Rolling Along With The Reynolds

Jim and Cindy's Adventure Blog traveling all over the USA

Tag: devils tower

 

Sip and Walk Tour

 

We landed in Sundance Wyoming this afternoon…
Did a very fun and educational “Sip and Walk” tour of the town and learned lots of interesting history of the hard and Wild West.
Where else can you get a glass (er, make that a tin cup!) of Merlot poured straight from the Sheriff, lol!?

Ended the day with a delicious meal at Longhorn Saloon.

Sundance area pics (Album 2023-44)

 

 

 Devils Tower National Monument

“On the edge of Northeast Wyoming’s Bear Lodge Mountains, it soars 1,200 feet above the Belle Fourche (pronounced Bell Foosh) River. The igneous formation has drawn human admiration for centuries.”
And of course, while here one must watch the 1977 Steven Spielberg movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”.

 

Devils Tower Pics (Album 2023-45)

 

 

Our last day in Sundance was an adventurous drive…
* visited the bustling town of Aladdin (population 15!).
* saw the fascinating Aladdin Tipple (site of a coal mine. Tipple was used to load the coal into trains).
* returned to Devils Tower to stop off at the Trading Post for ice cream and beer (guess who got what, lol) and admire the imposing landmark.
* took the road less traveled back to the Campground via Forest Service Road 847 through the Black Hills National Forest. (We really really need a high clearance 4×4 vehicle!). Very rewarding to see many free range cattle, deer, and even odd birds that we later identified as wild turkeys.
* Passed sooo very close to the Warren Peak Lookout Tower; the last mile was steep and rough, and with the sun going down we decided not to risk it.
Epic day indeed. Tomorrow we’re off to Gillette WY to attend an FMCA Rally.

 

 

 

Historic National Fish Hatchery

The D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives, also known as the Spearfish Fisheries Center is right across the street from our beautiful campground. Both venues, as well as the Park, are run by the City of Spearfish.  Their MISSION STATEMENT:  Promoting, preserving and enhancing the educational, cultural and recreational opportunities at D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery & Archives, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, for the benefit and enjoyment of the public. The grounds are gorgeous, full of history, and the cool underwater viewing area allows you to get up close to the three kinds of Trout. We have fully enjoyed our time here in the northern Black Hills, and will certainly return again when we get the chance.      

Trout pics and more!

Devil’s Tower in Wyoming

Just an hour west of Spearfish, we did a day trip to this indescribable National Monument.  Rising up against the sky, Bear Lodge is one of many American Indian names for the Tower.  Got to see several parties climbing this butte, and seriously questioned their sanity! At the very end of the day, a thunderstorm approached; we pulled off on the side of the road and watched the eerie clouds roll in along with more hail. We wondered about those climbers earlier in the day, where they were (already at the top?), and how they dealt with the cold storm. Again, are they sane?  Half-expected to see a Clouse Encounter with E.T., but alas we didn’t.   

Devil’s Tower

Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway

Trails, Canyon walls, Spearfish Creek.

We also drove through the town of Deadwood, Leads (pronounced “leeds”), and did so much more.

See more pics of the Spearfish Fun we had here.

 

Devil’s Tower

Unbelievable! Even while right there looking at this thing, it is so hard to believe it is real. We took the 1.5 mile trail that circled the base of the Tower, then moved down a bit to do another hike, but that go thwarted by a hailstorm. Fantastic day.

 

Listening to nature was delightful today, especially on one side of the Tower where the trail meandered through a Ponderosa Pine Forest.

The sounds we hear in our national parks take us away from buzz of our daily lives and place us in the serene beauty of nature. In fact, 95% of Americans say one of the most important reasons for preserving national parks is to provide opportunities to experience natural peace and the sounds of nature.