Unexpected Adventures

    After a long, eventful, and overall spectacular day 5, I was so tired I forgot to write my blog! So here it is a day late, oops! Our morning in Deadwood, SD began on a great start with the best overnight oats and coffee I have ever had. I am a teenage girl, so that might be a tad dramatic, but if you ever find yourself in Deadwood you have to try Pump House, an old gas station turned breakfast restaurant. After that, we walked around Historic Main Street in Deadwood, which had many shops, historic buildings, bars, and other touristy businesses. 

    On our way to Red Lodge, MT we added an extra stop that was not on our planned route, Devils Tower. Devils Tower National Monument stands 867 feet tall from base to top and has an interesting backstory, I implore you to read up on the Native American lore about the creation of this one-of-a-kind landmark. What you may not know about Devils Tower is that the line to get to the parking lot/visitor center is much longer than you would expect. We were at a dead stop a mile from the parking lot when I realized there was no bathroom remotely close to us, so I had the pleasure of hiking up a mile ( at a steep incline) to the base of the tower. Again, dramatic. It was actually a very nice, but unexpected, "hike" through the national monument. 

    Next, we took a scenic drive through Big Horn National Forest, which was gorgeous! Dad claims it is his favorite scenic drive he has ever been on. We got lucky enough to spot a couple of moose not too far from the road, close enough to let me get a shot with my zoom lens! 

    A little bit later on down the road, we noticed what looked like serval run-down, industrial buildings. Turns out we stumbled upon the historic site of The Montana Mine Disaster. So, we did what any true road-trippers would do, and pulled over to read the signs and take photos. The tragic event caused 74 miners to lose their lives in 1943, the sight of the abandoned mine is eerie now, to say the least.

    We got to Red Lodge, MT just in time to grab a bite to eat at a local favorite spot, prerogative. We ended up having an amazing salmon and lobster roll dinner! Great way to end day 5.

p.s I think the plural for moose should be meese, just like the plural for goose is geese.