Ahhhhh, another beautiful day.... well, sort of, if you discount the fact that it's raining and I have to take the dogs for their morning constitutional. But, it's Fathers Day and Tina is fixing Bacon and Eggs for breakfast. By the time I got back to the coach the rain had pretty much stopped. With the kids dried off and a tummy full of home cookin' I can face the day with equanimity.We pulled out of camp around 9:30 AM and jumped on I-90 headed for the Badlands. It was a good drive with the mist clearing up within the first thirty miles and the sun coming out after that. We only had a few construction zones to deal with, otherwise it was a nice drive.
Our first stop was at a Prairie Overlook just off I-90 where we could get out and stretch our legs, take the kids for a walk and get an up close look at the National Prairie Grasslands which stretch for miles in every direction. We had gotten used to seeing farmlands and agricultural fields on our drive but somewhere on our drive today the nature of the land changed from farming to ranching. There were large herds of cattle ranging free on the land and the topography had changed as well - from mostly flat to undulating hills and rolling terrain. After walking to the overlook and taking some photos we returned to the coach and got back on the freeway. Eventually we reached our turn off and headed towards Interior, SD and the White River/Badlands KOA.
Our second stop was at the Badlands Trading Post for gas and the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site (http://www.nps.gov/mimi). We thought we'd tour an old missile silo and command complex but it was closed for the day. So we headed out and made our next stop at the Six Ton Prairie Dog Ranch where we got up close and personal with a rattlesnake (in a cage) and a prairie dog colony. And yes, there is a six ton prairie dog and we've got the pictures to prove it - heh, heh! Back on the road again we stopped at the entrance station for the Badlands National Park to show our National Parks Pass as Interior was on the other side of the Eastern end of the park. Shortly after entering the park we just had to pull off the road and take pictures of the stunning landscape. Turns out the Badlands are actually a combination of Prairie and Erosional Formations that cover much of Western South Dakota. They were so named because it was so difficult to make a go of it for the homesteading farmers. Too hot in summer, too cold in winter, too much rain when it came and sometimes no rain when it was needed. In other words a veritable Bad Land to try and make a living.
Eventually we quit playing tourist and wound our way down to the KOA where we were able to set up camp quickly. Since it was early we went over to the pool with books and drinks and spent an enjoyable hour relaxing while the other campers children screamed and splashed around. Later we took advantage of the KOA cook staff to go out for dinner. They had a special called a "Texas Taco" as an entree and a Cinnamon Pop-Up with Ice Cream for desert. After dinner we spent some time planning the next day and relaxing. To see all of today's photos, click on:
Distance for this leg, 148 miles. Total distance for the trip so far, 8,888 miles.
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