Sunday - A Transition Day of Audibles

When originally planning for this trip, it was my hope to be able to extend into Wyoming, at least enough to be able to visit Devils Tower National Monument in NE Wyoming.  If the weather was good, I was also interested in pushing even further west to Yellowstone National Park.  This would be the decision day, as how I would schedule things would seemingly impact whether I would head to Devils Tower en route to Badlands National Park in South Dakota (a 90 minute "out of the way" detour) or if I would add it to my trip from Badlands NP to Yellowstone (about a 45 minute detour, sort of on the way).

I decided that I would venture west from Theodore Roosevelt Nat'l Park into Montana and then south into Wyoming to Devils Tower.  What a fortuitous decision.

I was up and on the road by 6:00am.  I visited the nice bathrooms in the picnic area adjacent to the campground.  There were flushing toilets and plenty of space to navigate getting washed up and
dressed.  After spending about 15 minutes inside, I stepped out to a huge bison just 15 or 20 yards away.  I carefully made my way to the van, just as he decided he wanted to move closer to check things out in the parking lot.  Check out this photo . . . yes he was that close to the van!  And with that . . . time to go.

Using TOOTS for the first time in a couple of days, it was helpful to have her navigate the route from Medora, ND down to Devils Tower.  The routing would have me entering Montana and then heading due south on MT Hwy 7 and then on to MT Hwy 323.  Highways 7 and 323 intersect in the little town of Wilbaux. Ironically, when I was leaving my campsite, I decided I really didn't feel like another morning of Rice Krispees or yogurt, thinking maybe I would find a little cowboy diner for breakfast somewhere along the way.

As I left the interstate highway, I used TOOTS for find me some dining options.  When Palace Cafe in Wilbaux popped up, I decided that if they were open, I'd stop and check it out.  I was surprised and very happy that at 7am, they were indeed open!  The town was desolate, not a single car on the street.  But the sign in the window said "OPEN" so I parked and entered.  As I opened the front door into the main foyer area, I could hear the voices of several women.  That was an immediate reassurance, since sometimes as a single female traveler, walking into some places can be a bit uncomfortable.

Once inside the restaurant, I was greeted with a large smile and "howdy" from a middle aged woman . . . I guessed her to be about my age.  The ladies behind the counter and in the kitchen were much younger, probably in their 20's or 30's.  I assumed the first was the owner and mother; the other two daughters or neices. I couldn't have been more wrong!

Before I ordered the older women began a conversation with me, and eventually sat down across from me in the bright retro red and white vinyl upholstered booth.  Her name was Rose, which seemed totally appropriate . . . she looked like a Rose to me.  One of the younger gals came to take my order while we continued to chat about travel and the places we'd been in our lives.  When my breakfast arrived, my new found friend said "well time for me to move on, thanks for being so nice to me."

When I completed my meal and got up to pay, I asked my server how long Rose had owned the cafe.  She chuckled and said "Oh she doesn't own this place, we do" (as she motioned to the other young lady in the kitchen).  "Rose is one of our regulars and sometimes is more of a nuisance than pleasure around here."  Too bad I thought, as I totally enjoyed my time with Rose, learning about the little town of Wilbaux and places to check out along my day's travel.  My meal?  It was already a distant memory and at $6.95 was an outstanding, filling meal.  (I saved more than half of my ham for dinner that evening.)  But the highlight of this meal, was my friend Rose!

Once back on the road, it was like a cross of Billy Crystal's movie "City Slickers" and the song "Home on the Range" as I drove through the vast open range ranch lands that are Montana.  And yes, I saw deer and antelope as well as cowboys moving their cattle from one end of their ranch to the other where ranchers were waiting with large livestock trailers presumably take their purchased cattle to their own grazing pastures.

I was so in awe of this, I stopped and took several photos and about 30 seconds of video.  The cattle were very loud, vocalizing their displeasure as they were herded together, cows and calves, being pushed further and further down the range until they were all corralled into a very small area where they would be segregated for transport.

I couldn't help to be feel a little sorry for them, although I also recognized the reality that this is prime beef ranching country.  And as someone who does enjoy a good prime rib or t-bone steak, cattle are raised, bought and sold, and eventually taken to auction as part of the American food supply.  I wiped a tear from my cheek as I thought about the calves that may become my next veal parm supper.


