Our last post talked about the Corn Palace, which is technically also in South Dakota. The following places we visited were much more exciting…
Badlands National Park
The Badlands were incredible!
We weren’t sure if we were so pumped because it was the first actual landmark we saw on our road trip, or if they really were just that awesome. If I’m being honest, it was probably a bit of the two, but this was the first time I had ever seen rock formations like this! The colors, while not vibrant, were gorgeous, and the structure and shape of the Badland rock was wild to look at.
Not showered, exhausted, going a little stir crazy on Day 3 of nothing but corn fields – the Badlands felt like a a whole new world, a breath of fresh air. We were also super excited to hit our first National Park!
The Badlands are a large loop (Badlands Loop Road/HWY 240 to Sage Creek Road) that brings you through all of the major areas, with hiking trails and such leading off – we’ll come back one day and do more hiking! If you’re lucky, you can see big horned sheet, bison, and prairie dogs, but watch out for the rattlesnakes!
Wall Drug Store
Another wonky landmark that we stopped at after figuring “eh what the hell”… we spent the last 3-4 hours seeing signs on the side of the highway counting down the miles to Wall Drug Store.
It was a larger than life convenience store with basically anything you could possibly need, including .5¢ coffee… the Manfriend was pumped, especially after driving for days and days.
We drove over to the base of Mount Rushmore and camped for the night at Grizzly Creek Primitive Campground – we got our first tent as a couple and were excited to use it. The camp ground didn’t have showers, but it had a lot of deer! I suppose that’s a tradeoff.
For dinner, we went to Firehouse Brewing in downtown Rapid City, the longest operating brewery in South Dakota. After being stuck in the car for four days, we were ready for a hearty meal and some beer!
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Something I had always wanted to see, Mount Rushmore didn’t disappoint. It’s other worldly really, larger than life. It doesn’t cost anything to enter, but you pay to park ($10 per car).
Learning the history of how the monument was built was so interesting – it puts into perspective how easy things really are nowadays. There were also some well done exhibit halls, and an ADA compliant walking path that brings you closer to the monument itself.
We swung by a lake area and hiked a bit to stretch our legs before the next longer section of our journey!
Sturgis
Unknowingly, we ended up in Sturgis during bike week, an 80 year tradition that brings together bikers from all over, including Hells Angels. There were a lot of leather chaps, a lot of boobs, and a lot of alcohol. It was fascinating – definitely not a cultural activity I’m used to.
Bighorn National Forest (Wyoming, on our way to Yellowstone)
We didn’t spend much time here; we basically just drove through, but the views were breath taking!
The worst hotel we’ve ever stayed in. I found it before we left and thought, “oh cool, a log cabin, that will be different.”
It literally looked like someone was murdered in the cabin. There were large sections of the rug that had been torn up, you locked the cabin with a pad lock… suffice it to say we got a room in the adjoining hotel, which had pubic hair in the sink. It was so gross. And what’s worse? I forgot my pillow in the shuffle to get out before dawn the next morning.
Walk the World with Schenkers & Manfriend 