Today we came to something I have never seen before. When you have made over 20 trips across the country by car, that is a rarity.
We left the pretty little hotel on the perfectly picturesque Belle Fourche River,
Remember, the hotel is for sale. Someone buy it!!!
Devil’s Tower is a grade work of Divine art. This part of Wyoming is just on the other side of the Black Hills, and so there are mountains and cliffs rising on either side of wide, grassy valleys, cut by the Belle Fourche River. Some farmers grow row crops here, pumping water straight out of the river for irrigation. Other valleys were dotted with black cattle. There is less grass here, and the grass is shorter than in South Dakota, and so the ranches are larger. There is a lot of land to spare here.
At the start of our trip, we purchased a National Parks pass, and we have now used it enough to have free entry into National Parks and Monuments. Not that we are a little snobby about this. After all, while most of those sorry suckers hand over cash, we simply flash our card. “Oh, we get in for free. We are members.” “Here’s your map, sir. Have a good day.” “Oh, we will. After all, we are members, and we get in for free.” At this point, it’s so free that they should be paying us to use their park. I’ll have to mention this to the National Park Service.
We have been disappointed that there is no pass-holder’s privileged lane for entry. I am pretty sure they are working to fix the this oversight.
Our only regret is that we drove through Joshua Tree and paid the fee like plebs, as we hadn’t thought to buy a pass yet. Next time, Joshua Tree kiosk employee. Next time.
From the base of the tower, we could clearly see rock climbers as bright spots of color along the rock pillars. It must have been a fun and moderately enjoyable climb, as the climbers quickly went up, and then repelled down, and passed us on the path looking fairly fresh.
We read that this tower has been a sacred place to the indigenous people since the beginning of human history. Colored cloths were tied to the branches of trees in the bright green groves. These cloths represented prayers and visits to this place. One can see how this tower might be revered. After all, what is it here for but to watch over the land?
Our journey after the Devil’s Tower consisted of a few stops little cowboy towns and pull-offs to light off fireworks. We came through Rawlings, home to the Wyoming State penitentiary. There must be more than one building, used for this purpose, as the stone prison we gazed at looked less than intimidating, and this penitentiary does house Wyoming’s death chamber. Of course, no executions have happened in Wyoming in a good 30 years. Perhaps this is because the prison is so cute that the inmates reform and leave much better people. If only that were true!
At some point during the drive, Judah exclaimed, “Oh, no! $10,000 fine or 5 years on prison! I have a rock in my pocket from the National Park!” “Well, at least the prison is adorable and looks like a castle. We’ll swing back and drop you off quick and come back for you in five years.”
We made it to Meeker, Colorado, in time to set up camp. We found a beautiful spot on the White River where some of the river was diverted into a swimming hole. The kids were thrilled.
If I were a cat, that place would have given me a bushy tail and an archy back. Almost immediately, some young teen boys stared at Atticus as he pranced and cartwheeled around, and one said, “I’ll bet you 5 dollars I can make him stop.” They all laughed and made some jokes about hom, and then walked off. Huh? I was still considering what to do, as I suddenly knew the stress of West Coast culture was here, when I looked over at Sunshine, walking happily back from exploring the swimming hole. There was a group of men sitting near where she had walked, all of them staring at her with the look of mean watching a beautiful woman pass. There was a party on a deck, and drunk people wandering around the street near our camp site, people walking through our camp area within arm’s length of our tent, and many many mosquitos.
We have been in a very different universe for the past few weeks. If we had forgotten why we want to move, well, we are reminded now. This town considers itself to be the gateway to the west by that rout. I’d say it is.
We had some fun with the camera while we made dinner Brandon found us a hotel.
Judah hadn’t gotten his photo shoot yet on this trip, and neither had Atticus. I love these wild boys!
In the end, the kids begged me to let them make a pyramid. Kiki said, “We all have to work together to make a pyramid,” and they set to work. As much as they bicker over little things, they know how to work together to get a big goal accomplished. They are good kids. They’ll do well as Midwesterners. I cannot wait to get them settled there.
Recent Comments