What do 12,500 year old cave pictographs, the battle of Little Big Horn, 100+ degrees, Devils Tower in Wyoming, and a bottle of Three Blind Moose merlot have in common? A very long day!
Before leaving Helena yesterday, we went to the county office building and did some more genealogy digging. The good news is that I was able to find the address of the house that my grandfather built in Helena in 1931. The bad news? It was rezoned in the 1990s and now is the site of a thriving commercial area. In the process, I was able to get some insight into some family mysteries so I am satisfied.
We spent Monday night at Cooney State Park --15 miles off the interstate on a gravel road! Forgot to mention that on the website, fellas! But it is a pretty reservoir on the top of mountain. Then 4 and a half days later -- oh, not really, it just seems like it -- we arrived at Devils Tower. Along the way, we took two impromptu side trips.
We first stopped at Pictograph Cave State Park and saw some awesome
12,500 year old pictographs, penned and carved by Native Americans.
From there we drove to Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument -- depressing. Our government signed a treaty but then decided to renege on it because intruders on the Black Hills discovered
GOLD. Then our military slaughtered a village of women and children. The tribes retaliated. Now, who were the savages again?
After a hot drive into Wyoming, we arrived at Devils Tower KOA campground, located at the foot of Devils Tower. The view is beautiful, but I have to admit that Charlie and I were most happy after taking long showers and drinking cold drinks.
(Photos: iron and marble stairs at County Office Bldg; old record books; Ann actually driving at Cooney; pictograph cave; pictograph drawn in red; horse cemetery; Cheyenne headstone; Devils Tower)
Are those aliens? Devils Tower....Close Encounters of the Third Kind...doo doo doo doo do. Were you humming that the whole time you were there?
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