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| The Badlands |
We arrived in the area known as the Badlands around 2:00. Right beside the store, at the Badlands exit, we saw mounds and mounds of prairie dog homes with little prairie dogs all about. Rachel was the most thrilled by this! Next, we headed to the entrance of Badlands National Park. We learned that long ago places were deemed "bad" lands if they were particularly difficult to cross and had no water. This area was all that and more for sure! It was a breathtaking sight. The Badlands overlap with Buffalo Gap National Grassland so the landscape transitioned into rolling prairie land beyond the rugged mountain area. It all stretched on for miles! We got out and walked a trail that led out into a very rocky area that looked as if we were walking on the moon. In the end, we spent about 3 hours there...we hiked, drove, observed and saw buffalo, mountain goats, prairie dogs, deer and these small gerbil type critters. Fun but moving on...
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| Read the sign! |
Next stop, Mt. Rushmore! After driving up and up and up and up the hill we finally arrived at the entrance to Rushmore. At first sight, we were shocked that the faces of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt did not seem bigger. However, as you walk up to the viewing areas all around and zoom in with the various cameras in hand, you realize that the pupils of each eye are about the size of a semi-truck! Amazing accomplishment to be able to create such stunning likeness in a mountain of rock no matter the size. We stayed there as long as we could as the temperature began to drop quickly as the sun went down. Tomorrow we head to Cody, Wyoming.
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