Cruising through the vast, quiet grasslands of Wyoming on Sunday afternoon, I was not expecting the rush of emotion I felt approaching Devil's Tower, America's first national monument. It was, well, towering. A sacred place to Native Americans, legends say that a group of children fleeing from a bear ran to the rock and it sprouted up to protect them. The lines on the sides were caused by the bear trying to claw it's way up.
The return leg of my 2,595 mile adventure was grueling, and consisted of more driving than I have ever done in my life. Some areas were gorgeous.
Other stretches of highway (particularly in North Dakota) were desolate and seemed to go on forever.
So when I saw a sign on the highway for the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Mandan, ND, I immediately pulled off the road. It was at this museum that I made the best purchase of my trip, a book-on-tape version of "Undaunted Courage," by Stephen E. Ambrose. I totally nerded-out on this 4.5 hour detailed account of Lewis and Clark's 1804 expedition into the American Northwest, listening to it twice during my drive. In the end, this vacation was a milestone in my life. I saw things I'd only ever read about and never thought I'd be able to visit. I proved to myself that I could take on an epic road trip, alone, and come back in one piece. And I gained a knowledge of my country's history, it's people and places, that seems truly invaluable. Thanks, Fioralisos, for letting me crash your family vacation! I owe you one.
This is absolutely amazing! Alternatively, I saw your text too late yesterday. Hope you got all the info you needed for your trip. Can't wait to hear more!
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