The benefit of studying the atlas several times in the morning before leaving is that you'll find hidden gems that detour off of the planned route and in many cases get a "I didn't even realize we were that close," comment. While headed for the Black Hills, I notice Devils Tower National Monument is just a short loop north before we hit South Dakota and our turn south. The famed rock of so many sci-fi geeks and UFO searchers is a place that I've always longed to see (hopefully that gives you a little insight in who I am.) On the drive in I almost clean out a suicidal turkey, which may have been good for our food budget and Ophie's birding instincts, but bad because we don't have a lot of extra room for a 40-pound bird. Devils Tower is an impressive sight on the horizon, this massive rock formation rising out of the tame rolling hills of eastern Wyoming. Pulling into the parking lot, we see the dreaded no dog sign which, for the most part, we pretend means bring your dog, let her off the leash, and please let her pooh somewhere in the woods, out of sight!! But there's a large group of Native Americans who use these lands as a sort of spiritual Mecca, so we decide it best to keep Ophie on the leash and go up to the rock one at a time.
The Kiowa, the local native american tribe, have a legend that goes something like this: "Eight children were there at play, seven sisters and their brother. Suddenly the boy was struck dumb; he trembled and began to run upon his hands and feet. His fingers became claws, and his body was covered with fur. Directly there was a bear where the boy had been. The sisters were terrified; they ran, and the bear after them. They came to the stump of a great tree and the tree spoke to them. It bade them to climb upon it, and as they did so it began to rise into the air. The bear came to kill them, but they were just beyond its reach. It reared against the tree and scored the bark all around with its claws. The seven sisters were borne into the sky, and they became the the stars of the Big Dipper." Native American legends are better than strict science and modern religions!!!
On the way out we see a little spot called Devils Tower View. It's a bbq/gift shop/taxidermy spot and in most normal cases we wouldn't stop but they have Buffalo Burgers posted on the sign outside and we've been talking about trying one for the last several hundred miles. The shop is run by a very friendly older couple who's hospitality and food is matched only by the views of Devils Tower behind the shop. We're surprised to find out that they have wireless internet and it's a good chance to catch up on a few things before hitting national park land that has NO internet connections anywhere! We each grab a burger and a Devils Tower lager, grab a sticker and some huckleberry honey, say our farewells, snap a quick photo and we're off!
A Pleasant Detour.
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