A stop at the Buffalo Visitor Centre and we were reminded of the Historic Occidental Hotel in downtown Buffalo.

Well being the cowboys we are, we need a watering hole about now so we did a quick trip down the historic downtown and found the Occidental Hotel. Ordered up an Occidental Porter, their own brewed brown ale, a lighter but similar Guinness tasting beer.

This hotel was built in 1880 and restored in 2008 to its 1908 finish. Complete with pressed copper ceilings, mahogany and stained glass bar, with original bullet holes.

One of the dining rooms leading through to the downstairs Hotel rooms has another magnificent full wall length mirrored sideboard.

The Hotel is decked out in period turn of the century furniture and has a number of photos lining its hallways of past famous and if not, infamous visitors. These include Buffalo Bill Cody, Teddy Roosevelt, Tom Horn, Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and Calamity Jane to name a few. Now it's had Jackaroo and Kathouse Kelli! Haa haa haa! 🙂 🙂

It is said the most famous western Western novel ever written “The Virginian” by Owen Wister was based on events of Cowboys, gunslingers and the first 'walk down' (shootout) that visited or happened in front of the Occidental Hotel.

The Occidental Hotel has received awards from True West Magazine and the National Geographic Traveler Magazine.

This is also home to the Netflix series of 'Longmire', great show! So a pic of the building was required.

Kat xo

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Left Rapid City this morning and headed back down into Custer as I still have yet to find that elusive blue dress for Tacky Jackie.

Here are just some of the painted buffalo on the street corners in Custer.

Once the 1881 Courthouse Museum was open, we entered the doors and there to my left in a room was the blue dress! We toured through the rooms of artefacts, taxidermy and photos and items of General Custer.

Into the Victorian parlour room and then the laundry come kitchen room, getting some pics of the late 1800's dress. I've yet to determine what correct era it will be.

Downstairs is the original jail cell and other firearm displays. Upstairs takes you through a ranch room, firefighting equipment over the years, veterans uniform room, the judge's chamber's and original courtroom that was used from 1881 up until 1974.

The outside buildings consist of an original log building – 1879 Custer's first continually operated newspaper, a brick building that was originally the outhouse, the site of Custer's only legal hanging and the carriage house.

Across the road is the oldest existing structure in the Black Hills. An 1875 physicians house, Dr D.W. Flick. It served as a home, military headquarters, and pioneer museum.

From here we headed west on Hwy16, made a quick stop at the Museum of Woodcarving. A Dr Harley Niblack was a practicing chiropractor, had invented diathermy and weight loss machines. He retired for his love of woodcarving and animation at age 42.

He died in 1966 but had spent many hours carving miniature and life sized figures, miniature steam engines, paintings, furniture etc. He had three of his animated scenes displayed in the Smithsonian Institute. In 1954-55 he designed and built the animation at Disneyland. (Excerpt from the museum brochure)

The guy obviously had a fascination for western history too as there were cowboy caricatures, old time dentistry, mining and ranching impressions depicted in his sculptures.

All I can say is, incredible detail and a very creative mind.

Onward we go, back through to Wyoming – Newcastle, Upton, Moorecroft, Wyodak, Gillette (the open cut coal mine), onto Buffalo and with views of the Bighorn Mountains heading into Sheridan.

Only about 20miles from the border into Montana. The next few days will be spent commuting into Yellowstone National Park and Cody.

Cheers and beers!

Kat xo

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Next we travelled the Iron Mountain Road, designed by Peter Norbek in 1870 who later became a senator and Governor of the state. He said the road to Mt Rushmore should be slow and scenic. He was the bright spark that decided these pigtail bridges and tunnels on the already narrowing and winding road. Note: the bikers were not happy as we manoeuvred around one of the bends! It’s a tour bus people! I’m sorry.

Check out these tiny roads, it is just wide enough for the bus.

From up on the road we get a good view to the Badlands. Then we come to the last tunnel, Scovel Johnson Tunnel where you can see back through to Mt Rushmore.

The Black Hills National Park has elk, white tail and mule deer, bighorn sheep, turkeys and mountain lions. There are no grizzly or black bear though, they were all eliminated during the 1800’s, more than likely miners took them for their meat and fur. Custer had his picture taken with a big bear he had shot here.

Now we are into Custer State Park all 71,000 acres of it and keeping our eye out for buffalo! There are 1300-1500 head of buffalo throughout the park. Towards the end of September they round them all up and push them down to the south end of the park. They then have the ‘running of the buffalo’ where they push them into the corrals and pregnancy test them, brand them and sort out the ones they want to keep and will auction some off during November.

The game lodge was built in 1920, 70 days after it was finished it burnt to the ground. The lodge was rebuilt on the original foundations. President Calvin Coolidge used to stay here for his summer White House. Dwight Eisenhower also stayed at the lodge in 1953. This is where our lunch stop is. Buffalo Burger anyone? The buffet was superb.

