Sometimes, when you drive along the road, you see a naturally occurring oddity reaching into the heavens.
Welcome to Devil's Tower National Monument, the first declared as such, reaching high in the hills of Eastern Wyoming. Devil's Tower gets its name from an errant translation, when Colonel Richard Dodge mistakenly took what was known by the Lakotas as "Bear's Lodge" to mean "Bad god's Tower", and despite maps to the contrary from the 19th century, the name stuck. It's not known for bad luck by the natives of the area, as many will leave items to ward off any sort of demons that they believe possess them, and these remain strewn among the trees of the area surrounding the tower.
Devil's Tower is quite the sight to behold. As you drive from Sundance or Moorcroft towards Hulett along US Highway 14 and State Highway 24, you begin to see the ominous formation as if it were a city's skyline on the horizon. Once you travel in, make a stop at the Visitor's Center to see more information about its history, along with the random alien as a tribute to the popular film "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". If rock climbing is your cup of tea, perhaps Devil's Tower will provide a challenge to reach the top, as many have attempted. Even if it isn't, a trip around the base of the butte will give great views of not only the formation, but the many of those attempting to conquer it.
Devil's Tower is a national monument, and unlike many of the other areas to visit in the Black Hills, this one will actually accept the National Parks passes that you may have, including the program at the time of writing this for fourth graders to enter, along with their family, at no cost to the family. Do be aware that the entrance gate will not accept cash as of the time of writing this, though National Park Service offices in the greater Black Hills region will be able to do so. Pets are strictly prohibited from trails, and even those who might use service tags without a legitimate medical service may face hefty fines.
So if your Internal Compass is pointing skyward while in the Black Hills, give Devil's Tower a try.
No trip to the Black Hills is complete without a drive through this gem.
Welcome to Spearfish Canyon, found in the northwestern part of South Dakota's Black Hills. Nestled along US Route 14A, Spearfish Canyon provides year-round entertainment for travelers to the area, from fishing and waterfall viewing in the summer, to skiing and snowmobiling in the winter. Even if you're not one to leave the vehicle, the drive through this treasured area is certainly not one to miss. Whether heading south from Spearfish, or north from Lead, you'll be able to take in the views of the cliffs around this meandering highway.
While down near the city of Savoy, be sure to make a stop at one of the free public parking areas and check out one of the most popular destinations of the area, Roughlock Falls. While around the trails here, you'll see the remains of a hydroelectric power station at Old Spearfish Creek Dam, which now serves as a fishing opportunity for passers by. Going north, make a stop at Bridal Veil Falls, also seeing across the way an old train right-of-way. It's not just the non-living you might see around here; if that elusive mountain goat wasn't found in Custer State Park, you might just find it here.
There's more to US Highway 14A than simply Spearfish Canyon. Once at the southern end of that portion of the highway, take a drive into Lead and Deadwood. Continue east and you'll find yourself within Boulder Canyon, another scenic drive enjoyed by many through the Black Hills. Although not quite as breath-taking as Spearfish Canyon, this drive is certainly not one to miss. Once through, you'll pop out on the eastern end of this highway at the city of Sturgis, known for its population increasing a hundred fold for two weeks out of the year.
So the next time your Internal Compass tells you to take a drive around, try out Spearfish Canyon.
Perhaps you'd like to see a tribute to the Presidents of the United States in a more, well, "life-like" setting.
Welcome to Keystone, South Dakota, home of the National Presidential Wax Museum. Keystone is known for being the tourist city at the base of Mount Rushmore, so why not be a fitting place for this sort of a place? The museum was first founded in 1971, and originally known as the "Parade of Presidents". Today, visitors are given a chance to take a self-guided tour of the museum, able to listen to the history of each of the various Presidents while viewing defining events created in wax, from Thomas Jefferson drafting the Declaration of Independence and Grover Cleveland getting married, to Richard Nixon visiting the Apollo 11 crew and George W. Bush surveying the 9/11 wreckage.
The creation of the National Presidential Wax Museum almost never happened. On December 15, 1963, founder Katherine Stubergh appeared on the panel show "What's My Line?", with the panel identifying her as a sculptor who more specifically "Makes Figures for Wax Museums". She lived in Los Angeles and was pursuing a dancing career, and although she made sculptures to make ends meet, always believed herself to belong in the dancing line. It wasn't until she sculpted Mae West that she heard from the subject, "Kid, anybody can make a piece of mud look like me shouldn't be no dancer." She would go on to sculpt many Hollywood celebrities, Presidents, and although she has since passed on, her legacy continues with sculptors to this day.
This museum was visited by us on accident, originally wanting to go to Mount Rushmore a second time before stopping here. We're glad we did, as this seasonal museum is something to behold for art and history buffs alike. Walking in, one can pretend to be the President making a speech from the Press Room, with words from both Trump and Obama at the time of our visit. The self-guided telephones allow you to feel like you're given a guided tour, but can go at your pace and view what you wish. Whether you stay for a few minutes or the entire day, the National Presidential Wax Museum will be a fun experience for everyone.
So the next time your Internal Compass takes you to the Black Hills, make a stop to admire more than just four presidents.
Looking for a driving adventure? Try this one on for size.
Welcome to the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway, in the middle of the Black Hills of South Dakota. People familiar with the area will know the name of Peter Norbeck, who served as both a governor and senator for the state of South Dakota in the 20th century. During this tenure, he was able to secure funding for many of the state and national treasures in the area, including Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, Badlands National Park, as well as the establishment of Grand Teton National Park in Western Wyoming.
What consists of the Norbeck Byway is not a continuous route, but rather a figure-eight style loop of roads throughout the Black Hills. The main highlights of the byway include US Highway 16A through Custer State Park and along Iron Mountain Road, State Highway 244 taking you along the profile of Mount Rushmore, and State Highway 87, the Needles Highway, along with the truck access to Sylvan Lake via State Highway 89. The Needles Highway will require an entrance pass to Custer State Park. Although your "America the Beautiful" national park pass will not work at this location, the annual price for state park entry is at such a steal of a price that they effectively beg you to visit as many of the parks as able.
Driving along the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway is generally limited to 25-35 miles per hour, and with the twists and turns on this road, it's not that bad of an idea. Definitely unhook the trailer, because there are one-lane tunnels that will make even the single-wheeled driver question whether they can pass without folding the side mirrors. When going along Iron Mountain Road, be sure to take it east from Custer State Park to Keystone, as you'll be able to experience a "portrait" of Mount Rushmore in at least one of the tunnels. Also bring along a paper map, as parts of the Needles Highway are above 6,000 feet in elevation and out of reach of cell phone towers pointing downward from below these points.
So the next time your Internal Compass takes you to the Black Hills, don't miss the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway during your journey.
Calling all bikers: There's a trail just for you!
Welcome to the Mickelson Trail, over 100 miles of urban and rural excursion through the Black Hills of South Dakota. First named the Black Hills Burlington Northern Heritage Trail, this bike path follows an old railroad line that was abandoned in the late 20th century, and is one of many to be included in the national conservancy known as "Rails to Trails". This has since been named after George S. Mickelson, a second generation governor of South Dakota who tragically died in a plane crash in 1993 while flying over Iowa. The trail began conversion under his tutelage, and was finished by the end of the decade.
The George Mickelson Trail is a trail designed for bikers to take them from the city of Edgemont all the way to the city of Deadwood. A short spur exists near the city of Custer to allow travelers to access Stockade Lake on the way to Custer State Park, as well as one at the north end to give users access to the city of Lead. Except for within the urban centers through which the trail passes, this is a tolled trail only available during daylight hours, though like the state park system, annual passes are available at a fairly low price. Although it was designed for bikers, the trail is available for many other outdoor activity uses throughout the entire year, with a short northern portion also available for snowmobiling. A number of trailheads and shelters exist along the trail to be able to hop off at the user's pleasure, though watch out for livestock jams that may happen.
If biking isn't something for you, or you just happen to prefer the open road, the Mickelson Trail is closed to vehicular traffic, but never fear, because there are a series of roads that will take you near the trail's right-of-way. Start off in Edgemont, using County Road 18S and State Route 89 through Pringle on the way to Custer. A quick trek along US 385 right by the Crazy Horse Memorial gets you to Hill City, but here is where the real fun begins. Take a scenic combination of paved and dirt county roads towards Mystic and Rochford through a number of ranches, before heading north to US Route 85. This highway will take you north to Lead before going down the steep hill into the city of Deadwood.
So if your Internal Compass wants to take you on a long trail, the Mickelson Trail may just be the way to go.
Trip 15 is soon at its end, and trip 16 will be upon us. This time, unlike the "psyche" we pulled for 15, we are actually going somewhere else. Where will we be going? You'll have to keep checking us out here to find out. Until then, remember to Follow your Internal Compass.
Where did we go for trip 15? Nowhere!
Instead, a new trip has been "started" because the 2009 Jayco Jay Flight has been sold. It served well as a home for a couple of years, and was a good way to get our feet wet with living full-time in the RV. Not to mention, with the truck we were able to find, it was just about all we could pull, and was questionable even at that. Unfortunately for various reasons, it was not going to be able to suit us any longer, and so it's time to make like William DeVries and change to a different heart.
Enter heart number two for Freedom Rolling, a 2013 Keystone Cougar 318SAB. It's a good thing that we picked up a new soul able to take on a Fifth Wheel, because this one IS a Fifth Wheel. It's nearly 35 feet in total length with three slideouts, yet still accessible should we need to stay in a truck stop. We're up to 50 amp plugs now, so we say goodbye to the under-powered generator. There were a few modifications made before purchasing, such as a table-and-chair dinette group along with some larger recliners that make packing up a little more awkward, but we will certainly have a chance to make this our own.
So keep reading as we Follow Our Internal Compass in our new heart to many new places across this country.
Time to hook it up and hit the road! Where we going? Stay tuned to find out.
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