Rapid City, Custer, Sturgis & Deadwood

Thomas and Anthony had things to do for most of the day today at their conference so Dina and I were on our own. I did some things in the hotel room to get some stuff organized and packed. Then I met Dina in the lobby around 10:30am and we headed out to occupy our time until the guys were done with the conference.

We first visited the Chapel in the Hills. The chapel is an exact reproduction of the Borgund Stavkirke of Laerdal, Norway. It was beautiful - done all in natural wood, it was simple and elegant. We walked the grounds and went inside the chapel. It was so peaceful and serene, very calming. We spent about half an hour here and then moved on with our day. Next, we visited Bear Country, USA. This is a drive through wildlife park. The animals are fenced in and kept separate by cattle guards and fences. We pulled up and paid our fees, got a map and a very rehearsed list of rules. Then we started our drive. We drove through the following areas - Elk, Reindeer, Artic Wolves, Dall Sheep, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Lions, Black Bears, Timber Wolves, Pronghorn, Buffalo, Mule Deer, and Grizzly Bears. After our driving tour we parked and went to the Wildlife Walkway where they have the smaller animals and baby animals. I really enjoyed the bear cubs. They were so playful and energetic! After about an hour at the park we decided to leave and continue on with our day.

We then ended up driving to Custer. Once there we walked along the main street and then found something to eat. After eating we did a little more walking and then I looked for a letterbox. Unfortunately, the box isn't there anymore. They had removed the wind chimes where the box was hidden. So we decided it was time to return to the hotel and meet up with Thomas and Anthony. On the way back to the hotel we stopped and looked for a letterbox that was a quick drive by in viewing distance of Crazy Horse. We found the parking location and then followed the clues and easily found the box. It was Crazy Horse Memorial by OPie. I found a great place to sit and stamp in where I could see the Crazy Horse Memorial in the near distance. After stamping in and the replacing the box we made our way back to the hotel.

So we met Thomas and Anthony in the hotel lobby and then we were back on the road - this time to Sturgis. Anthony needed to get his brother a t-shirt from a specific bar - Full Throttle Saloon. The car GPS took us to their old location (which was destroyed in a fire in September 2015). We then used our phones to find the right location (they rebuilt the bar starting in 2016). You can read about the fire and rebuild at the following links . . .

Full Throttle Saloon Fire Destroys Famous Sturgis Rally Destination
ATF begins Full Throttle Saloon fire investigation
ATF comes up with cause for Full Throttle Saloon fire in Sturgis
Michael Ballard to Rebuild Full Throttle Saloon
Update from Michael Ballard on the Build!
Full Throttle Saloon back in gear

There is also a reality tv show about the bar (not sure if it is still going on) but you can get info at Full Throttle Saloon. Anyway, we made our way to the bar and we were awed just driving up to the place. Of course, they have the bar (and I will get to that in a minute) but there is so much more. They have a campground and cabins, an enormous parking area, a large stage, a fully stock grocery store and a restaurant, an olympic size pool, hot air baloon and helicopter rides. As we drove up we saw a huge metal sculpture of a motorcycle and rider on a pole up in the air, a giant cowboy statue with a mug of beer and a cigar at the entrance to the bar and a large mailbox at the turn in to the parking area. And then there is the inside of the bar. Amazing!!! Constructed and decorated with old machine and motorcycle parts and just found metal objects. I really can't describe it - it was awe inspiring - I totally loved it. We all had beers and bought some t-shirts and talked with the bartender (she was so nice, funny and informative). We spent an hour here just hanging out. [Side Note: I don't think I want to be here (in Sturgis) during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (last year they had about 500,000 people and their busiest year there were over 850,000 people). Way too crowded for me. I also think it would be hard to truly appreciate the Full Throttle Saloon during the rally with the place filled up with people. The place is an amazing work of art. If you are anywhere in the vicinity of Sturgis make sure to visit - it is incredible! By this time we were all hungry so we decided to head to Deadwood to end our day.

In Deadwood we looked for a place to eat and decided on Mavericks Steaks & Cocktails. We all enjoyed our meals and we had a great time talking and laughing. After dinner we walked up and down Main Street. We went in to a few stores including one that sold Full Throttle Sloonshine Moonshine. The moonshine comes in lots of different flavors. We were able to taste some of them and I ended up buying a bottle of their vanilla flavored moonshine. So good! After that we returned to our car and headed back to the hotel.

Once back at the hotel I showered and then did some things on the computer. But now it is time to get some rest. Tomorrow Thomas and I are going to Badlands National Park and Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.