The Black Hills of Dakota really are something to sing about. Sorry for you younger generation who do not know Doris Day and her famous song about these hills!
We arrived in Lead late yesterday afternoon. Lead is just next door to Deadwood, the infamous cowboy/gambling town. Our accommodation is in the Historic Town Hall Inn. As the title suggests it is the old Town Hall refurbished into a hotel. Actually it is very spacious and comfortable.
Yesterday we set off from the Kindness Ranch in Wyoming where we had spent the previous night. It is a ranch set up to provide care and retraining for animals that have been used and abused in the cause of medical science. So we had a very informative tour of the ranch looking at the dogs and cats and pigs and horses and sheep that now have been rescued and are being cared for by these people.
Christine giving a horse some much needed TLC
Pauline has gone to the dogs!
Our accommodation at the ranch was in one of their Yurts - a round house modelled after the tradition of the Mongolian homes. These however are kit-manufactured in Oregon. It was quite roomy with kitchen, living area, two bedrooms with full bathroom and an upstairs (by ladder) storage or additional sleeping area.
Leaving Kindness Ranch we stopped to take a few pics of Hartville, the nearby town, It was once a booming mining town but now, almost dead. However while looking at some old photos in a store window a man crossed the street and introduced himself as the Mayor of the town. About an hour later, after some very warm hospitality with Darryl (the Mayor) and his wife, Marian, we drove out of Hartville delighted with this new friendship. They were just so gracious and warm.
Pauline, Marian and Darryl then ,(above) Christine behind the wheel of the Mayor's Merc sports car. This was after he had taken Pauline for a spin around the town in it.
From there it was to see some Ruts made by Wagon Trains making their way along the Oregon Trail in the mid 1800's.
Maybe a bit hard to see but we are standing in a rut made by the thousands of wagon trains that made the journey westward to Oregon, California, or Utah. These wagons trains were not pulled by horses as portrayed in movies, with the women sitting inside, but were pulled by oxen or mules and led by men. The women and children had to walk! Imagine walking 6,000 miles in all climates and conditions. We saw an example of these wagons at our next stop, Fort Laramie.
Fort Laramie was a resupply stop for these wagon trains and then a little later, during the Indian Wars became a vital military establishment. Here is a picture from yesteryear and one from yesterday!
Same building just restored and from the other direction
Finally it was on and into South Dakota and time to unpack again. Thankfully we have 4 days here so we can rest up a little and reorganize ourselves.
Glad we travel light!!!
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