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6/16/02, 9:35 a.m., Rapid City, South Dakota
The sun is out, the sky is blue, and we are getting ready for the next day of our trip. We are going to start with a nice big breakfast somewhere and then after that we are heading out of Rapid City northward and then cutting over to Devil’s Tower National Monument, something Brian has wanted to see since he was a kid. From there it’s on to Cody, with stops as they seem interesting. We have four nights of reservations in Cody, and will be going into Yellowstone Park by using Cody as our base of operations.

Already this has been one of the better trips we have taken. Even if we don’t see anything more it will already rank pretty high on our list, but we know there are many more exciting vistas and other sights coming up. We are planning on coming back to Rapid City and staying two nights here, so that we can do a southern loop to Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Custer State Park, followed by a northern loop the next day to the Petrified Forest and the Black Hills. We are hoping to be able to stop again at the Badlands, as we had a limited amount of time there yesterday before the sun went down.

6/16/02, 5:40 p.m., near Keyhole Reservoir, Wyoming
We are nearing I-90 again after an extended stop at Devil’s Tower National Monument,
Devil's Tower from a Distance
which was yet another incredible highlight of this journey. We walked all around it on the path made for that, and it revealed itself in different ways from every angle.
Devil's Tower
The shapes and columns were awe-inspiring. Devil's Tower under a Cloud
Of course, we stopped and took photos and videos from every conceivable angle. Devil's Tower with Flag

For wildlife we saw two deer, one coming in and one going out which, again, I was not able to photograph, as there were no stopping points from which to photograph them.

I am afraid to waste words, as the monument is really indescribable.

Devil's Tower, Black & White Tree and Tower Gentle Curves in Stone Devil's Tower Silhouette
Moon over Devil's Tower


We are now in Moorcroft and heading back onto the Interstate highway. We just passed the Keyhole Reservoir, which looked curiously out of place in the middle of the flat land surrounding it. We are also seeing pumping wells, many railroad cars, and lots of horses. While I know there are horses back home they seem to have more meaning here.

I noticed as we were going through the latter part of South Dakota yesterday that the plainness had a beauty to it and the simplicity a depth. Wagon on a Hillside
We are now heading west on the Interstate again, on our way to Cody, where we will be ensconced for the next four nights.

6/16/02, 11:15 p. m., Cody, Wyoming
Little did we know what delights waited for us after Devil’s Tower. This trip keeps topping itself. We did not realize until today that there would be a mountain crossing on the way to Cody. But in fact the Big Horn Mountains have to be crossed, and it was an incredible passing.

Having lived in Denver for four years I am somewhat used to the beauty of mountain scenery and driving, but this drive was as good as any I remember from there, though not as harrowing. The hairpin turns were more curves than turns and the grade was so gradual it was barely noticeable in most places. As we ascended, the valley below us sprawled out, mile after mile. The views were incredible. It was getting later in the day, so we were struggling to get across the mountains before the daylight wore out.

The vistas were incredible and the wildlife continued to astound us. We saw dozens upon dozens of antelope lower down. As we ascended we started seeing mule deer, one after the other after the other. Again, there were spots to stop and look at views and the animals, but it was getting late and we wanted to keep moving.

However, somewhere near the highest elevations we noticed a number of cars stopped along the side of the road. I mentioned to Brian that you generally only saw cars pulled over like that if there were something interesting, like a large herd of the mule deer or something. But then suddenly Brian said, “Moose!” I begged him to pull over, which he willingly did. I crossed the road and looked across the field where I saw two moose that appeared to be feeding. There were also mule deer, so I managed to get a couple pictures with both a mule deer and moose in them, but they were so distant it didn’t seem like it would be a great picture.

Having looked at the photos full screen already I was right about that, but just having captured a moose on film, and having seen one live, after years of hoping for it, was enough for me. About a mile further down the road, we came across a car pulled over and the people in it taking pictures of another pair of moose. We pulled over and I got some better pictures for my memories. I got back in the car, struck dumb, and had to wipe tears from my eyes I was so happy to have had the opportunity. For 45 years I’ve waited to see a moose in the wild (and a bear, coyote, wolf, etc.) and, quite by accident, I had seen four in a matter of minutes. It turned out to be five within a couple miles, as we saw another one about another mile down the road.

As I noted in yesterday’s entry, the vacation could end today, and Brian and I would both feel that it was the best vacation we’ve ever taken together. We haven’t even gotten to Yellowstone Park yet, the original goal of our trip, which we will do tomorrow. We have three full days to explore it and see what we might see. We also still haven’t seen Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park, and several other planned places. This is already the best vacation I’ve ever had. It could get worse from here on out, but it may somehow even continue to get better. Every time I think we have a highlight of the trip something else happens to supplant it. I can’t expect that to continue, but even if everything was just decent from here on I’d be happy with the trip.

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