Travels with Quincy: Deadwood and Living My Dreams

Friday night, Quincy and I rolled into Deadwood, South Dakota.


This is probably the only picture on the internet of Trixie with her boobs covered.

OKAY. That's not me nor my handsome cohort, it's actually Sol Star and Trixie from the Deadwood HBO TV series.

If you didn't know that, put down your device and find a copy of the series to borrow and watch it.

Right now.

Okay, are you back?

Good. Prepare to be impressed, because Quincy and I stayed at the historic Bullock Hotel!


According to reports, photos of this mirror often produce orbs. I just see dorks.

We're looking super-spooked in that pic because the joint is apparently haunted by Seth Bullock's apparition. I'm pleased to report that we didn't experience anything more spectral than semi-functioning plumbing.

For our awesome friend Natalie's birthday, Quincy and I even went to the Gem and toasted a shot of whiskey in her honor.


Anything for a friend

Monday, we left our comfy bed and headed east toward the grandest of all roadside tourist traps... WALL DRUG!


wall-eyed

I cannot explain how excited I was to finally take in this crazy South Dakota paradise of silly paraphernalia and perfect kitsch.

Even though I look a little dubious in the photo above, I was thrilled.

Gah!


Annie OAK-ly

I met a lot of laconic locals who didn't seem to understand my glee as I frolicked through South Dakota-themed tchotchkes and wondrous western wear.

Sadly, because it's frickin' January, the "back yard" of Wall Drug was closed and I wasn't able to sit majestically atop a giant saddled jackalope. (Yes, that's real.)

However, Quincy met this handsome fella and really hit it off:


getting the buffalo-down

I'm glad he did, too, because it totally prepared us to meet this guy:


bison time

Just kidding! Nothing prepares you to see a bison in real life. They're so big and funny and they run like chubby cats!

Oh. I might just really be missing my chubby cat right now. Sigh.

Anyway, after Wall Drug, we hit the Badlands National Park, where we saw our furry friend, above, about 928 plague-infected prairie dogs and this:


not half Badland

And it ruled, even though it was a billion degrees below zero.


You take the good with the Badlands.

And now, we continue to make our way east!