Close Encounters at Devils Tower

October 14, 2026

We were sorry to leave the chilly morning of Day 14 of our latest journey. The Holmes Farm was so quiet and peaceful.

I actually set an alarm so we wouldn’t miss the sunrise coming up over the Yellowstone River valley. It was worth it!

The fog, the cows mooing in the distance. . . and then a couple of deer came frolicking through the pasture. The flowers, the pumpkin patch all beckoned us to photograph them. And we did. And enjoyed every moment!

Leaving the farm, we drove for miles down a gravel road less traveled! We knew we could have turned back and taken the highway, but we didn’t. We encountered pheasants, hawks, geese, black-billed magpies, and more deer along with cows and horses.

After stopping in Miles City for gas and a quick breakfast, we then turned south toward Wyoming again. From plateaus, hills, absolutely flat prairie, then more rolling hills, the view just kept changing.

We spotted prairied dog colonies, antelope herds, and a lone bald eagle. And only 1 school bus stop sign!

Our resting place for the next couple of days was the KOA at Devils Tower, and our site had a direct view of the amazing rock tower! And to top it off, they show the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” every evening at 6pm on their patio! I had never seen the movie before, so I was really looking forward to it.

Unfortunately, that night we only got halfway through the movie before I got too cold and we had to retreat to the van. I was determined to dress warmer the next night.