A Weekend in Deadwood

Welcome to Deadwood, South Dakota.  Deadwood is a thriving tourist town in the Black Hills with a Wild West kind of charm.  With numerous restaurants, hotels, casinos, and nearby outdoor activities, the place is a tourist's dream.  There's something for everyone here.  Shoppers, historians, and gamblers alike will find something that peaks their interest at this old time gold mining camp in the gulch.

We spent a weekend in Deadwood for the last leg of our trip to the Black Hills Corvette Classic car show that began with Hot Summer Nights in Sioux Falls.  The destination did not disappoint. 

Favorite Activity:
My favorite activity of the weekend was a wine tasting at the Belle Joli' Winery shop on Main Street in Deadwood.  The wine tasting included a range of six locally-produced South Dakota wines that ended with a unique cherry dessert wine that was served with dark chocolate.  My favorite wine of the six was the Days of 76, a full-bodied red blend.  Very good.  The shop sells wine-related gifts in addition to wine.  There's also a patio with umbrella tables in front of the shop--a great place for relaxing with friends over a bottle of wine.

Favorite Casino:
My favorite casino was The Lodge, main reason being was that I won a little money here.  The Lodge is a full-service Vegas-style resort just outside of Deadwood on US Highway 85.  The casino is spacious offering table games and a large selection of the newest slot machines.  This casino doesn't have the small town charm of the Main Street casinos in Deadwood, but it does have generous player's club rewards and an open atmosphere.  The only negative of this place is the location. 

Favorite Hang Out:
My favorite hang out of the weekend was the veranda at the Franklin Hotel.  This is a great outdoor place to relax and socialize.  We met an interesting couple from California who were on a cross-country road trip. 

Overall, I'd rate our trip as an 8 on a scale from 1-10.  A longer stay would have been better.  I felt too rushed with our short stay from Thursday night to early Sunday morning, especially with long drives on each end of our stay.  Odds are high that we will return some day.  I'd like to ride the George S. Mickleson trail with our bicycles.  From what I've read, the trail is 109 miles of moderate riding that skips across the scenic wonder of the Black Hills.  Sounds awesome.