After checking off the oldest bar in North Dakota we set out sights on South Dakota, specifically Deadwood, SD. The picturesque five hour drive (290 miles) to the southwest did not come without a little drama as we very nearly ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere. It seems like gas stations in ND/SD are hundreds of miles apart. Thank goodness our Mitsubishi Mirage G4 had unbelievable gas mileage which allowed us to finally roll into a small town filling station on fumes. On the way to Deadwood we also passed through Sturgis. We missed the big motorcycle rally by a few days, so things were kind of wound down as we cruised through town. We had heard great things about Deadwood, but frankly it was kind of disappointing. The historic part of town is saloon, souvenir shop, casino, one after another. Sometimes, the saloon, souvenir shop, and casino are all in one building. The oldest bar in South Dakota is the Buffalo Bodega (formerly known as The Buffalo Bar) which has been in operation on the same site since 1877. The Buffalo Bodega complex is one of those saloon, souvenir shop, casino kind of places. For us, the visit there was very disappointing. The bartenders ran the gamut from indifferent to rude. The place oozed a tourist trap vibe and we couldn’t wait to finish our drinks and escape. We accomplished checking off our 38th state’s oldest bar and now it was time to explore the area before making the long trek back to Minneapolis.
Deadwood aside, we had a great time in the area. We stayed a night in a cool town inn and then in a mountain lodge, and we bar hopped in small towns like Keystone and Lead. In Lead one particularly good drinking hole was the Stampmill. Besides quelling our thirsts we had ample time for sightseeing. We checked out mining museums, the Crazy Horse monument, and the highlight of our three state excursion was the visit to Mount Rushmore. We spent quite a few hours at Mount Rushmore viewing the site by daylight and in the nighttime. We even had a lovely date dinner with wine gazing at the imposing monument. Mount Rushmore’s evening program was very informative and emotionally moving, and well worth the stay.
The ten-hour trip (600 miles) back to Minneapolis to catch our flight home had a couple of interesting pit stops, to include: spending a few hours at Wall Drug Store in Wall, SD; overnighting in Sioux Falls, SD; and seeing the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD, and the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. All in all, it was a funducational trip and a super way to score state oldest bars 36, 37, and 38! Twelve more to go!
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