Devils Tower National Monument
Sheridan to Spearfish
July 29, 2016
Miles Driven: 237
Parks Visited: 1
Let me start at the end again. I just ate dinner at the cutest, most eclectic, incredibly yummy pizza place with the nicest (ever) staff. I stumbled upton The Dough Trader simply by looking on Yelp. What a find! If you are ever in Spearfish, SD, you have to stop by – if you’re here tomorrow (or Sunday), we can meet up. Yes, it’s that good, that inviting, and that welcoming.
Now back to my day, which I spent at Devils Tower. Fun fact. It was supposed to be Devil’s Tower but the typesetter made a mistake on the first PR and left off the apostrophe. Second fun fact. Devils Tower was supposed to be something like Black Bear House, but the translator misheard the name and apparently ‘black bear’ sounds a bit like ‘bad spirit.’ Needless to say, the first thing that came to mind as I was driving into the park was Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I mean you can’t help it. If you haven’t checked out my facebook page, please do so. When you see it, you’ll know… I just couldn’t help myself.
I had a very nice time today hiking around the base of the tower, studying igneous extrusions, and attending several ranger talks. Not only did I discover various Native American myths, but I also learned that the turkey vulture has about 200 or so bacteria on its beak and 70 or so in its gut. They are also the most docile of birds since they don’t actually hunt.
I know it seems like I should say more, but with a belly full of tasty pizza (I had the Scarborough Fair) and rich beer (I had the Pile o’ Dirt Porter), I find myself happily sleepy…
Until tomorrow from Wind Cave NP….
Safe Travels!
Roadtrip! Daily Game
Current Status
Board Location: Wyoming
Happiness: Agreeable (6)
Energy: Animated (3)
Souvenirs: 2
Money: $19
Daily Synopsis
Traipsing along the National Park Highway, Route 89, in the morning raised our spirits. Consequently, Harvey, Helen, Whiskers and myself felt much more refreshed to enjoy our day at Devils Tower. To treat ourselves we even splurged and spent the night in the famous lodge. This trip is looking up!
Scarborough Fair — nice choice…