Travel
Devils Tower
The first time Frank Sanders laid eyes on Devils Tower was in June of 1972. The 20-year-old hitchhiked from Tennessee, where he was attending college, and arrived in Wyoming on a stormy night. A flash of lightning lit up the massive tower and left him in awe and intimidated, but unbowed. “I’m going to climb that tomorrow,” he said to himself. And he did.
Today, if you want to know anything about Devils Tower, track down Sanders. Now 69 years old, Sanders owns Devils Tower Lodge and knows every crack and crevice in the 867-foot tower as well as he knows the lines of his heavily callused hands. By all accounts, he’s scaled every route on all four sides and has been to the summit more than 2,000 times.
“I write down my ascents,” he told a filmmaker in 2009. “It’s just that I don’t count them every night right before bed.”
In 2008, he completed what he called Project 365. He summited the tower for 365 straight days, at first to bring attention to poverty on the nearby Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, then just to prove to himself that he could.
Sanders isn’t alone in his appreciation of the beauty and wonder of the geological formation, which juts out of the Wyoming prairie and dominates the skyline for miles in every direction. Each year more than 400,000 people flock to the northeast corner of Wyoming to explore the tower’s mystique and find out why President Theodore Roosevelt made it America’s first national monument back in 1906. While climbing attracts a select group, the park and surrounding area have a lot to offer those who are interested in something other than a rush of adrenaline.
Inside the park, five trails — some paved, some paths — offer fantastic views of the monument from different angles. The trails range from 0.6 to 2.8 miles long, and from flat to hilly. Two run through what is known as prairie dog town, which is home to hundreds of burrowing rodents that pop up out of holes, stand on their hind legs, and look around.
The park also has its own campground, Belle Fourche River Campground, which has 43 pull-through sites for RVs up to 35 feet. Drinking water and rest rooms are available, but none of the sites offer hookups. Sites are booked on a first-come, first-served basis, and stays are limited to 14 days.
Devils Tower View Campground is three miles away, with 30- and 50-amp sites. Just outside the park entrance is a Devils Tower KOA, which offers 100 pull-through sites with 50-amp full hookups, as well as a restaurant and a gift shop. The campground has nightly viewings of the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which prominently features Devils Tower.
For a unique shopping experience, it’s worth a trip across the street to the Devils Tower Trading Post. The store includes an ice cream parlor, a snack bar, and a souvenir area where you can pick up buffalo hides and Native American crafts.
More dining options can be found in nearby towns. Hulett, 10 miles north, is home to Devils Tower Gulch, a steakhouse and bar with branding-iron marks singed into the wood posts. Sundance, where the “Kid” got his name, is 28 miles away. The Sundance Kid would have eaten at Longhorn Saloon and Grill. The locals of Moorcroft, 32 miles away, eat at Donna’s Diner. Aladdin, 35 miles distant, has only 15 buildings, but one is Cindy B’s Café, which is known for its homemade pies.
The National Park Service runs Devils Tower National Monument, which sits just 62 miles northeast of Gillette, the site of FMCA’s 103rd International Convention & RV Expo, July 7 through 10. The monument site and trails are open 24 hours a day, but park facilities are only open during regular hours and require a pass. Rangers offer informational programs, including night-sky viewing programs about constellations and galaxies, which can be seen clearly in the darkness that falls on the area once the sun goes down. As the rangers say, “Half the park is after dark.”
For more information, including temporary operational changes and site closures that may be in effect in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, visit http://nps.gov/deto.
App File
Rest Stops
Highway rest stops can be a blessing for dozens of reasons — to stretch your legs, walk the dog, grab a snack, use the rest room, get your bearings. The question is: Where’s the next one? These apps can help you give your mind a rest.
Rest Stops Ahead: The app combines rest stop locations, data, and reviews with trip planning, which allows you to plan, drive, and navigate your trip using a single tool. Plug in your preferred amenities, such as “RV Dumping” and “Pet-Friendly,” and it offers alternative routes with more or better stops. Monthly fee of $9.99 or annual fee of $49.99. www.reststopsahead.com.
