WELCOME TO THE BADLANDS

In my last post I shared Camp Pleasant/Camp Plumb which was the location of Lewis and Clark's rest stop above and on the Missouri River.  

We continue our westward trek on  I-90.  Our destination is the Badlands National Park.  The scenery is starkly different, changing from rolling pastureland to craggy mountains popping up all around us.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         The contrast of the rugged terrain against the clear blue sky accented with white puffs of clouds is awesome.      

We take a hike to experience the grandeur of the Badlands. Next to our path is a beautiful miniature wash created by the previous nights rain. I love the motion of the color that lie before me.  

We do not experience much wildlife on this walk. But what we do see is kind enough to pose for me even if they are hard to see as they blend in with the grasses.  

Most of our hike is on a boardwalk.  I like the boardwalks as they protect the surrounding terrain.  The rabbits seemed to have a community under a portion of the boardwalk.   

It directs us out to an overlook of the Badlands that leaves us breathless.

Looking Down 

As far as the eyes can see, the "fingers" of the Badlands stretch before us. 

Suddenly the rough texture smooths out to allow the visitor's center and campgrounds.  The views are not as spectacular, but are still lovely.  

After two nights in the campgrounds and in exploration, we move toward new sights and adventures.  The mountains continue to put on a show of color and drama.

The motorhome is now pointed to Wall, South Dakota.  There have been so many billboards along the interstate, promising free coffee, jewelry, ice cream and more.  The build-up is much more than the town.                                                   Unlike the Corn Palace, with its beautiful murals, Wall and Wall Drug left us cold.  It is just another tourist trap that we will not need to waste our time visiting Wall again.  

We continue westward.  What will we discover next?  

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God Bless you all.....and God Bless our military.  

LEWIS AND CLARK AT PLUMB CAMP/CAMP PLEASANT

Our next point of interest as we traveled west on Interstate 90 is Camp Pleasant, where on September 16, 1804 Meriwether Lewis and William Clark camped.  In Clark's journal, he wrote of the numerous Elk, Buffalo, Deer, Antelope and the swift Pronghorn.

Their camp looked down upon the most scenic portion of the Missouri River. At that time there was an island in the middle of the river. That island is now gone due to flooding and an addition of a dam on the river.                                                                                                         The exploration team needed a peaceful view and some much deserved rest as they had undergone many hardships in the last few weeks including death of one of the exploration team. They came upon a growth of plumb trees that provided rip, juicy plums to replenish their bodies and minds. 

Today, we see none of the hardships, but we do see the reason why they called the area Camp Pleasant.                                                            Standing on the cliff, looking left and right is sheer beauty in spite of the clouds and rain. 

We totally enjoyed the short time we spent there.  Be sure to stop in the visitor's center and read of this segment of the journey of Lewis and Clark.                                                              Where do we head next? Well, you need come back to see, don't you?  

Thanks for stopping to read today's blog.  God Bless y'all and give you miles and miles of safety.  

OH, WHAT A CORNY BLOG!

Nope, there are no corny jokes here.  But you will find a lot of corn!  Black corn, red corn, brown corn, white, yellow corn.                                                     Don't let all the corn fool you.  None of the corn is edible.  It is used to cover the face of a Corn Palace.  

Where are we?  Mitchell, South Dakota at the world's only Corn Palace, a uniquely American folk art icon built in 1892.

There are murals on the inside walls of the basketball court. These murals depict the life and times of South Dakota. 

CORN BY NUMBER DECORATING:   

Each year, the exterior of the building is stripped of the previous year's murals in preparation for the coming fall's introduction to new scenes.    

Over the summer, three thousands bushels of rye, oat heads and sour dock are tied in bundles, attached as the frames of the murals.

A blueprint drawing is made of the planned mural.  It is then transferred to a panel on the exterior of the building where ears of the proper color are attached to the blueprint.  Each element of the picture has a color code.  

All summer long, visitors can watch the murals being transformed before their eyes. 

Here are some of the murals that were completed by the time we visited Mitchell. 