We made a rather exciting roadside stop along the mountain to view the needle spires known as The Cathedral.

The last tunnel, aptly named ‘The Needles Eye’! Can you see why!? 8ft 4″ wide. We crept through the mirrors barely missing the rock face. Dan has a wicked sense of humour, not only does he have a student driver sign in the window but he stopped in the middle of the tunnel and decided to put the flashers on! Hilarious!

The crowd cheered and clapped when we got out the other side. Then we could briefly see the needles eye rock.

A quick stop at Sylvan Lake, how beautiful! Rocks into the water, popular for fishing and boating. This area was used for the movie National Treasure.

Next it was down through Custer and on to Crazy Horse.

Custer was founded in 1875 and the first in the Black Hills, so named after General Custer. Custer kept very accurate records of his expedition and brought the Black Hills out of isolation. He was only there for 3 weeks of that summer. Miners soon came thick and fast after Custer’s men reported finding gold.

Gen. Custer is mostly known for the Battle of Little Bighorn. Custer and two hundred of his men lost their lives in this great battle which actually took place North of the Black Hills and into Montana. One horse named Commanche survived from a bullet wound, moved to Kansas for rehab and when he passed away was stuffed and mounted, residing in the Univerity of Kansas.

The Crazy Horse monument was to be dedicated to the ‘red man’. Chief Standing Bear wrote and asked Korczak Ziolkowski to create the monument Crazy Horse was started in 1948.

When finished, the comparison of size? The four presidents heads of the Mt Rushmore Memorial would fit into Crazy Horses head with room to spare.

The face of crazy horse was unveiled in 1988.

For those interested in blasting the world standard (which may have changed, not sure the last review of their information video was) for vibration in a blast is/was 8″ per foot. Their blasting for this monument is 3″ per foot. Very precise! You can’t put back what you take off. Would be a bit late then.

Back through Hill City, the heart of the black hills and is the second oldest town in the hills.

Right about now we are all trying to stay awake and soon we will arrive back at Ft. Hays. A full 9hr day and have the Chuckwagon dinner show tonight.

Dinner was superb, fast and then the Wranglers came on to play. Music and comedy – different from a previous chuckwagon dinner – western, country, and a little bit of Elvis. Very, very good and the fiddle player who was a trained classical violinist was amazing! Miss Lizzie Knowles! One of the guys in the band was her music teacher back in school and they played a superb rendition of Devil Went Down To Georgia!

A good finish to a great day!

Night! Kat xo

July 28th, 2015

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Today is spent travelling up to Deadwood. It is amazing to see how it sits in the gully with surrounding hills and steep streets and really makes you wonder how they ever got in and out of here by horse.

We marvelled at the beautiful buildings, took in some of the history but there is lots of gambling in the hotels now and when you walk in, thats what hits you. It's hard to find the restaurants! (That's my opinion anyway)

For an area steeped in history, perhaps I was a little disappointed but still thoroughly enjoyed it.

We had decided to wear jeans, shirt, cowboy hat etc for the day when our original plan was to wear full 1880's gear. This week is the lead up to the Sturgis Rally and we felt a little out of place. 😦

There are bikes everywhere and what a beautiful spot for them to ride through in and around the Black Hills!

Highlights were the original site of the Saloon at No.10 where Wild Bill Hicock was shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall. We went into Seth Bullock Hotel as well.

Lunch was had at Mavericks, partaking in their signature cocktail the Hairy Buffalo, I'm sure that is going to sneak up on me later, ie; sleep in the car.

Next we headed to the Adams Museum and then a South Dakota thunderstorm hit! Absolutely bucketed down with rain. As it eased we went back up to the Main Street and found Midnight Star. The hotel owned by Kevin Costner that has collections of movie posters, photographs and costumes worn in many of his movies.

Back to Rapid City to find the laundromat, another storm hits while there, this time with hail and plenty of it. Probably lasted a good half hour.

End of a weary legs day.

Kat xo

July 27th, 2015

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Sunday and back on the road. Today we have left behind our Wyoming friends and heading North through to Fort Laramie before arriving in Rapid City for the night.

There is not a breath of wind and the landscape looks like someone has taken a knife and knocked the tops off the mountains.

Mmm Museum closed, no sign of a Fort so onward we go heading for South Dakota.

Went through the very small town of Lusk and crossing the border into South Dakota. Another change of scenery as we came to the beautiful Black Hills.

Arrived into Custer and in search of the museum I want to visit for costume inspiration for Tacky Jackie. Should have gone to the right……

We ended up at a little old frontier town museum at Four Mile, a ghost town by name of Moss City. The town was to have its name changed and after a period of time they found the title had never been changed. Four Mile was kept and Moss City became a ghost town as such.

We took a little tour of this museum however it does need some care and refurbishment.