Rest Stops Plus: From the developers at Allstays, this app not only lists rest stops but also welcome centers, turnouts, service plazas, and scenic vistas in the United States and Canada. It also offers details about each, such as RV dump stations, Wi-Fi, pet friendly, vending machines, picnic tables, and whether security is available. You can filter it to show only stops in the direction you are headed. $1.99 for iOS. www.allstays.com/apps/reststops.html.
USA Rest Stops: The app covers interstates, U.S. highways, and state highways. It lets you find traditional rest areas as well as welcome centers and service plazas on turnpikes. Comments from other travelers give honest assessments, and alerts can be set to notify you when you’re within five miles of the next stop. Free for iOS and Android. www.usareststops.com.
Campground Spotlight
Osage Beach RV Park, Osage Beach, Missouri
The amenities at Osage Beach RV Park are abundant, including a pool and colorful sunsets.
Lake of the Ozarks is a long and winding waterway that snakes through the geographic heart of Missouri. Formed in 1931 when the Bagnell Dam was built along the Osage River, its abundance of coves and inlets create more than 1,150 miles of shoreline filled with lakefront properties and aquatic playgrounds.
A large chunk of the lake’s shoreline is surrounded by the 17,441-acre Lake of the Ozarks State Park, just outside the city of Osage Beach. More than 1.6 million visitors flock to the park each year, which is one of the reasons the Osage Beach RV Park is such a popular stop for RVers. Situated between the state park and the city of Osage Beach, it’s the perfect middle ground between nature’s beauty and city conveniences.
But there’s more to the RV park than its location.
“Obviously, Lake of the Ozarks is the main attraction to this area with so many fantastic recreational opportunities,” said Caleb Johnson, who owns the RV park with his wife, Kelli, and Jim and Joyce Calhoun. “There are caves to explore, hiking trails, waterparks, nationally accredited golf courses, marinas for boat rentals, fishing guides, bars/restaurants, go-carts, miniature golf, shopping. And we are centrally located to all of the attractions. But we also take pride in being a clean, quiet, family-friendly park. Guests often compliment us and our staff on our hospitality and willingness to help.”
Osage Beach RV Park has so many trees that satellite reception can be spotty, so free cable TV is included. Even the pull-through sites in the middle of the park are shady.
The park has 47 daily sites and 46 seasonal sites for RVs, with full hookups and Wi-Fi. Almost all the sites have patios. And with so many trees surrounding the sites, satellite connectivity can be spotty, so cable TV is free as well. The laundry is open 24 hours a day, and rest rooms are given extra cleaning care.
For active RVers or those traveling with young ones, there’s a swimming pool and kiddie pool, a playground, a shuffleboard court, and a horseshoe pit. Also included: a 1,200-square-foot pavilion with picnic tables, as well as a 500-square-foot meeting/club room.
Veterans, active military, and first responders receive a 10 percent discount, and everyone gets a 15 percent discount for stays of four or more nights — except during holidays and special events, including Bikefest in September. Special discounts also apply to clubs booking six or more sites.
While winter temperatures in the Ozarks aren’t bitter, Osage Beach RV Park closes on October 31 (not a trick) and doesn’t reopen until April 1 (no fooling).
Details
Osage Beach RV Park, C7312*
3949 Campground Lane
Osage Beach, MO 65065
(573) 348-3445
www.osagebeachrvpark.net
* FMCA Commercial Member
Outdoors
Water Safety
For many folks, including RVers, summer means hours of fun at the pool, beach, or lake. The American Red Cross notes that it’s easy to become complacent when we’re in — or on — the water. Follow these safety tips and avoid the unexpected, except maybe the surprise of jumping into a chilly pool.
*Always swim with a buddy.
*Swim in designated areas and when a lifeguard is on duty.
*When boating, make sure everyone is wearing a life jacket, even if the water is calm.
*If you have your own boat or pool, have a life preserver handy.
*Keep an eye on children and grandchildren at all times. Never leave a child unattended, even for a moment.
*Establish ground rules for safe conduct ahead of a water outing. If anyone breaks a rule while at the pool, the beach, or elsewhere, address it immediately.
*Avoid alcohol when swimming, boating, or participating in other water sports or activities.
Make sure everyone in your group knows how to swim well. It’s never too late to learn! Find a class at https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/swimming, or conduct your own online search.