Badlands & Wind Cave, SD

I'm getting a little behind on blogging, thanks to lack of availability of wi-fi in the Dakotas (and my propensity to go off topic and write about evil giant cows.)

Yesterday, I made it to South Dakota. I beelined it for Mount Rushmore, which was, as everyone else who had already been there told me, less impressive than you'd expect. I could see it from the road, so that's all I did, rather than pay the $8 to get a little closer. I followed the road to the Crazy Horse Memorial, which looked even less impressive (it's very incomplete) and was more expensive. I'm such a cheapskate now; I guess retirement has given me a little more appreciation for the almighty dollar!

Then it was time for Wind Cave National Park. When I got there, I was shocked at how crowded it was-- everything I had read said it was infrequently visited, especially during the week. Luckily, I was able to get the last ticket for cave tour that started right when I got there. The caves are known for their boxwork formations, which are honeycomb-like calcite structures whose origin is still unknown.

I left Wind Cave without exploring the surface, because it was getting late. This might have been a mistake, but it gives me a reason to come back.

Today I headed toward Badlands. But before I got there, I found the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. It's basically a cold-war era nuclear missile silo. They had an amusing picture of the door to the launch control room:

When I got to Badlands National Park, the first thing that happened was the Yellow Subaru found its long lost cousin! After that, I hiked some mostly easy trails and then drove the loop road. The views are similar to the views at Theodore Roosevelt, but still very unique. The terrain was mostly white, the reflectiveness of which made me resort to contact lenses and sunglasses. Here are a few pics.




In comparing Badlands with T.R., I'd give a slight nod to T.R. They are similarly beautiful and interesting in scenery, but T.R. feels more interactive, with more self-guided nature hikes. Tomorrow: Wyoming.