Close encounters
of the stormy kind

Devil's Tower was an amazing natural phenomenon, an immense scarred rock made famous by its starring role in the 70s sci-fi classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, proudly shown every night at the campground.

That evening, camping in the shadow of the Tower, we were treated to the most spectacular thunderstorm I'd ever experienced. Deafening crashes of thunder, mixed with dramatic forks of lightning made an eerie scene against the backdrop of Devil's Tower. Our valiant chefs of the evening attempted to cook our dinner in the wind and rain, whilst many of us stood watching the stormy skies in awe & in hope of catching the lightning on camera.

Wasn't too windy

Chicago was a cool city and proved to be quite easy to explore on foot. Navy Pier was perhaps the most popular area for tourists and locals alike and a boat tour gave great views & photo opportunities of the city skyline.

Hot dogs and burgers were on the menu for dinner that night as we were treated to the kind of diner you only thought existed in the movies. The waiters jovially hurled abuse at us one second and then sang and danced the next! We ate our fast food fast and then headed to Navy Pier to enjoy a very impressive fireworks display.