Richard & Sylvia's RV Adventures

Day 73 Sunday, May 13, 2007 - Mother's Day

Ranchester, WY to Devils Tower National Monument, WY – 179 Miles

Mother’s day in Ranchester started by us going out for a great Mother’s day breakfast in the one and only diner/restaurant in Ranchester.  I guess the single place to eat is what would be expected in the booming town with a population of 701!   It was an interesting experience since it was the place were all the locals came in for breakfast each morning and chatted about things going on around the county.  We over heard one fellow who came in greet another with something like:  “I like those shoes you have on; they look like the ones I have at home.”  The other fellow replied with: “Well, that’s what happens when you leave home without them!”

The breakfast special was really great:  6 oz New York Strip,  2 eggs, hash browns, bacon, 2 pancakes all for $6.95.  They forgot to mention the hot cakes where the size of dinner plates.  Everything tasted great. 

While eating we took in the small town USA flavor by listening to some older local fellows bantering with one another and the waitress.  The discussions centered around politics, the river rising, where the good fishing is (Walleye)?, and my kind of topic, Indians.  Yup Indians – the town borders on the Crow Indian Reservation.  They discussed fights breaking out in local bars between whites and Indian fellows.  I did hear one comment something to the tune of ”well we took enough away from them, don’t you think”.  We were told that the main industry of the town was coal mining and ranching.

While I got the Coach ready to hit the road, Sylvia walked Lucy around town one more time and noted every house having a large Propane tank in their backyard.  A local artist decided to turn them in to a piece of art by painting them like a watermelon, bumble bee or caterpillar.  Clever!

Before leaving Ranchester, SD we had to take a picture of this interesting place; note the sign that says drive-in window… never saw a bar with a drive-in window!!

We hit the road and drove a bit over 3 1/2 hours and arrived at Devils Tower, WY.  My only familiarity with this place was from it being in the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”.  Actually this is a real historic monument. 

President Theodore Roosevelt established Devils Tower National Monument on September 24, 1906; it was the first national monument. The spectacular rock formation known as Devils Tower and the surrounding countryside, home to a myriad of plant and animal life, attract visitors from around the world. Climbers test their skills on vertical rock walls. Visitors delight in the beauty of the area and enjoy the activities offered at the monument. Also known as Bears Lodge, American Indians consider the area sacred, a place for prayer and renewal. Devils Tower rises 1267 feet above the Belle Fourche River. Once hidden, erosion has revealed Devils Tower. This 1347 acre park is covered with pine forests, woodlands, and grasslands. Deer, prairie dogs, and other wildlife are seen.

Note the climbers on the photo above!

From here we drove on to Ellsworth Air Force Base just outside Rapid City, SD – 115 Miles.

Here we plan to spend several days re-stocking, resting, doing some maintenance and going to see the sites of Mount Rushmore and the Crazy House Monument.   You see this information and pictures in my next posting.

posted by Richard @ 9:41 PM