Hey all! It’s been some time between posts. As of now, we don’t have regular internet except when we’re working and that puts a damper on me writing regularly.

Gwyn turned the big 30 this last weekend, and we spent the entire weekend doing all the touristy things around the Black Hills. The temperature increased significantly the last week or so, so we rented a hotel room for a few days to beat the heat and to enjoy relaxing between our birthday adventures (and the pups loved it too).

We spent Friday hanging out at AmericInn in Rapid City just to enjoy the AC, ordered pizza, and watched movies until we fell asleep. I know I took advantage of creature comforts before van life, and the evening just hanging out was heaven.

Saturday we went horseback riding at Hollingsworth Horses in Custer, and spent two hours out and about with a wrangler on the ranch. She gave us a history lesson of the Hills, pointed out many plants along the way letting us know if they were poisonous, edible, and sometimes if they were only really seen in the Midwest. I’d definitely give them a 5/5 review and recommend anyone looking for horseback riding while visiting here to check them out.

After the riding we went to the Purple Pie Place in Custer, grabbed some of the best strawberry rhubarb pie `a la mode, and Gwyn ordered chicken pot pie with our dessert.

Sunday was a little busier, with us driving to Hill City to see the Train museum, and catch the 1880 Train over to Keystone. It’s about a an hour ride, and we were able to catch the “shootout” on the train. It was pretty fun to see and hear the cast act out an old west scene and interact with the guests on the train along the way.

Monday we went to Bear Country in Rapid City, and drove up to Deadwood to catch another shootout and see what the Wild West town was all about. Lots of casinos, and on Mainstreet there was a a section of building that were set up like an old western town.

The shootout in Deadwood was free to the public was of Jack McCall shooting Wild Bill outside of Saloon No. 10. It continued on with a trial and “public hanging”, but we didn’t participate in after the shootout. I was glad to see the reenactments, but I was not a fan of the loud gun shots or the smell of gun powder afterwards.

All in all, the weekend was a blast. We got to see a lot of the touristy areas here in the Black Hills. I want to go back to Deadwood to see Wild Bill’s tombstone as well as Calamity Jane and Potato Creek Johnny before we head off to the next contract. It closed about 10 minutes after we got to the town this last week and I have to say, it was a big disappointment to me. We have a little over a month left, so I’ll head back out to Deadwood before we head back to visit our friends and family.