Wild Bill and Devil's Tower

We had a great day of traveling today.  We started off by grabbing a coffee and a fruit smoothie from a cute local coffee joint in Rapid City.  The downtown area was much busier this morning than it was yesterday evening with music playing in this fountain area.  We stayed at the Alex Johnson Hotel which is the tall building in this picture.

Once we got on the road, we stopped just about 30 miles west in Sturgis.  Well, more like drove through. If you aren't familiar with the legend of Sturgis, it hosts a HUGE biker rally every year.  Today was not that day.  We were expecting a little more activity in this sleepy little town.  After a few loops of the "drag", we moved on to our next destination...Deadwood.

Deadwood has a rich history of gunslinging and gold mining.  Today, the town uses tourists and casino revenues to rebuild historic buildings and give the town an old time feel.  Ty found the spot where Wild Bill Hickok was murdered by Jack McCall.

Our highlight of the day would definitely have to be Devil's Tower in Wyoming which is the nation's first national monument.  The size of it is incredible.  It stands 5112 feet above sea level, and the summit of the tower is about 1 1/2 acres.  Amazing!  We walked around the base of the monument on a 1 mile trail, and every side is a little different.

It's hard to believe we have done so much in only two days.  Next up...Yellowstone!