Deadwood: Gold and Silver

I slept restlessly due to the grief of losing my laptop.  I tried calling Motel 6 in Colby, Kansas around 10 a.m. to tell them I was coming to get it.  They said they didn't find it, so I prepared to move on.  Loss is part of life and when you forget that you suffer more.  It's just a computer and I didn't care that much, but I was bumming because I was so careless.  Part of my concern was that my laptop password was apple123, and I had all my passwords stored in Notes.  However, I figured the chances of a security breach were low.

Despite my grief, it was a pleasure to watch the final episode of HBO's Deadwood series in Deadwood.  Deadwood grew as a result of the Black Hills Gold Rush.  It got it's name from all the dead trees that had accumulated in the gulch.

I originally watched all three seasons of the show over Christmas vacation in 2012.  I loved it.  I felt like a resident of Deadwood that week and started doing shots of whiskey in my kitchen between episodes.  I would put Deadwood in my top 5 favorite shows.  The characters are great and Al Swearengen is particularly amazing.  When I was down the Cape in July, I started re-watching it with my brother John and I finally finished last night, right here in Deadwood.  It was sweet.

I was moving slow, so I didn't get rolling until around 11.  The sun was shining and I decided I'd drive with the top down for a bit before the high plains sun made me retreat for shade.  I had been throwing candy wrappers (Peanut Butter Snickers, 3 Musketeers), beef jerky containers, and water bottles on the floor of the passenger seat, where I had also been keeping my small carry-on suitcase, so I figured it was time to do a little tidying up so they didn't blow out of the car with the top down.  I got a bag and got down on my knees.

The history books will tell you about the gold in Deadwood.  Nobody has ever heard about the silver found in Deadwood because up until today there wasn't any.  When I got down in my knees a glint of silver caught my eye.  Poking out from under the passenger seat was a silver Macbook Air!  Today I was in the grace and favor of the great spirit of the Black Hills.  I could not believe it.  I stood there for a moment in shock.  I had been keeping my bag there because Mustang's have a useless backseat and I occasionally needed to grab things out of it so the trunk would have been inconvenient.  Evidently, the laptop slipped out when I was accelerating, or going uphill, but I love accelerating so probably then since I do it as often as possible.  I don't even like driving fast, relatively speaking, but I will accelerate all day.  That's the triumphant story of Deadwood silver.  I zoomed out of town with the top down and headed for North Dakota.

Whip

I arrived in North Dakota around 2 p.m. Mountain Time August 14, 2015, it was 99 degrees.  When I crossed the border, my conquest of the continental 48 states was completed.  I went to Hawaii in 2003, so that leaves only Alaska.            

I wanted to pull over when I saw the North Dakota welcome sign, and what would you know, they had a pull off area, so it worked out perfectly.  I pulled off the road and drove right up to the sign.  I played Wiz Khalifa - See You Again because Wiz was born in North Dakota.  I listened to the songs and took a couple of quick picks and videos.  I didn't linger, I was gone by the time it takes a hungry man to eat his lunch.

I made a time lapse video of the last leg of the drive here, it's a minute long.

And then I got out to whip.

Heading back from North Dakota, I stopped in Buffalo South Dakota.  I picked up some beef jerky and a Sno-berry iced tea.  My favorite thing about the stores around here is that they ask you if you want a sack - not a bag, a sack.  Sacks only.

After that stop, I cruised 36 miles without using the brake or gas, I was headed for Devils Tower in Wyoming.  I stopped again in Belle Fourche and gassed up.  I went inside to use the bathroom because you never know around here when the next chance will be.  Plus, it was 100 degrees and my pony was in the shade and could use the respite.

The first place I drove through in Wyoming was Aladdin, population 15.

It seems people riding motorcycles in Wyoming don't wear helmets.  I rode with three dudes for a stretch.  I was cagin' it and they rode their bikes with one hand and no helmets.  

Right outside Hulett, WY, I felt a little dehydrated, and I saw a sign that said entering District 4.  Then Drake shuffled on and it occurred to me that I was runnin' through the four with my woes.  I quickly chugged a Gatorade, lemon lime.  Lemon lime only.  

Hulett, WY

Then when I went around a bend I saw Devils Tower and I said - holy shit!  I was impressed.  I could see it from about 15-20 miles away.  This thing made Elk Penis look like a stick in the sand.  

You can see Devil's Tower - middle left on the horizon

Approaching Devils Tower through the Bear Lodge Mountains was exciting.  Devils Tower was the first national monument, declared by Teddy Roosevelt in 1906.  To read the Native American legends click here.  I put the top down to drive through the park, it was a good decision despite the 95 degree heat.  As I was leaving I saw two buffalo and that was awesome.  

Out the back of the convertible

After Devils Tower, I headed back to Deadwood for the night.  Today was one of those days I didn't want to end.  

Looking down on Deadwood from the Spearfish road

I parked next to this ride

  

INDEX

Start: Deadwood

Finish: Deadwood

Miles: 351.8

Time on road: 6:55

States: South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming

# of states I've visited: 49 (Alaska)