It is 10:30 am and 96 degrees already. We have both had a good night sleep and are feeling refreshed and ready to head for the Badlands. We would like to camp out tonight but it may be just too hot.
We pass a tourist attraction call the “1880 Town,” and in the field are metal statues of Indians on horseback surrounded by live buffalo. What a cool thing to see. We don’t have enough time to stop at all attractions so we are going to keep on rolling.
As we approach the town of Kadoka, we see signs for the Badlands Petrified Gardens.
I have never seen petrified anything. Okay, maybe fossils I found at the Montour Preserves on a junior high school field trip. We’re ready for a break so we decide to stop.
Petrified wood looks chalky and almost see-through in some sections.
You can really see the bark on the outside of this log. It really does look like a regular stump until you touch it.
Those little buggers were a problem in the way-back too. People pay big bucks for furniture made with worm trails. Who knew?
Worm holes, hun? Couldn’t it be woodpeckers?
I hope this doesn’t fall over on me. Petrified wood is really rock, and I bet this guy is pretty heavy.
I can’t imagine trying to raise a family in a tiny house like this. It’s about the size of an 8 by 10 storage unit.
And I’m not sure where the settlers would have found the trees to build a cottage in this area? They must have repurposed the wagons they used to get here.
Back on the road, and $20 lighter.
