Ever since the HBO series “Deadwood” premiered in 2004, I’ve wanted to take a road trip to Deadwood, South Dakota. Deadwood, the town, was established in 1876 during the Black Hills gold rush. The show followed its growth from camp to town and featured an ensemble cast of real-life Deadwood residents. Historical figures like Seth Bullock (sheriff and mayor), Al Swearengen (entertainment entrepreneur), Wyatt Earp (legendary lawman), E. B. Farnum (early resident and mayor), Wild Bill Hickok (famed gunslinger), Calamity Jane, and Jack McCall (murderer of Wild Bill) were involved in various plot lines through three seasons.
I’ve always loved American history and often think about what it would’ve been like to have lived during periods of American westward expansion. I wonder what it would’ve been like to be a true pioneer and early settler of these towns.
Deadwood in the 1870s was known for its lawlessness, as murders were common and justice not always fair and impartial. The town, which peaked with a population of around 5,000, was filled with miners, gamblers, and prostitutes. Although it was certainly a rough place to live back then, there’s something about the town and its history that draws myself and other tourists in.
Itinerary
I’m starting my road trip on a Sunday morning and returning on the following Friday. The longest driving day (8+ hours) will be the first day as I want to get from Chicago to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. That night I hope to spend some time walking around the city and get dinner at a local restaurant or brewery. I’m going to stay one night at the Hilton Garden Inn Sioux Falls Downtown.
On Monday, I’m going to golf at Prairie Green Golf Course in the morning, do a little more sightseeing as time allows, and then head to Deadwood. I’m staying two nights in Deadwood at the Hampton Inn Deadwood at Tin Lizzie Gaming Resort.
On Wednesday morning, I’m going to start heading east towards Rapid City. On the way, I plan to stop at the Crazy Horse Memorial and Mt. Rushmore in the morning. After lunch, I’m going to play a round of golf at the Golf Club at Red Rock, which is the #1 course in South Dakota. I have a one-night stay planned in Rapid City at the Hotel Alex Johnson, which is located downtown.
Thursday morning, I hope to do one final sightseeing activity around Rapid City and then begin making my trek back home. As of now, I’m planning to drive about 8 hours and stay somewhere around Austin, Minnesota. That way I’ll have only 5 and 1/2 hours of driving time on Friday to get home.
Hotel
Every hotel I’ve booked, except Thursday night’s, is in the Hilton portfolio because Annie and I are collecting Hilton Honors points for a 5th wedding anniversary trip to Hawaii in 2020. Since I have the Hilton Honors Aspire Card, I earn 34 points per $1 spent at Hilton Hotels. In addition, Hilton is currently running a promotion which offers the opportunity to earn double points for your stays this summer, starting with your second stay. I’ve already had one stay under this promotion, so I would earn double points on every stay this trip.
Overall I expect to spend around $650 on hotels for this trip. With all the bonuses I’ll earn, it could translate to around 28,000 Hilton Honors points to use for our upcoming Hawaii trip!
To further boost my rewards, instead of booking directly at Hilton.com, I first went to Rakuten (formerly Ebates). This site is a shopping portal which gives you cash back if you start your purchase from their website. I chose to get my cash back in the form of Amex Membership Rewards points.
Thursday night I have a reservation at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Albert Lea. There were no Hilton hotels anywhere nearby and this looked like the best combination of price and cleanliness.
Looking forward to seeing pictures from the trip!