As you travel through South Dakota, Mitchell and it's Corn Palace is a place that you will want to visit.  After listening to the informational video, we had a new perspective of the palace and Mitchell.

Thanks to all who have purchased their goodies through our blog, at no extra expense to the buyer.

Until next time, God bless!     

RUSHMORE, HOT SPRINGS AND THE WILDLIFE LOOP

 

September 27, 2014

 

Saturday brought us another busy day.  We had a lot on our plate.  So much to see and do in a relatively short time.  We were out the door and on our way to Hot Springs, South Dakota, where an Ice Age museum, the Mammoth Site is located. 

Finding the entrance was a bit of a challenge.  They are adding to the museum.  Barricades and yellow tapes strewn about were everywhere, therefore, the entrance was not where it was “supposed” to be. We persevered and finally made our way to the rear of the building.  With the help of good signage, we made our way to the entrance to the gift shop, purchased our tickets for the next tour and were on our way to a very informative history lesson. 

The museum is located over a sinkhole.  Columbian and Wooly Mammoths, members of the Camelid family, wolves and giant bears roamed the area and became trapped in what they thought was a location to obtain a drink and to keep warm in the hot springs during cooler weather.  The only problem was the sides were steep and slippery.  The animals were trapped! Left behind were thousands of fossil remains.

This indoor excavation site features fossils of at least 59 Columbian and Wooly Mammoths. 

 

How is this for big teeth? 

 

Those teeth belonged to a “big fella” just like this one!

 

 

Researchers continue to excavate the site.

 

 

Leaving the Mammoth Site, I just pick a road and go.  Sometimes, that is just what we do.  We have called that kind of travel our Hobbit adventures for at least 14 years.

 

Somehow, we end up at another end of Custer State Park on the Wildlife Loop Road.  Our “official” greeter was this “gentleman.”  But he was too busy taking care of an itchy spot on his side.

 

 

Not to worry, all photos are taken from the safety of my Miata.  Let’s see, what could a Buffalo do to a Miata if he wanted?  But they are so accustomed to automobile traffic that it is not a threat.  But…..fair warning……stay in our vehicle to take your pictures.

 

We encountered enough wildlife on the Loop to satisfy our desire for animals for at least twenty four hours. 

 

Antelope

Wild Burros

Where’s the carrots? 

Sorry, we forgot………

OK, we are outta here!  Come on gang, let’s try the next thing on wheels….

The Pronghorn just ignore us and keep on eating.

 

But then we come across our greeter’s uncle.  He wants an up close and personal interview.  This conversation is eye to eye….

We were surprised at how close these Bison came to the car.  We loved every minute of our times up close and personal.  Check out the photo below and read what the mirror has to say. 

 

They day was passing quickly and we needed to head to the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway that would to take us to Mount Rushmore.  As we drove along the byway, we notices a sweet perfume in the air.  That was the Ponderosa Pines welcoming us.  Ninety percent of the trees in the area are Ponderosa Pine.

There were tunnels carved out of mountains.

And S curves.  Then there were the Pig Tail curves with bridges.

 

The road you see actually wound around until you crossed over the road below.  Thus the term, “Pigtail.”

Eventually, we arrived at our final destination, Mount Rushmore. To see much better photos of the four presidents and a great tour of Mount Rushmore, visit Al’s blog over at the Bayfield Bunch.

Our photos were taken just before sunset.  We had read the ceremony at the end of the day was magnificent, at it was!  I left there so proud to be a citizen of the United States. 

The four men on the mountain helped shape the United States.  They laid the foundation of freedom, gave us a constitution, a Declaration of Independence, Founded the National Park system and fought for the freedom of slaves and kept our country as one.

 

Be sure to visit Al’s blog for much better photographs! 

The night was cool.  We were not prepared for the drop in temperature!  Our only protection was our hats and each other. 

One of the very few photos we have together.  I love his smile! 

When the ceremony was complete, we made our way back to the car through the Avenue of Flags representing each of the fifty United States of America. 

We found the Indiana state flag and remembered all the great times we had living there and most of all, our family and friends that are still there.

Thanks for visiting today.  God bless. 

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