In the summer of 2014, Stéphane and I drove across the country to move him to Michigan for graduate school. He and I were on the open road en route to South Dakota.
Bear Tooth Pass is high on my list of the most beautiful places I have ever had the privilege of going. The steep mountain road, leading from the northeast corner of Yellowstone to the southeast corner of Montana, practically touches the clouds, and the views boggle the mind. Epic snowcaps, quiet mountain meadows, and placid lakes…it’s a peaceful experience.
We also saw a sign for Devil’s Tower. “That sounds familiar,” we thought at the same time. A couple Google searches later, we were turning off and heading north to this National Monument. It was an incredible sight, and well worth the detour.
Most fascinating, aside from its very geological existence, are the Native American stories as to how it was created. The most common story involves two young girls running from giant bears. When the girl prayed to the Great Spirit to save them, they were raised up by the ground’s transformation and saved from the bears.
All in all, we drove from Seattle to Minneapolis where I flew back to the PNW. On the way, we went through Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, Montana, Yellowstone, the Black Hills, Wall, the Badlands, Pierre and Sioux Falls before arriving in Minnesota. It was an incredible journey filled with many adventures, amazing sights and much time together.
