heavens' name I was doing.  Oh, the calamity!

Miles traveled: 198
Gallons of gas purchased: 9.2

Hours in the car: 4
States: South Dakota and Wyoming