After our
down day, Bev decided it was time for a little shopping and gambling so on a
clear coolish day, we headed to Deadwood, with a drive through Sturgis – home
of the annual giant motorcycle rally. I cannot even imagine hundreds of thousands
of people in this small town.
It is very
small with only a few machines on the ground floor, two gaming tables on the
next level, and a sports bar and restaurant above these. This is a caption from their website – “See
the extravagance of an era gone by. The
Midnight Star, with etched glass, hand-rubbed wood, and polished brass,
reflects the opulence of Deadwood during the turn of the century.” It was beautiful as seen in a
couple of shots from their website.
Then it was
on to Deadwood, which seems to be mostly a gambling town, but with the in-town
casinos small and in the old buildings - no comparison to the huge Harrah’s
places we’re used to. This is the main street which is being very well rejuvinated.
We found a
parking garage so we could leave the dogs in the shaded car and headed for The
Midnight Star, which is owned by Kevin Costner.
Unlike most casinos, the sign was so small, it was hard to find without
an address.
It was small but still effective at relieving us of a little cash.
For our last
day in the area, Bev wanted to go back to Deadwood for a longer visit - our
third trip into the Black Hills area.
When we got home the last time, I’d read up on some things and realized
we’d missed some of The Midnight Star so we wanted to see it all this time.
We began
doing a little gambling at the Bodega then headed up to The Midnight Star for
lunch at Diamond Lil’s Bar and Grille located above the casino. Costner owns the building which has the
casino on the ground floor and mezzanine, Diamond Lil’s on the next floor and
Jake’s Fine Food and Drink on the top floor.
Diamond
Lil’s was adorned with posters and clothes from many of his movie roles (did you see the ones I've shown?) and
upon entering you are greeted by a beautiful bar – the whole building appears
to have been redone to replicate the Deadwood gold rush heydays as are many others in town.
Many of the
menu items are named for movies, roles, etc. and Bev ordered the Mr. Brooks
Killer Cajun Burger (beef) and I had the Butch Haynes Mexi Burger (buffalo)
with some other burger options being the Postman…, Frank Farmer’s Patty Melt,
and the Elliot Ness Burger – all beef or buffalo.
We both
thought they were very good with lots of good spices and mine was perfectly
cooked – both meals were sided with spicy fries which were also very good. Here’s a shot of mine.
After lunch,
we went down to the casino for a second time and added a little more cash to
Costner’s fortune, then headed back to the RV to make preparations for the next
day’s departure to Cheyenne, WY.
All photos
can be enlarged by clicking on them.
Have a great
day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.
Larry
9/7 &
9/9/12 event dates
Oooh, I love that pretty bar where Bev is standing. The walls and ceiling are so rich and elegant.
ReplyDeleteWatch out for gunslingers.
Sam
Nor do we want to imagine hundreds of thousands of people in Sturgis. :) I really didn't know much about Deadwood. Thanks for the photos.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like such fun! I love gambling, and this looks like the perfect place to do it.
ReplyDeleteLarry, It looks like Deadwood would be a place that I'd enjoy...until my money ran out! Costner's place is very nice looking, that's for sure. Thanks for sharing... Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
ReplyDeleteI'm reliving my husband's motorcycle ride with his friends through your photos. They did this trip in early June (they don't like crowds). They ate at Jake's but didn't think that it lived up to it's reputation. I think you did much better eating at Diamond Lil's. Looks like a fun place.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever seen Bev with her hair up like that, we like it. This looks like a really cool town, I like the understated buildings and casinos.
ReplyDeleteCool photos Larry. Love the big long bar with Bev in front. That's where I'd belly up to!
ReplyDeleteOn to your next destination post!