Badlands National Park

Rob's parents and grandparents live on opposite sides of the state and so the easiest way to get to see everybody- and show Erika the state- was to drive. And unlike driving through, say, Kansas, or Iowa, the drive through South Dakota isn't too bad. We started out in the Black Hills, moved east into the rolling plains, crossed the bluffs over the Missouri River, and then eased into the flat farmland.  It was a little tough going over and back without much of a break, but the promise of free ice water at Wall Drug can really keep you going. But, before we stopped in for our free drink, we pulled off the interstate and looped through Badlands National Park.

Like a scene from another planet and completely out of place in the prairie, the Badlands is an absolutely gorgeous park. Formed of sediment left behind when the inland sea that used to cover the Great Plains receded, the Badlands continue to erode with each rain (which also brings out bright coloring). The area is fossil-rich and finds have shown the area was once populated by precursors to the horse, rhino, and alligator. These days, it's home to bison, bobcats, coyotes, bighorn sheep, rattlesnakes, and of course, prairie dogs. We took some shots at the prairie dogs (with the camera!) but didn't get much more than little blobs of fur.  So, instead, here are a few more pictures of the Badlands: