Will They Come Back?: Badlands!

Daily Mileage=270; Trip Mileage=8958
Today we went East a ways to Badlands National Park. This area is called "The Wall" and extends for a hundred miles through the dry plains of South Dakota. The park is divided into the North and South Units. We spent our time in the North Section which has a scenic road that is about 40 miles long. You can stop at various overlooks and trails. It's beautiful although very stark and even if some people think it's not beautiful, they would admit it is interesting. The Southern Unit is a newer addition to the park with rough roads and it still has private land (Indian and in some cases

you need permission to stay in it) so we stayed in the North section.

The wall is really made up of shale layers (at the lowest level) caused by an ocean that covered the area about 75 million years ago. Over time the continental plates moved to cause the Rocky

Mountains and the rest of the "wall" was formed (a ripple effect of the Rockies). It continues to erode each year from water. It looks very fragile but they it's sturdier than you think (people climb all over it). However, change goes on and in another 50,000 years the badlands will be gone. (I'm not worrying about this, since I won't be here either!)

To us it seemed like a cross between the Grand and Bryce Canyons. The road takes you down to the meadows and the valley(s) as well as the upper rim. You get perspectives from above and below.

We stopped and did a few short hikes. The Notch Trail was a relatively short trail but wild. We hiked through a valley, climbed a ladder up about 75 feet, walked along the cliff ledges and ended up with a spectacular view. It was only 1.5 miles but it was great!

There are all kinds of animals in this area too. We saw Big Horn Sheep again. They are so cool; you never tire of seeing the "western" animals. They also have bison, prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets (we didn't see them) but they've been re-introduced to the area and apparently are doing well.

These "yellow mounds" are different than other formations in the park because they are fossilized matter from a jungle that formed in this area after the ocean left. The park and this area in particular, has many fossils that paleontologists work on continually. You can see animals, shells and plants in the rocks.

OK so after we spent most of the day doing the "Badlands" we stopped at Wall, SD and specifically Wall Drug. Now you may be asking,"What the heck is Wall Drug?" It's a landmark that is known around the world(news to us). It started in 1909 as a drug store and grew into a emporium that covers several blocks on Main Street (in a very small town). Ted and Dorothy Hustead starting advertising on billboards "free ice water" to travelers in an attempt to get them to stop at their store. Well it worked and today the place is known everywhere and there are bus loads of tourists coming to place. It's another corny place but we visited, had ice cream and free ice water. It was goofy but American!