Badlands National Park, South Dakota (Miles to date: 6350)
Once again fortified by another of Judy’s great breakfasts we set off for the 80 miles journey out to the Badlands National Park. The landscape for the majority of the journey is typical of the Dakota’s – i.e. flat and non-descript. As we approach the Badlands it changes to an amazing barren landscape, devoid of any vegetation and crater like formations. Most peculiar!! Before exploring this amazing landscape we decide to visit a National Historic Monument – the Minute Man Missile Historic Monument.
North and South Dakota was the home to 500 or so Minute Man Missiles – primarily because of the central location in the USA, the remoteness and lack of population. This is the only National Park dedicated to the cold war. The visitors centre is a very temporary building with a small display area and a very helpful Ranger. Unfortunately we missed the tour of the underground launch bunker and missile silo which are a little distance away, but nevertheless it was a very interesting experience for both adults and children. We must come back and do the bunker tour some time.
Returning to the Badlands we stop off at the visitor centre. A visit to National Park visitors’ centres has become de rigour for our tour and Jack and Emily love the Junior Ranger programmes which have become a part of their education. This time we learn about the formation of the Badlands – sedimentary deposits that were laid down when a shallow sea filled the interior of the USA. As this sea retreated and finally disappeared these sedimentary deposits hardened but were eroded over the years by the elements leaving the structures that are now found in the Badlands. We also learn about the wildlife – in particular the endangered black footed ferret which has been re-introduced back into the Badlands. To complete our visit we take the scenic drive through the park, which takes us back towards Rapid City. The steep spiralling peaks and precipitous canyons provide the most spectacular backdrop for this ride, and there are plenty of scenic overviews that provide endless perspectives of this natural wonder. For those who haven’t seen the Badlands you need to hurry as they will be worn down (they are eroding a few feet per year) to some very unimpressive undulating mounds in the next 500,000 years or so – these peaks are ever-changing through the impacts of erosion.
On the way back along the I-90 we stop at the town of Wall to visit the Wall Drug Store. This is a bit of an institution – the store has expanded to take up about half of the main street in Wall and on a good day attracts 20,000 people through its doors (over a million people per year). The store started in 1931, but was not a roaring success, so its owner Ted Hustead put up roadside bill board offering free water and before you know it they were teeming with people. This sent Ted a bit billboard loopy so he erected these all over the USA, and the world, with mileage provided to the store. Signs have appeared in such locations as the North and South Poles, the Paris Metro, rail stations in Kenya, bus stations in London, and visitors to the Taj Mahal. Fortunately laws have been passed in the US to remove many of these pointless bill boards so if you want to see these for yourself you will have to travel to South Dakota.
Once again fortified by another of Judy’s great breakfasts we set off for the 80 miles journey out to the Badlands National Park. The landscape for the majority of the journey is typical of the Dakota’s – i.e. flat and non-descript. As we approach the Badlands it changes to an amazing barren landscape, devoid of any vegetation and crater like formations. Most peculiar!! Before exploring this amazing landscape we decide to visit a National Historic Monument – the Minute Man Missile Historic Monument.North and South Dakota was the home to 500 or so Minute Man Missiles – primarily because of the central location in the USA, the remoteness and lack of population. This is the only National Park dedicated to the cold war. The visitors centre is a very temporary building with a small display area and a very helpful Ranger. Unfortunately we missed the tour of the underground launch bunker and missile silo which are a little distance away, but nevertheless it was a very interesting experience for both adults and children. We must come back and do the bunker tour some time.
Returning to the Badlands we stop off at the visitor centre. A visit to National Park visitors’ centres has become de rigour for our tour and Jack and Emily love the Junior Ranger programmes which have become a part of their education. This time we learn about the formation of the Badlands – sedimentary deposits that were laid down when a shallow sea filled the interior of the USA. As this sea retreated and finally disappeared these sedimentary deposits hardened but were eroded over the years by the elements leaving the structures that are now found in the Badlands. We also learn about the wildlife – in particular the endangered black footed ferret which has been re-introduced back into the Badlands. To complete our visit we take the scenic drive through the park, which takes us back towards Rapid City. The steep spiralling peaks and precipitous canyons provide the most spectacular backdrop for this ride, and there are plenty of scenic overviews that provide endless perspectives of this natural wonder. For those who haven’t seen the Badlands you need to hurry as they will be worn down (they are eroding a few feet per year) to some very unimpressive undulating mounds in the next 500,000 years or so – these peaks are ever-changing through the impacts of erosion.
On the way back along the I-90 we stop at the town of Wall to visit the Wall Drug Store. This is a bit of an institution – the store has expanded to take up about half of the main street in Wall and on a good day attracts 20,000 people through its doors (over a million people per year). The store started in 1931, but was not a roaring success, so its owner Ted Hustead put up roadside bill board offering free water and before you know it they were teeming with people. This sent Ted a bit billboard loopy so he erected these all over the USA, and the world, with mileage provided to the store. Signs have appeared in such locations as the North and South Poles, the Paris Metro, rail stations in Kenya, bus stations in London, and visitors to the Taj Mahal. Fortunately laws have been passed in the US to remove many of these pointless bill boards so if you want to see these for yourself you will have to travel to South Dakota.
2 comments:
Hi guys.
Hope all well. Where are you now?
So glad you made it to
Wall Drug - what an institution! Sorry you missed Crazy Horse, though - the cost is due to the fact that the designer didn't want government money for his project, so it's self-funded by those entry fees. It was nice to see the progress made on it since we were last there, though! Keep truckin'!
Sandi :)
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