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Devil's Tower, Wyoming. So surreal the whole time you are driving toward it the Tower looks like a structure, a prop, a painting... surely not real.
We had another sunny and beautiful, though hot, day. In the morning P had gotten up at around 5 a.m. for a run and the sunlight looked as strong as noon. The quality of light there is more white, less yellow than in MA or PA, so that may have something to do with it as well. You can see in some of my pictures the sky looks overcast, but really it was just such blinding afternoon light. We picked up our tourist goodies first and headed out to find a hiking trail.
The surrounding earth and hills around the tower are very red, with these small pines all around. We decided to hike the inner circle around the base of the tower itself:
The Tower itself is covered in moss, the kind that is dry to the touch and somewhat flaky, so the whole thing appears to be green... almost like oxidized metal... adding to the oddity of it's look. Also, these huge columns seem to sweep downward on an angle, creating the appearance that the whole thing pushed it's way out of the surrounding earth with a twist. It was incredible to learn that it is still unknown how the tower was formed, that there are 3 theories about it's creation. We also saw climbers making their way up, crows and vultures circling at the very top!
The view of surrounding valleys:
P at the base of the Tower:
And the tall pine forest surrounding the base, where the trail is, among the Tower's fallen boulders:
Well my dears, I have finally arrived!!!
After about 3 days here (I figure its safe to stop counting days now, yes?) I have my voice and my health back. P flew back to San Francisco the day before yesterday and I admit, most of yesterday was spent asleep in bed catching up with myself, the hours, the weather and living *above sea level*. C's pregnant belly is growing at a remarkable rate. Her friends here are a great comfort, generous beyond compare, with warm and welcoming hearts toward all these weary east coast migrants.
Truly it was a lot harder to blog from the road than I had thought it would be. We had internet in almost every hotel room but were so drained by the time we found food and lodging in each town that the thought of photo-editing and blogging was a stretch. At the beginning of the journey P and I were up and back on the road between 7 and 9 each morning, but by the end we were usually still loading up the car or raiding the continental breakfast at 11:00 checkout. (by the way, if your Comfort Inn has a "Belgian waffle" maker go ahead and give that puppy a spin. yum.)
You may have noticed, too, that often our destinations were also in flux from state to state. After South Dakota it was clear our mutual intention was to see as many natural wonders as our journey could allow, negating many attractions along the way. Not too long after that, as we traveled through Montana to the gates of Yellowstone, it was clear both P and myself were transformed and awed by all the beauty, the slow unfurling of the landscape, the luck of such sunny days. We stopped at rest areas, diners, parks and coffee shops to scribble overwhelmed post cards to our friends in every state... running out of words to describe what we were seeing. That was one of the most fun parts, although looking for a post box or post office took a great deal of patience.
I know many people have done this same trek (ours traveled 80 until SD and then 90 until Oregon) and many more are planning one themselves. We were blessed with great weather, sheltered by protection (of course there is a story about what we found out about the brakes after getting to Portland), and guided by our growing sense of amazement~ I am so grateful for experiencing this kind of a trip in my lifetime! For those about to venture fourth, AAA was very helpful when our route suddenly changed, sunblock and shades for the driver are an absolute must, and Iowa's NPR station comes in crystal clear all over the highway. For those looking to travel healthy, there is a Trader Joe's in Chicago, a Whole Foods in Omaha, and an extensive health food section at the Fred Meyer in Idaho Falls.
Arriving in Portland, it is every bit as lovely as I have heard. There were few times P and I ever forgot we were on a move, not a vacation exactly, with a deadline for the arrival and a limit to our funds. But all along the way we were graced with meeting friendly strangers, learning a bit of history (and geography) and a consistant feeling that some journeys and some transformations carry a life all their own.
Devil's Tower is in Wyoming, and so day 7 included a whole new state for the journey. You see Deadwood on the map above, and Sundance to the west of it? In red, right near Devil's Tower Junction you'll notice Devil's Tower Monument... our first destination for the day.
Pulling over for ranchers and cows (they waved at all of us with our cameras like "yes, yes, we know we're cowboys. Y'all just have a super day. Okie doke.")
It wasn't long before... off in the distance... stirrings of Close Encounters fluttering in my heart...
Early in the morning, already 80 degrees...
After an hour or two of driving we found ourselves getting nearer and nearer to Devil's Tower... but hungrier and hungrier. Stopped in one of my (now) favorite little towns on our route, Moorcroft (pop. 807). A small ranch-looking town, Celeste said today "that's probably what you thought Deadwood would look like" and had it just right. There was a pizza joint, which I found so unusual that we stopped in for lunch.
The owner came over and talked to us (I think it was real obvious we were from "out of town") and asked if we were coming from the tower. Turns out he was born and raised in NYC, had come to the area 30 years earlier and never went back. He made us an absolutely scrumptious personal pizza!
The hills... so amazing... more tomorrow about the Tower!
Devil's Tower, Wyoming. So surreal the whole time you are driving toward it the Tower looks like a structure, a prop, a painting... surely not real.
We had another sunny and beautiful, though hot, day. In the morning P had gotten up at around 5 a.m. for a run and the sunlight looked as strong as noon. The quality of light there is more white, less yellow than in MA or PA, so that may have something to do with it as well. You can see in some of my pictures the sky looks overcast, but really it was just such blinding afternoon light. We picked up our tourist goodies first and headed out to find a hiking trail.
The surrounding earth and hills around the tower are very red, with these small pines all around. We decided to hike the inner circle around the base of the tower itself:
The Tower itself is covered in moss, the kind that is dry to the touch and somewhat flaky, so the whole thing appears to be green... almost like oxidized metal... adding to the oddity of it's look. Also, these huge columns seem to sweep downward on an angle, creating the appearance that the whole thing pushed it's way out of the surrounding earth with a twist. It was incredible to learn that it is still unknown how the tower was formed, that there are 3 theories about it's creation. We also saw climbers making their way up, crows and vultures circling at the very top!
The view of surrounding valleys:
P at the base of the Tower:
And the tall pine forest surrounding the base, where the trail is, among the Tower's fallen boulders:
