The Hills
I returned late last night from the Black Hills of the Dakota Territory, after a weekend of fun and merriment with family at Moeller-Jam 2007 at South Dakota's Custer State Park. The four day adventure included a one-day stop at Deadwood Gulch to gaze upon Nuttall's #10 Saloon, the Homestake Mine, the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and "Calamity Jane" Cannary, the site of the original Gem Saloon, Star and Bullock hardware store, Chinese Alley, and other 1876 locations recalled in the HBO television series "Deadwood."What we found-- my brother and me-- in 2007 Deadwood was an interesting mix of history preserved and commerce pursued in a manner befitting the naked ambition of the village's earliest inhabitants. The town today is overrun with retirees drawn in by souvenir hunting and legalized gambling and motorcycle-straddling wannabe-outlaws riding through from nearby Sturgis. I had hoped we would find it overrun instead with college English professors intent on tapping David Milch's artistic muse.
The gentleman who led our "Boot Hill" trolley tour of the aforementioned sites was a 12-year veteran of his work, an author of a small book on the town's history, and a tremendous informational asset, as one might expect. He provided some candid comments and praise for the faithfulness, if not sheer accuracy, of Milch's dramatic series. We dined Thursday evening at the Deadwood Social Club on the second floor of the modern reincarnation of the #10 Saloon, continuing to mind our own business when we heard gunshots from the street below, a "Wild West" re-enactment offered every few hours during the daylight of summer in Historic Deadwood. As the Social Club specialized in Italian cuisine, Aaron and I both dined on fettucine, and now likewise, will be sure to sample the roasted beef and rye whiskey the next time we're in North Caldwell, New Jersey.
In other Black Hills vacation news, Friday night and the reunion itinerary offered a chuckwagon cookout for most of the 100+ Moellers in attendance. The servings were plentiful, the steaks tender and juicy, but the hour-in-length sing-a-long wagon ride to the grilling pit was twice as long as reasonably expected. The exorbitant price of the Blue Bell Lodge's chuckwagon experience might be deemed slightly more affordable if you factor in the complimentary handkerchiefs and cowboy hats.
Saturday evening featured the eating, drinking, communal fellowship, picture-taking, card-playing, and entertainment program consistent with so many of these type of family reunions-- only better. The next Moeller reunion is coming in Summer 2010, quite possibly at San Diego, California. See if you can marry into the family between now and then.
posted by CM @ 3:41 PM
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