Fulton celebrated it’s 125th Birthday on June 30th 2012.  There was a nice parade and hundreds turned out to watch.

Fulton is located in Hanson County  and is about 12 miles East of Mitchell.  The 2010 census put the population at 91.

My list of recreational opportunities in the Black Hills is long, but it never included Paddleboarding until recently.   I realized that many of the Lakes and reservoirs of the area are perfect for such a sport.  Small lakes like Roubaix are ideal places to practice.

Father’s Day was my first day out with my inflatable longboard.  I am very impressed.  I couldn’t image that a board filled with air would be stiff enough.  But, it is.  The board is solid and there was no flexing when I stepped on.

There is a bit of a learning curve.  I came very close to falling off several times – but managed to keep my balance.  I enjoyed it so much, I can’t wait to do it again.  I’m hoping to try most of the lakes this summer.   Plus, it must be good exercise because I could hardly walk the next morning.

If you are going to try, I recommend the one from Sea Eagle.  It comes with a 180-day money back guarantee, plus a 3 year manufactures warranty.  I’m not aware of anyone that rents long boards in the Black Hills, but that would be a great way to try the sport first.  If you see me out in the Hills I’ll let you try mine for a few minutes.

I would recommend you use a life vest.  Plus, sunscreen is a good idea – I’m sure you’ll want to be on the lake all day.  I would avoid use this on windy days until you are very comfortable on the board.  And, I would avoid areas where there are lots of boats that could send unwelcome waves your way.

The lakes I want to try this summer include: Sheridan Lake, Deerfield Lake,  Iron Creek Lake and Pactola by Jenny Gulch.

I’ve heard people have been paddle boarding in the Black Hills the last few years – I’d love to hear where your favorite places to go are.

This butterfly seemed to be attracted to the red shoes laces of my New Balance Minimus shoes.  I was hiking the Little Spearfish Trail in an area known as Ranger Draw and there were wild flowers and butterflies all over the place.   Once I got back home I looked through the Beginner’s Guide to Butterflies and try to identify butterfly that  I encountered – I am quite certain it is an Aphrodite Fritillary.

It seems like every time I go hiking in Spearfish Canyon the experience is different.  I just never know what I will find on the trail.

Visit my Spearfish Canyon page to learn more about enjoying the canyon.  There are unique things around every turn, just waiting for you to explore.

We made to the first Spearfish Downtown Friday Night of the year.  Wow, what a ton of fun and lots of people.  There is something there for everyone, and I hope the weather is just as great for the rest of the year.

For the kids:  Balloons, face painting, a bouncy castle.

For the grownups:  Beer

For everyone:  Great FREE live music, loads of food vendors and most of the stores are open late.

The 2012 Spearfish Downtown Friday Nights Schedule looks great.  Go enjoy some free music and checkout the local vendors.  Looks like we are in for a fun summer.

The Pizza Lab in Central City SD has some really great specialty pizzas.  The flavors are unique and tasty.

We really enjoy the Garlic Chicken.  This is Fajita chicken, then they add mushrooms, olives, bacon, garlic, onions and sundried tomatoes all on white sauce.  This is a favorite in our house and rarely are there any leftovers.  This is available with regular or gluten-free crust.

Look at the whole Pizza Lab Menu to find your next favorite pizza.  They do deliver to Deadwood and have some of the best pizza in the Black Hills.

The Bountiful Basket Co-op continues to grow in leaps and bounds in South Dakota.  It started out with just a handful of locations and has grown to about 20 pickup locations.  This is a great program that delivers produce for a reasonable price.

The basket is about half vegetables and half fruit.  You can upgrade to a completely organic basket if you’d like.  There are generally extra packs available each week.  The extra packs include, Italian veggie pack, Asian veggie pack, whole boxes of fruit or berries.  It varies each week and is kind of exciting to see what is offered.

Getting Started with Bountiful Baskets

It is pretty simple.  Start by opening a new account.  Then you’ll probably want to read over the new participant instructions a few times.

Then be prepared for Monday when the offerings post.  That is when you can logon and place your order.  Some sites sell out in less than 10 minutes – so be prepared.  Also, keep in mind most sites have deliveries every other week.  If there are no offerings for your site, you may have to wait until the following week.

Sites are run by volunteers.  And, it is the hope of the organization that all participants will volunteer from time to time.  It is kind of fun to help unload the truck, then sort the produce into the individual baskets.

South Dakota Locations

Black Hawk – both A and B weeks

Box Elder – both A and B weeks

Camp Crook – week A

Custer – week A

Deadwood – both A and B weeks

Faith – week B

Hot Springs –  week B

Ludlow – week A

Martin – week B

Newell – week B

Rapid City – both A and B weeks, plus two locations

Spearfish – week B

St Onge – week B

Sturgis – week A and B

Union Center – week B

Wall – week B

Check the locations page frequently to ensure pickup locations and times have not changed.  You have 20 minutes to pickup you basket or it will be given to charity.

This is really an exciting program.  I find I am trying new recipes because I end up with produce I wouldn’t normally buy.  It is a lot of fun searching for Bountiful Basket Recipes.

In the Black Hills, bountiful baskets is not the only way to get fresh produce at a great price.  Consider finding a CSA or visit local farmer’s markets like the Red Barn Market in Spearfish.

I just found another great bacon made in South Dakota.  Hudson Meats and Sausage of Hudson South Dakota makes great bacon.  My wife picked up a package at Good Earth in Spearfish and I almost ate it all myself (I did manage to save her a few pieces).

Much like bacon from the Blue Bird Locker, this is thick cut bacon.  The flavor is mild and delicious.  It is tender and almost melts in your mouth.  This would be perfect in a BLT with fresh tomatoes right off the vine, my mouth is watering.

A little more about Hudson Meats.  Doug and Kathy Klarenbeek have owned it since 1983.  Not only are they federally inspected, but they are a South Dakota Certified Beef plant, organically certified and Animal Welfare approved.  They offer custom processing including smoking and curing.  Plus you can stop in for retail meat.  Visit their website for hours and location.

South Dakota offers many options for people looking for local food.  Food like Dimock Cheese and Bluebird’s German Sausage or local eggs like three hearts hens seem to be showing up everywhere.  There is a local food movement gaining momentum and South Dakota seems to have many options.

As you stroll down Deadwood’s Main Street there are many sights and sounds to take in, but did you know there is a model train?

The train is located in the basement of the Bad Lands Casino, just across the street from the Mineral Place.  Checkout a map of Deadwood to find the location.

This incredibly detailed  diorama is definitely worth a visit.  Take the time to look at the details of  scenes and you’ll know the builders has a sense of humor.  I especially enjoy the bear sneaking up on a preoccupied man.

If you happen to be a train enthusiast, there are plenty of additional locations in the Black Hills you may want to visit.  Near the open pit in Lead, there is a compressed air powered locomotive.  And the South Dakota state railroad museum is down in Hill City.

One of our favorite places to eat on a warm day is Mustang Sally’s on Deadwood’s Main Street.  The outdoor patio is perfect for enjoying a meal and keeping an eye on all the people wandering around the historic city.

The burgers are tender and juicy and the beverages are cold.  Other standard bar fare like mini corndogs, chicken strips and hot dogs is available.

Inside, you’ll find a casino and lots of video games and a pinball machine.  There are loads of TVs for the sports fans too.

Check out the Map of Deadwood to see the location of Sally’s on the corner of Wall and Main Street.

Once you are finished with your meal, take a walk and enjoy some of Deadwood’s attractions.  Or, hop in the car and head over to the Chubby Chipmunk for dessert.