Devils Tower, Wyoming

Our next stop along the way, is Devils Tower, WY. This is the first National monument, decreed by (guess who!) President Roosevelt, in 1906. You need to stop in a town before (we stopped at Gillette WY our first couple of trips, coming from the west, and Sturgis this time, coming from the east) to stock up on groceries, etc. (There's a little store at Devils Tower, if you forget something important.)

Devils Tower is the focal point of the movie
"Close Encounters
of the Third Kind".
(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075860/)

 

The KOA campground there (http://koa.com/campgrounds/devils-tower/) is situated on the filming site and they show the movie pretty much every night. I was very excited! I was a little creeped out, too, to have the show on the side of the barn, Tower looming on the horizon with eerie glowing moonlight outlining it... it was really cold, though, that night, and I skipped the movie...

 

I always imagined we'd go back there, and see it next time. Peter loved it at Devils Tower, and since we were considering the entire road trip a "sample platter", I had it in my mind that we'd come back. And, we did! This was our third time there! (The second time, the movie was cancelled because of a ferocious rain and lightning storm.) This time, the showing was inside the restaurant...which I understand, but it was disappointing... life lesson to do something the first time around, and not assume you'll get another chance.

 

Devils Tower is a huge outcropping - you drive along and think "shouldn't I see it by now, if it's really that big?" (Its 1267 feet above its surrounding terrain). But you drive and drive and drive (a worthwhile drive, though slightly off the beaten track) and suddenly someone in the car says "GASP! THERE IT IS!" And there it is! right there! out there in the middle of nothing!

I guess it really was originally named something like "Bear Lodge" or "Bear House", and was (is) a sacred place of the Lakota and other tribes. In 1875, an English-speaking person misinterpreted it and called it "Bad God's Tower", which eventually was shorted to "Devils Tower" (no apostrophe, due to a very official ...geographical naming standard?). That's what they say. It's too late to change it, apparently, because tourists would no longer know how to find it...

 

In the movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Richard Dreyfuss' character made models of this mountain out of mashed potatoes and piles of mud from his yard.

 

In real life, there are some questions about its origin. What they know is that it's made from phonolite porphyry...I looked that up and every site talks about Devils Tower. It's similar to granite, but lacks quartz. The website http://www.nps.gov/deto/faqs.htm says "Phonolite refers to the ringing of the rock when a small slab is struck, and its ability to reflect sound. Porphyry refers to its texture, large crystals of feldspar embedded in a mass of smaller crystals." ...which means: next time I go back (and there will be a next time), I'm going to ring the rocks!! How come I didn't know that before? I'm surprised I didn't do it by accident already!

Some wondered if this was a volcano that formed a mountain and then eroded away, leaving just the core. However, it is more commonly accepted that it all happened underground, and later exposed by way of erosion. (This is my understanding, anyway). The magma, as it cooled (underground), formed columns (from four to seven sides.) These columns are bundled together, like a bundle of pencils, for a total summit area of approximately 1.5 acres (200 x 400 feet), and the base is about 1 mile around. (Keep in mind that each of columns are about 7 feet (2 meters) across at the base, and about 4 feet (1.2 meters) at the top.)

 

People are allowed to climb it year round (except June, due to religious ceremonies held by the Native Americans ~ considering history, maybe it's a good idea to just think that they lent the Tower to the public for the other 11 months of the year).

The first people to climb were two cowboys named William Rogers and W.L. Ripley, in 1893. Two years later, Ripley's wife, Alice, became the first woman to make it to the summit. (Rogers & Ripley pounded wooden stakes into the cracks, making a ladder, and Alice used that same ladder to climb.)

 

Since then, many have climbed, and it normally takes 4-6 hours. (I really hope that people who don't know what they are doing attempt it - it gives me vertigo just standing directly below it and looking up!!! There must be some sort of criteria to be allowed to climb...) The fastest climb recorded, though, was by the late Todd Skinner (http://www.toddskinner.com/) who climbed Devils Tower in 18 minutes in the 1980s!!!! I can't even imagine that!! 18 MINUTES compared to 4-6 HOURS!!!!?

 

You can visit the Monument 24 hours a day, all year around. There is a fee ($10 for a car, $5 for a motorcycle), and some days are free to visit. (There are different fees for commercial tour vehicles.)

 

Oh goodness! I just Google-Earth'd it - THAT was worthwhile! It first takes you to the General Store, but follow the road around (that's the best way - the best surprise - to see it!!) http://goo.gl/maps/C2uXQ

 

Wednesday - Battle of Little Big Horn (previously mentioned in my blog about Crazy Horse, December 8, 2012.)

Rochester, Minnesota

THIS blog is about Rochester Minnesota, NOT Rochester NY, which is what everyone (including me) thinks of first.

We went to Rochester for a Convention, and didn’t really expect too much from the little town. But, even if I had researched it and heard all about it, I probably wouldn’t have believed it anyway.