This would seemingly be a day that offered more surprises along the way.  South of the cowboy experience, I came upon the Medicine Rocks State Park.  I remembered that Rose had mentioned it being a nice spot to stop and take photos.  I'm so glad that she did, as from the highway, it was a nondescript enough place, that I'm sure I would have just blasted on down the road, never giving it a second thought.  Big mistake that would have been.

I pulled off the road and approached the entrance which included a drop pay box.  After paying my $3 entrance fee, I proceeded on.  There were about 10 or 12 camping spots throughout the park, as well as very nice picnic areas and vault toilets.  I stopped at several points to read the large signs telling the story of the Native Americans who called this area home.  I also learned that Teddy Roosevelt was also a traveler who wrote about his time among the Natives.  Many of the people of the plains considered these sacred grounds as well as a meeting point because of the unique large rock formations.  Considering how vast and flat the land is there, it was truly amazing to see them rising from the grasslands.

By this time, it was closing in on noontime . . . and I thought I was never going to make it to Badlands National Park by nightfall. I felt the pressure of time, but only for about five minutes.  I then reminded myself that I'm on a slow journey to experience the fresh air and openness of the west and had nowhere I really must be and certainly not by some arbitrary time.

My travels would continue on into Wyoming as I noticed the air temperature had been climbing all morning.  Back in the Medicine Rocks State Park, it was very windy, a warm breeze from the south.  Approaching the road that would take me to Devils Tower National Monument, I also encountered a fair amount of traffic.  ARGH . . . PEOPLE!!!  After all, it was Memorial Day Weekend . . . and this is the year of the National Park Service's Centennial Celebration.

I stopped along the way to take some photos of Devils Tower off in the distance.  The 200 million year old rock formation, much like those at Medicine Rocks, is seemingly out of place as you look across the Wyoming landscape.  Rising 1,280 feet above the Belle Fourche River, Devils Tower became the first US National Monument in 1906 when President Theodore Roosevelt so declared.  The tower itself is roughly 870 feet tall (base to summit) and is a mecca for rock climbers from around the world

At the entrance, there was about a line of about ten cars, which was a foreshadowing of what folks could expect inside the park.  The main parking lot near the visitor center was full, with people doing loops around in hopes of finding a parking space.  I eventually lucked out, but the 90+ degree temps kept me from wanting to do much on the grounds.  One of the benefits of the blazing hot sun was the fresh pine smell as the sap was being baked out of the tall pines. I just love that smell!

Back at the van, I decided it was probably a good time to make a sandwich before getting back on the road.  David had made some hard boiled eggs and I still have two left which were probably reaching the end of their shelf life in my cooler.  So it was egg salad (on sun baked toast) with an orange and some pretzel rings.

The rest of the day's drive was pretty much as planned and on schedule. I did make an impromptu stop at the Vore Buffalo Jump Historical Site, an archeological goldmine where tens of thousands of buffalo were hunted and slaughtered by the Native Americans between 1500 AD and 1800 AD.  Located at the Wyoming/South Dakota state line in the town of Beulah, WY, the actual exhibit center was not yet open for the season.  Place on the National List of Historic Places, there are plans to continue to excavate the site and develop a larger educational center once funding has been secured.

I arrived at the Wall, SD exit off I90 at around 5:00pm.  I gassed up the van and bought my nightly supply of ice for the cooler and headed into Badlands National Park.  Near the entrance at Pinnacles Overlook there were several young big horn sheep grazing near the road.  When I noticed there were some folks up on top of a hillside looking into the cliffs, I was intrigued enough to park the van and make the short hike up with them.  Across the way, there was a female ewe and a small group of newborns.  She had them tucked safely out of view and beyond reach of predators like coyotes and  bobcats.  (What I would give to see a bobcat in the wild!)

I arrived to my campsite near the Ben Reifel Visitor Center around 7:00pm.  Since I hadn't had a shower since Thursday morning before work, the first order of business talking a nice long hot shower.  Imagine my surprise to find out the showers were metered at four minutes for $1.00.  I had no idea they were pay showers for one . . . and just four minutes for a buck?  I felt like I needed a good $5 worth!  But since I only had a buck and a half in quarters and their bill changer was apparently out of coins, I made due with the four minute wash & rinse.  It did feel good!

After my shower, I did take a short ride out to see what I could see as night fell over the Badlands.  I took some photos from one of the lookouts and then headed back to camp and went to bed.

Sun Setting Over South Dakota's Badlands

I drove 475 miles today . . . saw some very interesting things and met some cool people.  It doesn't get much better than that!