Eastern Wyoming - June 17 - July 1, 2009

Glendo, WY - June 17 - 20, 2009
On June 17 we trekked 200 miles north to Glendo, Wyoming with plans to do some kayaking on Glendo Lake.  We stayed at the relatively new and very spacious Glendo Lakeside RV Park located within a mile of the lakeshore.

Unfortunately, the wind blew all the time we were there.  We later learned that the wind always blows in that part of the state.  Wind doesn't work well with an inflatable kayak - unless you enjoy skipping over the surface of the water like a stone and paddling like crazy to get back.  So, we didn't kayak.

Instead, we walked along the shoreline and climbed a couple of hills to get a better view of the lake.  We spent one day on a scenic drive along the North Platte River and doing a few geocaches along the way.  We ended up at the small, but very attractive, Ayres Park and Natural Bridge.  The park has an expansive picnic area with massive, molting cottonwood trees and a very small campground.  The La Prele Creek has worn a path through the limestone creating a natural arch.

On June 21st we were due to leave Glendo for Peter D's RV Park in Sheridan.  That morning we received an e-mail from our friends George and Claudia letting us know that they were in Sheridan too and were staying at Peter D's.  We were quite excited as we moved the Beast 220 miles north to Sheridan and the Bighorn Mountains.

Sheridan, WY - June 21 -27, 2009
We arrived at Peter D's RV Park in Sheridan in mid-afternoon.  Peter D's is a small park just off Interstate 90.  It is very quiet in spite of its close proximity to the freeway.  You can walk to town or take the $1 trolley that comes through the park.  Peter, the park owner, is very energetic and prides himself in the cleanliness of his facility.  In between him mowing the lawns doing other maintenance we observed him doing push-ups at one of the picnic tables.

We met up with George and Claudia in early evening.  After hugs and conversation we agreed to meet the next morning for a round of golf at Kendrick Golf Course.  The golf course offered wonderful and distracting views of the Bighorn Mountains.  Claudia was the ace golfer of the day.

That evening we all dined at the Rib and Chop House.  When in Phoenix we thought it would be at least a year before we would see George and Claudia again - so this was a wonderful surprise.  We were sad to see them drive off the next morning as they continued west to Yellowstone.

During the remainder of our stay in Sheridan we toured this very western town, visiting the Don King Saddlery, Ropes and Museum, and were totally overwhelmed by the number and types of saddles and ropes. We also explored the Trail's End State Historic Site in the Flemish Revival Kendrick Mansion, and the Historic Sheridan Inn, which was Buffalo Bill's hang out while in town.  On the advice of friends, we took a scenic drive through the very narrow Crazy Woman Canyon. 

We picked a perfect day to drive into the Bighorn Mountains for lunch at the Bear Lodge Resort.  After lunch we hiked to the Black Mountain Tower, a former fire lookout.  This was a relative short hike, but it was straight up and very strenuous.  At the top we were rewarded with 360-degree views of the Bighorn Mountains and states of Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota.

The day before we left we took a day trip north to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Montana  - a tragic place.  The night before our neighbors had loaned us a documentary on the events leading up to the battle and the battle's aftermath.  The last line of the documentary impressed us, "To white society the battle was a massacre and a tragedy, but to the tribes it was just one more battle in a long campaign to retain their lands."

Devil's Tower, WY - June 28 - July 1, 2009
On Sunday we drove east to Devil's Tower National Monument hoping to get a campsite in the parks non-reservable campground.  We scored!  This is a very pretty park surrounded on three sides by the Belle Fourche River.  It includes expansive, open grassy areas, cottonwoods, and great views of the Tower.  There are no hook-ups or dump station, but water and restrooms are available.

There is a trail from the campground that leads through Prairie Dog Town to Devil's Tower and the Visitor's Center. Also, there were campfire lectures every evening in the amphitheater.  We really enjoyed our stay at the park and exploring the Tower.  But, alien visits being quite rare, we had no encounters of the third or any other kind.