Thursday, January 19, 2006

Head West, Young Man! Part 8

After leaving the picturesque estate of Chico Hot Springs, in Pray, Montana, we began the long journey…back East. We found our way to I-90 and were planning on driving straight through to Wisconsin (where my extended family was expecting us). However, a closer look at our pamphlets and maps revealed that we would be driving right past several AMAZING attractions! We decided to take “just one more” day for US, and stop at each place.
By late afternoon, we had arrived at the Little Bighorn Battlefield! This is the site of one of the most famous battles of the American Indian War—you know, Custer’s Last Stand! We were able to drive a circle route through the battlefield and see headstones marking the site of each fallen soldier and brave. R drove very, very slowly, and I pointed out and read descriptions of the many “points of interest” along the way. The two most memorable things were seeing the memorial and headstones for Custer, his men, and the many Indian braves, and nearly being forced off the road by a herd of semi-wild horses!
Unfortunately, we were hard-pressed for time, so we had to get back on the road. Soon after re-entering the beautiful state of Wyoming, we found ourselves on a little highway to see Devil’s Tower National Monument. I didn’t know this before, but this was America’s first National Monument! We were really running out of daylight, so we only stopped to take pictures from a distance, but the thing is really Out-Of-This-World! Seriously, check out some of these websites! On our way back to the interstate (we were still on little side-highways) we saw several antelope across the hills and fields.
Living in Mississippi, I’m always wary of deer—you know, they really DO jump out in front of cars. Well, these antelope looked nervous and jumpy, so we were really keeping an eye out. We came around this bend where a short cliff borders the road on the left and a fenced-in field borders on the right, when an antelope jumped off the cliff and ran RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! R was quick enough on the brakes to very narrowly keep from hitting it, but it WAS VERY CLOSE! Then, the antelope ran into the barbed-wire fence on the other side of the road, flipped over the fence a few times, and ran back across the road behind us! Let’s just say that that woke us up!




*these are not my pictures* (Sadly, we have no pictures from this part of our trip.)

...Coming Soon...Part 9...

4 Comments:

At 8:38 AM, Blogger ccw 's valuable input...

I assume these pictures were lost along with the others?

Deer in the road always make me nervous. I've been lucky to never hit a deer, but it has happened to so many friends/family. Amazing how badly an animal can tear up a car, plus I would hate to kill an animal this way (or even worse not kill it).

Your entire trip sounds amazing. Any plans for another big vacation? And where do you want to go now that you have seen the west?

 
At 8:51 AM, Blogger Gary 's valuable input...

I believe Devil's Tower is what they used in "Close Encounters OF the Third KInd".

 
At 9:44 AM, Blogger Celina 's valuable input...

CCW, Yes, these were lost to the memory of my computer. I've never hit a deer either, or been in a car that did, but this was close enough that I think it will count for my "one & only" time. Plans for another vacation? Oh, I don't know. This summer we're going back to NM for my sister's graduation (it will be R's first time to the southern part of the state--Carlsbad Caverns & Roswell). One day, I'd love for us to drive through the northeast--I love PA, MD, & OH in the fall! And, R is really into history, so that would be cool for him!

Gary, yes, that's right. They had a lot of souveniers with aliens on them--it was kinda funny--like the "aliens" put this rock formation there. Hey, it's as good an explanation as any! :)

 
At 10:04 AM, Blogger Fizzgig 's valuable input...

Holey crap did you see any aliens? I fear aliens! I swear, they are coming for me man!!! LOL!
It's too bad you don't have pics from this portion, there is suppose to be a lot of paranormal activity around battlefields!!

 

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