 

It’s one of those places that’s "too good to be true". If someone told me: "wait till you go there - EVERYONE is nice", I would’ve been skeptical.

 

And, granted, I didn’t meet all of the something-close-to 108,000 people who live there, but the ones that I did meet, lived up to the hype.

 

Well, I made up the hype. I’ve just never been any place like it - a town filled with nice, friendly, helpful people.

 

Apparently, Rochester has been included on Money magazine list of "Best Places to Live", and has even been #1 on occasion!

Good for them - they deserve it.

 

For example: part of the City’s services include "Vacation House Checks." Going on vacation and don’t live near friends who can check your house? Or maybe your friends are coming with you? You can contact the City of Rochester, Public Safety Communications Center, and they have a program in place, for your security and general peace of mind.

 

We stayed at the nearby KOA Kampground - less than 10 minutes from the Mayo Civic Center. We didn’t believe that either. From the KOA, there is absolutely no sign whatsoever of any town, let alone a thriving metro area of approximately 108,000 people. To get from the KOA to the Mayo Center, we drove passed a winding river, wetland areas, cow pastures and then BAM! Right into the city! (You can tell you are close when you see the looming Corn Water Tower.)

We saw so much corn paraphernalia on this trip, you’d think we wouldn’t care about the Water Tower, but I took a picture every time I saw it. (Yes, yes. I know - the pictures all look the same - it’s not like the Water Tower has different poses.)

 

OK. So, the Mayo Center has a LOT of great venues - everything from "The Price is Right" to Bob Dylan concerts (which was happening right after we were leaving). http://www.mayociviccenter.com/

 

There are, I guess, Mayo Centers all over the USA, but this one in Rochester is the original. History shows that in 1883, there was a Great Tornado, which demolished a large part of Rochester - 37 people died, and about 200 were injured. Since there was no medical center, Mr. Mayo and his two sons cared for the wounded.

 

In 1889 (thanks to donations, the Sisters of St. Francis, and Mr. Mayo) St. Marys Hospital was opened. Wikipedia (under the subject "Rochester MN" subheading "History") tells us that "The Mayo practice grew and is today among the largest and most well-respected medical facilities in the world."

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochester,_Minnesota,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayo_Clinic)

 

The same Wikipedia article mentions that some of the Rochester buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places, and then lists the former Chateau Theater, which is where Barnes & Noble bookstore is now. I didn’t know that when we were there, but the building was so beautiful and the setting was so serene, I actually did take pictures of it anyway!

 

Speaking of "theater" and acting - there’s a list of famous people who are from there - Lea Thompson (remember her - primarily (in my opinion) of Back to the Future fame) and a list of others includes Dan Bakkedahl, Warren Skaaren, John Towey, Sheree J. Wilson and Emily Sandberg, along with many sports figures, etc. (I didn’t really know most on the list, but I didn’t want to exclude anyone either...just in case...no hurt feelings...heh)

I’m sure there are many fine places to stay while you are in Rochester, but if you are camping, I recommend staying at the nearby KOA. I’ve never experienced such warmth and hospitality from ANY accommodation - let alone campground caretakers/owners. KOA’s are general good, anyway, from a security and amenity point of view (which is why we like to stay at them), but THIS one (family owned and operated, as many are, I think) was BY FAR the most pleasant, most accommodating, friendliest place I’ve ever been.
(http://koa.com/campgrounds/rochester/)

 

I could go on and on, but one of the things that stands out most - that puts them right over the top - is that: We were travelling with our two little dogs, Daisy & Coco, and we were also in Rochester for a Convention - 3 days, most of the day. Our plan was to attend the convention during the morning, come home for lunch, let the puppies out (by the way - they had air conditioning), go back for the afternoon sessions, and then rush back afterwards.

 

But! Katie (the daughter of KOA owners - Roger and Barb) offered to walk Daisy & Coco during the day! Well! That was an unexpected and brilliant surprise! Daisy & Coco loved their walks and loved Katie - when we got "home", they were asleep - no barking, no accidents, no stress! It was the greatest thing ever!

 

Despite the fact that we were there for a one-time occasion, potentially, we have decided we would go out of our way to go back to that KOA, and to that town, just because of the friendliness and the hospitality of everyone we met. Everyone.

 

One more thing that Rochester had to offer - FIREFLIES! THEY HAVE FIREFLIES!!!

 

Sunday, we are going to the place that promised "if you build it, they will come" and it’s true. They built..and we went.

(In other news - I can't figure out how to put a "follow" button on here, so if anyone could tell me that, that'd be great! Also, I can't figure out how to allow people who aren't members of "blogspot" to comment, either... I'm certain it's an easy fix, but I don't know what it is... In the meantime, I'm also blogging on http://biggestballofstring.wordpress.com, which has a "follow" button right there and anyone can comment...)