Wow!! The Badlands are something to see with the colors of the rocks and their unique formations stretching as far as we can see.
This is a nice change from the featureless plains we just crossed.
Our first thought is, “I wonder what the first pioneers thought when they saw this?”
Imagine traveling across the plains for months only to come upon this gaping hole in the earth that seems to stretch on forever.
The mounds are tall and dispersed.
I can’t imagine trying to navigate this field with a wagon and horses.
Maybe that cabin we saw just before arriving here was one of those pioneers who saw this and said, “Hell, no!”
We are enjoying our drive but would like to get off the rim and down in among the rocks.
We see a boardwalk of sorts that leads out into the formations.
But wow, is it hot! The temperature, according to the Avalanche, is 106 degrees. It doesn’t feel as bad as it sounds, so off we go. The hike is worth the effort and we get up close and personal with some cool formations.
We go pretty far out and on our way back I check to see if maybe there is a shortcut back to the truck.
No go, we are going to have to go back to the board walk and then make our way to the truck.
We are on our way back to the truck, and John comments that in PA we would be soaking wet with sweat. That is when we notice we aren’t sweating at all. Uh-oh. We know we’re in trouble. Heat exhaustion. We get back in the truck and crank the air conditioner and drink water.
It is time to make our way out of here and find a hotel room. Neither of us are feeling very well.
The rest of the drive through the badlands is just as beautiful but John is taking pictures from the comfort of the air conditioned truck.
We exit the Badlands National Park and head for a place called Wall Drug, and hope that it is the oasis the billboards have made it out to be.
It is, thankfully. After what we have just been through in the Badlands, I appreciate the “free water”. (The Wall general store survived the depression by offering free water to draw in tourist and travelers.) We’ve decided on ice cream for supper to try and cool down from the inside out.
There is this adorable little motel just down the street called Ann’s Motel. It is clean, neat, and above all air conditioned. It is actually better than the Holiday Inn we stayed at last night. This place has a kind of B&B feel to it.
