"Close Encounters" and Devils Tower KOA

Above, Close Encounters of the Third Kind is screened nightly
with Devils Tower in the background. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During our recent trip up to Wyoming, Montana, Colorado and South Dakota, one stop was at Devils Tower National Monument, famous for appearing in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). It took us a few hours to reach Devils Tower from the Little Bighorn Battlefield in Montana.

During our one-night stay at the Devils Tower KOA Kampground, we joined other campers for the nightly screening of the movie. 

Above, a view of Devils Tower from our campsite. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The KOA screens the movie every night when they are open. In an article in 2023, Cowboy State Daily showed that they seemed to have a larger screen and provided some seating. When we attended, the screen was smaller and we had to bring our own chairs. 

Still, we enjoyed our screening (until it started getting cold out). 

The Cowboy State Daily article began with:

DEVILS TOWER — What was once a common hayfield is now an uncommon campground.

The Devils Tower KOA campground is No. 1 in the national campground system for having above 90% occupancy on one-night stays during the summer season.

A lot of that is location.

“We’re the perfect distance from Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone,” Zannie Driskill, who co-owns the Devils Tower KOA with her husband Ogden, told Cowboy State Daily. “So, if you leave Cody, you get here late afternoon or early evening. And if you leave Mount Rushmore, you get here, you know, a little after lunch and you can be here all day. And if you jump up the next morning, you can be in Cody without traveling too hard or anything.”

But there’s more at work here than just near-perfect distance from two world-famous landmarks.

The campground itself is a one-of-a-kind experience. It’s located just below Devils Tower, the tallest columnar formation of its kind in the world, and it’s where Steven Spielberg filmed “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” a 1977 box office smash that set records and helped rescue Columbia Pictures from bankruptcy.

To read the full article, go here. 

Forbes "Ultimate Guide To COVID-19"

Above, yours truly at the Albuquerque Sunport. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

The world we live in today is very confusing. Some states are requiring masks, others aren't. In some, vaccinated people don't have to wear them, while in some others they do. Some have restrictive mandates in place, others don't. 

Sometimes, one feels like Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind when he exclaims in frustration, "This is nuts!"

To help in navigating through the muck, Forbes posted the "Ultimate Guide To COVID-19 Restrictions: Masks, Testing, Vaccine Mandates And More". Since their posting is dated August 28, I am assuming that it is up-to-date.

They begin it with:

Gone are the days of planning a carefree getaway on the fly. Nearly two years into the pandemic, it’s now painfully clear that we’re going to be dealing with Covid-related travel restrictions for months and years to come. So it’s essential to do some basic pre-trip homework to assess not only the risk of traveling but what, if any, protocols are in place—not just in a specific destination but along the entire journey.

At the same time, a pattern is emerging, where travel is easier and less restrictive for those who are fully vaccinated. In some major American cities, for instance, vaccine mandates are already in place for indoor dining, sports venues and entertainment arenas. And in many countries around the world, a person’s vaccination status determines whether the welcome mat is rolled out.

So, if those who are reading this are in need of some guidance, go here.

Devils Tower To Begin Reopening Friday

Above, Devils Tower in Wyoming. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those hoping to see UFOs, there's some good news.

Devils Tower in Wyoming will begin reopening Friday.

According to the Billings Gazette:

Devils Tower National Monument will begin to reopen Friday, about two months after the popular tourist site closed down. 

The monument will reopen in phases, according to an announcement released Monday from Nickolos J. Myers, the monument's supervisory park ranger. On Friday, park roads, hiking trails, picnic areas and rock climbing routes will open. 

However, the Belle Fourche River Campground, Devils Tower Visitors Center and Devils Tower Natural Association Bookstore will remain closed. The announcement did not include a date for those services to reopen.

To read more, go here. 

Empty Shelves At Walmart

Above, a lot of empty shelves where cold and flu remedies are usually kept. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

"This is nuts!" - Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Today, I saw first hand the panic (and outright stupidity) of what the media-driven hysteria over the coronavirus has caused people. 

I had to go to Walmart in Gallup to pick up my prescriptions and the store was packed with people. Most of them had stacks of packages of paper towels in their shopping carts.

While in line to get my prescriptions, I noticed a lot of empty shelves where cold and flu medicines are kept. I took a picture of them.

After getting my prescriptions, I decided to wander over to where the paper towels and bathroom tissue (the polite term for toilet paper or ass wipe) are kept to take a look. The shelves were completely devoid of any. 

Above, empty shelves that usually hold bathroom tissue. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

These are the kinds of scenes that are commonplace in socialist countries. (Any of you jackasses still want to live under socialism?)  It's a wonder governors haven't ordered an odd/even system (corresponding to birthdays) for defecating to conserve toilet paper.

The sad part about it is that this whole mess is ridiculous and totally unnecessary. Welcome to Venezuela!

It is a good thing that I bought toilet paper last week and have packages of RV toilet paper in The Beast. So, I'm good.

One the bright side, I saw that unleaded regular gasoline at the Flying J is priced at $2.099 a gallon.

$4 Million In Upgrades Planned For Devils Tower National Monument

Above, Devils Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Some people may not know Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming by name, but they'd certainly recognize it if they saw Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).

The national monument is to have about $4 million in upgrades.

KNBN NewsCenter 1 reported:

GILLETTE, Wyo. (The Gillette (Wyo.) News Record) — The National Park Service is about to begin facility and trail work totaling almost $4 million in Devils Tower National Monument. 

