After packing up, we set our sights on Deadwood, South
Dakota. Deadwood was a gold rush town where gambling and lawlessness ruled
supreme. It’s where Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are buried and its where
lots of fanny-pack wearing tourists gather to do touristy things. #mypeople
We grabbed some vittles from the watering hole and got along
little doggie.
2182- Devil’s tower
This stop was a suggestion by Mr. Bullington since we couldn’t
get to Devil’s Tower the last time we were in Wyoming. It is close to the South
Dakota border. What’s a little jaunt into Wyoming for a couple of hours for the
sake marital harmony? We arrived at Devil’s Tower just as the kids had
starting napping, so they were less than enthused to embark on our hike around
the tower.
Things heard on our hike:
I’m dizzy
I’m so hungry (we’d just eaten)
I’m so thirsty (remedied by drinking from the full water
bottle in your hand)
I’m so tired (you just took a nap whilst sitting in a car
that is driving you, we aren’t the Flintstones, riding in the car isn’t that
taxing)
I’m hot (I’ll give them that. It was hot)
Things not heard on our hike:
What a glorious day to be alive!
I feel so small in the shadow of this magnificent monument!
It sure is nice to get driven across the country while being fed, clothed, and sheltered!
Spending time with our parents is the best!
We are hashtag so blessed!
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| I was glad to have Frannie. She never complained about carrying my stuff and hugged me the whole way. |
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| We had fun! |
Devil’s Tower was awe-inspiring and we even saw some rock
climbers with a death wish attempting to scale the rock face.
2241- we spotted a sign on the way out of Bella Fourche,
South Dakota that said “no service stations for the next 44 miles”. We are
about to get remote up in here. 7 miles from the center point of the country.
#Americasheartland
2339- North Dakota state line
2363- How much longer….
Mile 2402
2420- Regent, North Dakota- Enchanted Castle Hotel- Who wouldn’t want to sleep in a school that has been turned into a fake castle? I can’t think of anyone. This destination started out as part of my “find the weirdest place you can, and
then force your family to sleep there” brand of travel. It is understood that
we use Mr. Bullington’s abundant Marriott points for locales that are on the
beaten path. Go off that beaten path, and you’ll find yourself sleeping in a
wigwam or an old school that’s been fashioned into a castle. I found out about The
Enchanted Castle Hotel with a little internet searching a few years ago and I
knew that we would have to pay it a visit during our trip to North Dakota.
The
Hotel is the endpoint for the “Enchanted Highway” a length of road in North
Dakota featuring 7 larger than life metal sculptures along a rural road leading
into Regent, North Dakota.
I’d called a few months ago and spoken to someone who took
my name but no credit card number. I didn’t call to confirm anything, so I was
praying silently to myself the entire 3 hours from Devil’s Tower that they
were going to have a room for us. I did not want a Walley World National
Lampoons Vacation moment, although that would've made a good story! We arrived in
the early evening and found no one at the front desk, but there was a number to
call. When I rang “Bob”, he came directly and checked us in. We got two rooms as personal space is highly desirable by day 7. The tavern was closing in
30 minutes, so we quickly unloaded the car because we knew that the Enchanted
Castle Tavern was our only dining option in Regent. We arrived in the
bar/tavern as group of locals were leaving and a few people remained. Bob from
the front desk was tending bar and a nice fellow brought us our drinks and handed
us some menus. It turns out, it was Gary Greff, The hotel owner and Enchanted
Highway artist/sculptor. The kids were at their own table because they have
grown weary of the family time, so Gary pulled up a chair and we started to
chat. Topics included how changes in farming technology has altered the face of
middle America. What once was a decent way to make a living, has turned into a
way for farmers with lots of land and resources to make a decent living. While
the small farmer with the large family suffered. Gary was like many other farm
kids. He sought a way out. So, he went to school to become a teacher and later became a principal. One day, he came home to Regent and saw his beloved hometown
drying up. There weren’t any young families, fewer and fewer children. And
finally, the school closed its doors. Gary bought the school in an auction (it
still wasn’t cheap) and completely gutted it to create the Enchanted Castle
Hotel. Gary wasn’t ever an artist by trade, but he
thought outside the box. He saw resources for art in discarded metal and farm
equipment and he learned to weld. His brother, Rod, was bellied up to the bar
at the Tavern and described how he used what he’d learned in an Architecture
class to help Gary draft the scale of his
sculptures. Although we won’t even see Gary’s sculptures until after we leave
tomorrow (they are North of the hotel and we approached from the South) I know
they will leave an impact. After dinner, Gary took us a couple of blocks
into town so he could open the ice cream shop for the kids and we bought a
couple of souvenirs. There was a picture
on the wall of a much younger Gary. A picture from 28 years ago featuring a
young fellow with a sparkle in his eye. The sparkle is still there, but the
eyes now have a few lines around them (join the club!). After arriving back, we
ventured into the old school yard where Gary is working on his next sculpture.
It is going to be epic. We might have to re-visit North Dakota to see it complete.
Or you could go! Seriously, it’s worth a trip if you find yourself in this part
of the world. Tell Gary we said hey!
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| This is Gary's latest work. A big ol' Knight |
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| This is skeleton of the big ol' dragon waiting to be slayed. |
#epic
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