Sometimes things are not what you expect from reading the guidebooks.

I continued due west out of Custer State Park. My original destination was Thermopolis, WY where I heard from several people the hotsprings are excellent. However, while eating lunch a brochure informed me how close I was to Devil's Tower and I decided to make a detour. It looked very close on the map, but it was a long boring drive through the vastness of Wyoming to get there. It was impressive, but I can't say it was worth it. I mean you see it take a few pictures and then there is nothing to do except drive several hours to the next decent town. I wanted to still make Thermopolis by nightfall, but ended up in some derelict little town when I just couldn't drive any more.

The next day I made it to Thermopolis, WY, several hundred miles south of my route. I was told by at least three different people that it would be a great place to relax. Unfortunately, I thought the place was a dump, the town had nothing, the springs were not well maintained and worst of all the water was not even hot. I got up the next day and headed out.