Deadwood and Devil’s Tower, SD

June 27

After we left the cozy Sioux Falls house, we drove through a lightning storm on our way out of town.  The plan was to go to Mt. Rushmore and eat somewhere near there for lunch. Since we left late and the drive was approximately one million hours long, we made the choice to skip Mt. Rushmore (I saw it as a teenager and was severely underwhelmed) so we could spend more time in the badlands and checking out Deadwood, a town on the way to Devil’s Tower.  We stopped at the Badlands National Park, which I also saw as a teenager and remember thinking of Mars, and got out fourth grade park pass.  This thing is amazing.  Every fourth grader in America is entitled to one free park pass that allows them and their whole family access to all national parks for FREE. Dominic is a Rockstar. I had forgotten to print the paper pass but a very nice man at the helicopter tour company right outside the park printed it for me like he says he does for a handful of families every day.  Thank you sir.

It was like Mars. It is giant and breathtaking and very much like a giant termite mound mountain range.  Luca swore he saw a rattlesnake and even convinced another family.  Elia petted many dogs that were walking on the trail that clearly said “no dogs allowed”. We loved it. Adam was initially reluctant to take the hour long detour to drive the scenic route but was ultimately won over by the alien landscape. We got back on the road and stopped in a little town to grab some food for our few days of camping.  Adam stopped at a Duluth Trading Company to grab some pants he’s been eyeing and he took Elia with him.  She, of course, saw a beaver in line that resembled the one from the cabin in Lancaster and HAD to have it.  Because I was not there to be the bad guy so they walked out with a $35 stuffed animal.  This beaver has been named a few things.  Sarah, obviously. Chippy Nippy- an unsupported Judah name.  Beaver also does not identify as either gender consistently.  “Where is Sarah!? Where is he I need him!!” then two minutes later “No, mommy stop calling him a boy!  His name is Miss Beaver Sarah Quinn Bourne!”

We continued through the mountains to the historic gold town of Deadwood.  We LOVED the Deadwood show in HBO and we were excited to see the actualy town it was based on.  First of all, it is in the mountains which I didn’t picture.  I thought it would be an old west town. It is covered in bikers, casinos, tourist trap shopping, and gorgeous views.  I had read an extensive review of the area and had picked out a place to eat that had great reviews.  It was the only place we have stopped so far that we regret.  This was ultimate tourist trap fine dining.  No problem, we knew we would get swindled at one point. Note to self, never trust a reviewer that says you absolutely must stop at the donut place because, “who can resist donuts?”  We saw the place Wild Bill Hickock was killed but declined to pay the $10 per person to see the actual chair. All of the characters in Deadwood were real people!  We learned about the Jewish role in the success of Deadwood.  Sol Star started the store there and pretty much kept everyone alive during difficult times.  He was the mayor for a long time and was well loved.

We grabbed a bottle of local wine from a little shop across from where we parked and headed to our teepee we had reserved on Airbnb.  We drove through the mountains in the most unbelievable beauty.  The air in South Dakota approaching Wyoming actually smells like sweetness. At first, I was put off by the smell because I assumed it was artificial from a gas station when we got out of the car to fill up.  When I kept smelling the flowers with the windows rolled down in the mountains, I realized it is just how this amazing place smells.  We were lucky to be her while all the wildflowers are blooming as well. We made it to Devil’s Tower.  It is a lone mountain plateau in the middle of the fields.  It looks like a petrified volcano with lava flowing down the sides of it. It has a creepy feel to it for sure.  It is also where close encounters was filmed in the 80’s.  We pulled up to our teepee site and the owner was waiting in the drive way.  There are 6 authentic teepees that she built herself.  First, she bought the land and decided to live in a teepee herself because she thought it was the least disruptive way of living out there.  She said tourists kept coming by and asking her questions and gawking at her.  She built the other teepees to make some money!  There was a beautifully clean port-a-potty and a place for trash. She asked us to please not bring any food into the teepee because it attracts mice.  We set up our sleeping bags and got the kids in bed. The teepee was lined with cowhide on the inside and was completely traditional.  Adam and I set up our chairs outside the teepee in the wide open field and drank a tiny bit of wine, we were so sleepy.  As the sun set (around 10 pm) that stars began to FILL the sky.  Judah and Elia appeared, they couldn’t sleep. They sat under our blankets with us and watched the sky.  So special. We got in our teepee and settled in to sleep.

That is not at all what happened. The sleep part.  Well, everyone else slept.  As soon as we settled in, a happy cricket started serenading us.  So loudly. I tuned him out and started drifting off.  Then came the scratches. Little tiny scratching noises all around the outside (hopefully) of the teepee. I imagined the mice running around the teepee looking frantically for food and settling on Judah’s ear as a good snack.  I watched the stars through the opening in the top of the teepee and out of the corners of the flap covering the entrance. I heard footsteps every time I started drifting.  Footsteps of all sizes. Finally, I started to drift more deeply.  Suddenly, I felt a tremble in the ground. The tiniest of earthquakes.  I tried to reach for Adam to see if he felt it. I could not move my body.  I was completely paralyzed. My eyes were open, I could barely breathe, I could not move at all. I tried to say his name. I made a small noise.  As I exhaled I tried to make a louder noise. Be calm. Finally the “Adam” was loud enough to break the spell and I woke up gasping for breath. I have never had sleep paralysis before. I have had nightmares where I feel a pressing feeling on my chest and I can’t breathe.  This was the first time I had no control of my body while awake. Scary. I woke Adam who said he had to pee.  We ventured right outside the teepee to a completely lit up sky. There was no moon but the sky was as bright as twilight. We could clearly see the milky way as stared at the sky.  I wish we could have stayed out there all night but I needed my two hours of sleep.

Judah has started saying “C’mooooon!” about things.  “A two hour drive? C’mooooooon!” and “C’mon people!!” it is exasperated and precious. He is also obsessed with tunnels and it is the best possible thing when we need to go through one.  Every time we pass cows of any kind, we MOOOOOOOO!