An interesting fact from the stockade – Apparently buffalo soldiers got their name because their curly hair reminded the Indians of the curly hair on the shoulders of the buffalo, hence the name – Buffalo Soldiers.

Anyway, coming back in through Custer saw the Courthouse Museum which definitely looks more like where this gown would be found but we needed to get to the hotel. I WILL get back to that Museum though before we get out of Rapid City.

Kat xo

July 26, 2015

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Here we spent a few nights with Wild Horse John, Saginaw Sue and Bonnie (a Miniature Aussie Shepherd or American Herding Dog).

The first evening we had a barbecue and the house fire a street away created an interesting backdrop and entertainment for the evening.

Friday was spent at Cheyenne Frontier Days “Daddy Of 'Em All” PRCA Rodeo. We had seats in the East Stand underneath the mist sprayers and as it warmed up and the sun crept over to us they came on and kept things cool.

The rodeo was amazing! Being reasonably close to the chutes we could see all the action. The events for the 3 and a half hours were saddle bronc riding, bull riding, bareback bronc's, steer wrestling, steer roping, barrel racing and then the wild horse race.

There was a carriage parade, the colour guard girls ripping around the arena on their horses with the sponsor flags, the Rodeo Queen and her lady in waiting, a mounted shooting lady and the guy did pistol his first run and the second with rifle.

They had an exhibition of a cowboy roper/gun twirler/whip cracker who's idol apparently was Will Rogers and I must say this guy was really good. Nearly went wrong with his flaming whips though! Caught fire leaving some light scorch marks on the back of his shirt and some melted fringing!

Friday night was followed up by Trace Adkins and Toby Keith concert! What can I say but awesome!! The place was packed, the music was loud, there were firework and video displays, it was so so good.:) 🙂 🙂

Saturday, after breakfast, the four of us headed to Frontier Days again. First up we went and did the 'behind the chutes' tour and heard information regarding the event as I outline briefly below.

Cheyenne Frontier Days started in 1897 and it cost 15c to sit in the bleachers.

The Rodeo only had two events then – 'pitching and bucking' and 'steer roping'. You rode til the horse quit bucking or you hit the dirt.

In the early days they used straight chutes, where at times if a horse started bucking before they got out could injure horses and cowboy's alike. The chutes now open sideways and bulls and horses do a quarter turn out of the chute. Cheyenne chutes are now used world wide.

Bareback bronc riders use what's called a riggin. Like a suitcase handle strapped to the horse. The saddle bronc riders use a saddle that is a little different from your usual saddle. (Info learnt from Wild Horse John who has previous rodeo experience) The saddle strap sits further forward on the horse and the stirrups adjust on a different point allowing the rider to move their feet forward above the shoulder and snap their heels back up to the horses rear,

Contestants must start with their feet above the shoulders of the horse as they come out of the chute. If their feet are down or back from the shoulder then they will get a 'no score'.

For the bull and bronc riding, the animals and Cowboys are drawn at random to see who will ride who.

The wild horse race (which was incredible to watch) consists of a team of 3. The first guy, a strong stocky guy is the one to hold the horse rope and attempt to hold the horse. The 'mugger' is the tall strong guy who will hold the horses head, sometimes covering the horses eyes to try and calm them. While this is all going on it is then up to the lucky/unlucky guy to saddle the horse as fast as he can and ride the 1 mile lap around the arena and see if they can beat the others to win.

A visual picture for you, these poor guys look like monkeys on ponies in a circus as they bob around the track trying to stay on the horse!

The only ladies event at the rodeo is the barrel racing event which runs at a fair pace, knock over a barrel during a turn and you get a 5sec penalty added to your time. Sounds familiar right?!

The animals are very well looked after and are in excellent condition. Different animals are brought in each year so as they don't get too familiar with the events. The animals they use for this rodeo are usually on the larger side compared to other rodeos. Calves are 300pds and steers around 600pds.

For the steer roping the steer will get a 35ft head start on the horses and riders. The 'header' will rope the steers horns, the 'heeler' will rope 2 of the steer legs.

In steer wrestling the rider jumps from the horse and must take the steer to the ground and all 4 legs must face the same way as the steer's nose for his score to count.

In short, I want to be riding horses again and become proficient at it!!

A jaunt through all the vendors, a few purchases, ran into a few cowboy shooters and another full day was done.

Margaritas were calling!

Thanks again to Wild Horse John and Saginaw Sue for their hospitality.

Cheers!

Kat xo

http://www.cfdrodeo.com

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Well, I don't know why but the photos I've put into the blog don't want to allow me to upload my blog post from being at Aspen Wrangler and Filly's place.

All sorts of history, theatre and wildlife experiences.

A little of annoyance but hey, when I can get where it will upload correctly then it will be.

Sorry for the delay folks!

And this weekend we are rocking Cheyenne Frontier Days!

Kat xo

P.S. And Trace Adkins and Toby Keith concert tonight were awesome after a great day at the rodeo!!

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