UnlostLaura

bubbasmommy is right – this park is wonderful even after you’re all grown up. Imagine the best playground ever, and here you have it.

I also want to say that the new “Digging Chinatown” exhibit is very well done, and absolutely worth seeing.

As my husband and I were walking back to our office from lunch one day, we noticed a bit of a commotion outside the Adams Museum. It didn’t take long to find out that they were in the middle of “installing” their new mountain lion. We decided to go in and see.

The new mountain lion – “procured” during the previous hunting season – had just been given a place of honor in one of the displays. He is an impressive creature, large and wild, stuffed expertly so he appears to be on the prowl, dark eyes staring right back at you.

That was all very well and good until I spotted the old mountain lion. He was old in every possible sense of the word. I believe he’d been there for nearly as long as the museum has been around, and whoever stuffed him was either new to the art of taxidermy or was having a bad day. Primarily, I refer to the poor old lion’s haircut. Someone had seen fit to go after him with a clipper, or shaver perhaps. The result was that he looked sick and a little pathetic, as if he’d caught some terrible disease. Perhaps he had.

In any case, I think the lion is a pretty good metaphor for the whole city of Deadwood. It’s old, it’s gone through a few rather scruffy phases, and now it’s been revitalized so that not only does it look better, but you can get a better idea of what it looked like in its past glory. (Or “glory,” considering.)

Head upstairs and check out the Martini Bar. The Warm Apple Crisp martini will knock your socks off.

I notice several of the recent comments here say that the town is nothing but bars and gambling. “Boring” seems to be the theme of the two most recent, and they were both left by folks who live or lived here.

A local myself, I must disagree.

I grew up here, moved away, and eventually came back. I was drawn by the culture of the area, its natural beauty, and its connections to history. The whole city of Deadwood is a National Historical Landmark, and all in all, I’d say the city has done a wonderful job preserving that heritage.

If drinking and gambling aren’t your cup of tea, there are still plenty of things worth doing. History buffs can visit the cemeteries, take the tours, scope out the museums. Deadwood hosts rodeos, car shows and big concerts every year with impressive turnout. There is wonderful dining downtown. For hikers and bikers, there is a trail head for the Mickelson Trail, the longest trail in the Black Hills. In the winter, skiing and snowmobiling are practically out the back door.

So no matter what your personal favorite past time, there’s a little of something here for everyone. Me? I think it’s a great place to visit and I’m very happy to live here.