July Over Already?

Above, the trip included a return visit to Devils Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This had to have been the fastest July in my memory. We're already at the last day of the month and August 1 is tomorrow and the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial begins.

Given the drought conditions in New Mexico, it would not have been wise to shoot off any Independence Day fireworks. Some bans were put in place (and some were ignored).

My month of activities started on July 6 when Mitch Geriminsky and I head off to Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota for some history exploring. We were going to leave July 8, but decided to leave two days earlier and just take our time driving through Utah and Colorado to get to Cody, Wyoming for the Winchester Arms Collectors Association's gun show.

Above, inside the Plains Indian Museum in Cody. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

 We saw some interesting places along the way, such as Flaming Gorge National Recreational Area. We stayed one night in Moab, Utah, which came in handy for me in scouting the area for when I plan to return there in September to help out with the John Wayne Cancer Foundation marathons. 

Above, the vacation included a stop at The Wrangler store in Cheyenne. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Other activities included touring the Little Bighorn Battlefield, Devils Tower and roaming around the Black Hills of South Dakota. We ended the trip on July 17. This was my longest vacation trip since the 2017 Great American Eclipse trip. 

August will be mostly noted for me by getting the Jeep repaired and the deck repaired, which is not as exciting as July.