Badlands...more like RADlands!



Exploring the Badlands National Park



A PRAIRIE DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A bighorn sheep and her little one

Elizabeth in the middle of the Badlands

Our cozy campsite in the Black Hills

We spent today exploring one of the most unique places we've ever visited.  Per Uncle Willy's (the kind older park ranger we met at Mt. Rushmore) advice, we took scenic route 44 through Buffalo Gap National Grasslands to the entrance of the Badlands National Park.  We stopped at the visitor's center and chatted with some more park rangers about all there is to know about the Badlands.  Park rangers are some of the friendliest people around.  We spent the next 3 hours exploring the park.  I don't even know if I can describe it well.  The Badlands are so strange - ugly and beautiful at the same time.  They have so many different layers and colors that tell the story of their formation over the last millions of years.  The temperatures were in the upper 80s but it felt so much hotter in the Badlands because there is absolutely no shade.  It almost felt like we were hiking on another planet - with terrain unlike anything we've ever seen before.  In the Badlands they've found tons of cool fossils - three-toed horses, saber tooth cats, and other prehistoric animals.  You have to watch out for rattlesnakes - they like to hide in the nooks and crannies in the rocks.  We heard some rattling, but didn't see any.  However...we did see PRAIRIE DOGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I was so excited to watch these silly little critters.  I think Tillie would love to have one as a buddy.  The prairie dogs pop out of their holes, wag their tails, eat some grass, raise up on their hind legs to check out what's going on, and generally look like they live a very happy and satisfying life.  Watching the prairie dogs was one of the highlights of the trip so far for me.  Jake was not nearly as amused with them.  We also saw bighorn sheep and mule deer on our drive through the grasslands.  We wore ourselves out and returned to our lovely little campsite for some dinner and s'mores by the campfire.  It was an awesome day.  We hope things are great where you are!