We headed up to Deadwood, spent a good amount of time at the Adams museum. This is a cabinet of curiosities type collection and all very interesting to people over the age of, say, 11. Fortunately, the replica schoolroom downstairs had some games that kept Victoria occupied as well. Then we watched a gunfight staged in the street, visited the cemetery, and started to head back south. The plan was to go to Trout Haven next, but Victoria was asleep and we let sleeping toddlers lie as a matter of course.

I had gone to Trout Haven about 30 years ago and it was great! There is a tiny pond overstocked with hungry rainbow trout. You put a piece of corn on a hook, pull out your trout, and they cook it for you right there. Even though we had to leave without visiting it, I had seen a place marked "Trout Haven Ranch" down near Hot Springs, so I figured we would check that out on our way out the next day.

We got to Hot Springs but didn't like the campsites near the town. We ended up at a state reclamation project, another lake. This one had a nice beach, so Victoria had fun there right up until dark and then again in the morning. Great sleeping weather, too, and quiet. Plus they allowed campfires. And the showers were big. Ah!

The next morning we found Trout Haven Ranch. Yay! It is the original, started in 1957, and the Trout Haven near Deadwood gets all their fish from it. It's really a hatchery and a cattle ranch with a little pond for tourists on the side. No cooking at this one, though. We caught seven 9-12 inch trout and they cleaned them for us and gave us a bag of ice. Both Victoria and Jennifer had a good time.