Ilene and I left Ellsworth AFB around 1130 since we only had about an hour and a half drive to Sundance, WY.
One of the places on our bucket list to visit was Devils Tower in WY so we based out of Mountain View RV Park & Campgrounds just outside of town. While we didn’t have a view of Devils Tower we did have a great view of the Northwestern Black Hills and the smell of the buffalo grass was, well, amazing!
This park is kept in immaculate condition and the owners and staff are friendly and helpful. How can you not like a place that has fresh-baked cookies for us humans and dog biscuits for Bella when you arrive?
We were fortunate to be in the site next to Jennifer who was on staff to check us in. She and her husband Jay are on their second season in Sundance. He’s a contractor and Jenn started working in the office last year to give her something to do.
We spent the first two nights chatting, trying the local moonshine…no kidding, made at the Deadwood Distillery…and letting their dog and Bella play. Making friends like Jay and Jenn are one of the joys of our new lifestyle.
Wednesday after a leisurely breakfast, one of the baked specials from the office, and walking Bella we drove the 28 miles to Devils Tower.
While we were at Mount Rushmore we were witness to man’s hand at carving mountains. At Devils Tower it was God’s hand at work.
The views were breathtaking…it sounds so cliche, but really they take your breath away as you get closer to the mountain. Needless to say we took quite a few photos on the way.
The visitors center is small and tells about the local native legends of the tower and the history. The big draw, and there were plenty of folks there, was the 1.3 mile walk around the tower itself.
I managed to hobble my way up and down the hills with my arthritic hip and was rewarded with amazing views, some wildlife, climbers on the mountain, and a sore hip the next day. But it was well worth it!
After the hike Ilene and I stopped at the general store for an ice cream cone and Advil then it was the long way around through Moorcroft, WY back to Sundance.
We needed to stop by the local market but first it was a stop at the Crook County Museum to find out a bit more of the town Harry Longabaugh, the Sundance Kid, got his moniker from.
The museum was well worth the stop and it tied in a lot of the Black Hills history. I was especially thankful to the docent who helped me find out more about George Hopkins the guy who jumped onto Devils Tower back in 1941.
Thursday at Vore Buffalo Jump and Deadwood
Thursday we were off to Vore Buffalo Jump where we learned about how native Americans hunted the American Bison BEFORE the horse. Vore is an archeological site just off the highway that gives us quite a bit of information about how early natives hunted, killed, and utilized the American Bison.
Next it was a leisurely afternoon drive through Spearfish Canyon. Part of the Black Hills, the drive down the canyon included waterfalls, a river and breathtaking mountain formations along the way.
We’d visited the North end of Deadwood with Janet and Hoss the previous week so this trip we decided to explore the South side. First it was a stop at Deadwood Winery for a nice lunch then a short walk to the Post Office to drop off postcards for the grandkids.
Several companies offer bus tours of Deadwood and Mt Moriah Cemetery and we decided to hop one for an informative tour of the town highlighted by the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. As we started heading back down the hill it began to rain and hail and we were serenaded by a bolt of lightning and thunder on the way back to the railroad station just off main street.
We spent the evening watching the last game of the Vegas Golden Knights/Washington Capitols Stanley Cup game…we lost dammit, and saying goodbye to Jay and Jenn.
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