DAY 27
Week 4
GARRYOWEN (Montana, USA) to DEVILS TOWER NATIONAL MONUMENT (Wyoming, USA)
Monday July 17th, 2006
TODAYS MILEAGE – 389 miles or 626 kilometres
TRIP MILEAGE – 3195 miles or 5142 kilometres
Watch out faw them thar injuns!!! 
Today started off with a beautiful dawn at 7th Ranch RV Campground in Garryowen (Montana). This was my very first RV park and although there was no shade to speak of and the wind blew up the hill we were parked on, it was all fairly new so this minor things can be excudes. In a few years and maybe some shade awnings, it will be great place to camp.
I got to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument an hour after it opened and the car park was nearly full. I got my spot by sheer luck and spent the next 3 hours just wandering around. It was fairly informative and I took a lot with me from the visit. One interesting fact was that George Bush Snr signed the Presidential Order in 1991 renaming Custer's National Monument to the Little Bighorn National Monument to recognize the Native American Indians participation and subsequent losses in the battles.
History is even being made at Little Bighorn National Monument in my generation. A 19 year old local Crow women enlisted in the military and became the first woman, in the history of the US Armed Forces to be killed in active combat. It was during the current conflict in Iraq. Inside the Visitor center there have dedicated an Indian war bonnet in her name and looking at this very personal memorial touched me.
I was headed to Devils Tower National Monument when the RV starts coughing & farting, so I pulled into the closest town, which was Sheridan (Wyoming). 4 hours later I had the fuel filters replaced and the vacuum manifold re-connected and I was off again. Well what a difference, the thing pulled really well, even with all the blustering cross and head winds I ran into.
I'm not sure if it's because the repairs I did in Sheridan, but my right foot gets really hot now. I suspect the seal on the engine cover may not be sitting correctly. Just another thing to add to the to-do list???
I made good time, but was never going to make it to Devils Monument to do it any kind of justice. I stopped for dinner at Devils Tower Fort, at the entrance to the park, and quite possible had one of the worst meals I've ever had. They made a great deal of having a new chef, but if he tries eating his own cooking then there will be another chefs vacancy.
I got myself camped overlooking the Devils Tower and had a wonderful sunset, as you can see.!!!
The worms were a biting and it was simple matter of crossing the road to get some Mongolian for dinner. Wanna guess what the fortune cookie said??? "One joy will scatter a hundred sorrows".
The way my luck has been going of late I'd reckon "One joy will come from a hundred cold Hienekin's"
Tomorrow's another and and any day above ground is a good one.
Nighty nite.
• LITTLE BIG HORN ~ National Monument (Montana, USA)
• DEVILS TOWER ~ National Monument (Wyoming, USA)