The work will include making an overlook trail more accessible to people who are in wheelchairs or have other physical limitations.

Speaking of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a KOA Kampground outside of the national monument screens the movie nightly for guests.

To read more, go here.

The Guest Room Coming Together

Above, the new night stand, lamp and sofa bed. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today was cold, but warm and sunny enough to venture out.

The first thing I did was to head over to the Flying J Travel Center to pick up my mail. Then, after that, I headed into Gallup to check out the town's mall, the Rio West Mall.

By Los Angeles standards, the Rio West Mall is on the small side with the only major department store being J. C. Penney. They had a number of small stores (Hot Topic was one of them) and a food court.

I went there to see about a night stand for the guest room (that will double as a library/den). I did manage to find a F.Y.E. video and music store. While there, I picked up the Universal Pictures Dracula Legacy Collection on DVD and a Blu-ray of Close Encounters of The Third Kind that contained the original theatrical version (I watched it tonight, the first time I've seen it in over 35 years), the "Special Edition" that came out in the 1980s and the "Director's Cut".

Seeing no furniture stores at the Rio West Mall, I headed out and after leaving the parking lot, I spotted a furniture store. I went in but didn't see anything that suited me.

I then decided to go over to the Furniture Warehouse, where I bought the sofa bed and dinette set. I found a night stand/end table that was just right and with a lower price than what I was seeing online.

They delivered the night stand this afternoon and it is now in place. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a table lamp for the guest room and finally unboxed it and put it in the guest room. The finished result is pictured at top.

Definitely a good day for getting things done.

Improvements Coming To Devil's Tower National Monument

Above, Devil's Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Devil's Tower National Monument in Wyoming will be seeing some improvements this coming year.

The Rapid City Journal reported:

The National Park Service announced last week that it is planning a number of upgrades to Devils Tower National Monument that will improve accessibility and visitor experience.  

The most significant is a new accessible approach to the 1.3-mile-long Tower Trail, which winds around the base of the tower. The trail is the most popular hiking path in the park, which attracts around 500,000 visitors every year, said spokeswoman Nancy Stimson. 

Other improvements include new interpretive exhibits along the Tower Trail, an interpretive plaza and accessible walkways to the trailhead and visitor center.  A climber registration office will also be developed and installed. 

Devil's Tower National Monument became a popular tourist attraction for movie buffs following the release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977.  The KOA Kampground near the main entrance screens the movie nightly during the summer season.

To read more, go here.

Man Dies In Fall From Devils Tower

Above, Devils Tower in Wyoming. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A climber of Wyoming's Devils Tower was killed in a fall on Friday.

According to the Star-Tribune:

A Gillette man died Friday after falling during a climb of Devils Tower, the National Park Service reported. 

Matthew Sorenson, 38, suffered major head injuries after he fell while climbing with friends on the Sundance route. He was wearing a helmet at the time. 

Sorenson is the first person to die climbing Devils Tower since 2003, according to the Park Service.

Devils Tower was made famous in Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977.

To read more, go here.

Devil's Tower Benefited Local Economy

Above, Devil's Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Devil's Tower National Monument benefited the local economies of surrounding communities last year.

KULR8.com reported:

DEVILS TOWER, Wyo. (AP) - Visitors to Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming spent more than $31 million in communities near the park last year.

Devil's Tower played a prominent role in the 1977 movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

To read more, go here.

Mount Rushmore To Yellowstone Vacation

Above, Mount Rushmore National Monument. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If you cannot afford to go to Japan or just want to take a vacation this summer a little more closer to home, I have a suggestion.

This vacation involves camping, but if you aren't the camping type, you can still do it by staying in hotels or motels.

Back in 1990, I took my family on a camping trip (I had a tent trailer at the time) through some of the prairie and Rocky Mountain states such as Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana and South Dakota.

We began the trip in Los Angeles and drove through central Utah for our first night's stay at a KOA Kampground in Lyman, Wyoming. In fact, all of our stays were in KOA Kampgrounds. While in Lyman, we toured Fort Bridger.

From there, we went across Wyoming to another KOA near Fort Laramie for the second night's stay.

Then, the next morning, we drove into South Dakota and stayed at the Mount Rushmore KOA near the Mount Rushmore National Monument. It was a bit crowded at the time as the annual Sturgis, South Dakota biker rally was taking place. We never saw so many motorcycles in our lives.

While in South Dakota, we toured Mount Rushmore National Monument, visited the under-construction Crazy Horse monument, rode a steam locomotive and visited Deadwood, South Dakota and took a tour of the town and the cemetery where Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane are buried.

Above, Devil's Tower National Monument. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After South Dakota, we headed through northern Wyoming to Devil's Tower National Monument. Devil's Tower is best known for being featured prominently in Close Encounters of The Third Kind (1977). Speaking of Close Encounters, there is a KOA Kampground near the entrance to Devil's Tower National Monument that screens the movie nightly during the summer vacation months.

From there, the plan was to go to the George Armstrong Custer battlefield at Little Big Horn, but we encountered some strong winds that caused some damage to the trailer. So we headed straight to Yellowstone National Park and stayed in a cabin at the West Yellowstone KOA (thank goodness we already had reservations there and they had a camping cabin available).

Above, Upper Yellowstone Falls in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We toured Yellowstone National Park and then headed down to nearby Grand Teton National Park before heading back to Los Angeles.

If you don't mind driving and want to see a lot of historical places and great scenery, I heartily recommend making this circular vacation route.