Day 2 of our trip we went to Devils Tower. This was the first National Monument in the United States. It was neat to see from afar, but really awe inspiring to see up close. The girls did the Jr. Ranger program there and earned "Badges" that say they are now Junior Rangers for Devils Tower. We went on a hike that took us completely around the base of the tower. It looks different from all sides. The first person to climb the tower made a ladder with wooden pegs stuck into a crevice and a rope. It is still visible today. The tower is a spiritual place for many Native Americans and they leave prayer cloths and prayer bundles around the base. On several sides of the tower are boulder fields with large chunks of rock that has fallen off the tower. Many of these were absolutely huge!

Day 1 of our Trip

The first day we spent in the car, driving to Wyoming. Wyoming is very barren, not much except hills and grass. And wind. Very windy here. We stopped at a rest stop to have lunch. Because of the wind, I made lunch and we ate in the van. All the picnic tables had two walls and a roof to protect the table. All the walls were facing the same way. Makes me think that the wind always comes from the same direction. There were also lots and lots of snow barriers next to the highway, and every time we came to a town, there were gates on the highway in case they closed the highway. I am thinking that it is a common occurence here. When we were almost to Sundance, we could see Devil's tower off in the distance. That is our first stop. The motel leaves something to be desired, though. Thank goodness it is only for one night. Hopefully we will be able to do everything we want to. The weather is not supposed to be very nice.