Day 9: Across South Dakota

Day nine started with me writing that really long blog post this morning. It put me behind schedule and as is becoming common on this trip, I didn't make it to my intended destination. I had planned on visiting North Dakota and stopping tonight in Fargo, but I only made it as far as Sioux Falls, SD and will probably skip North Dakota all together. I have a couch lined up in Minneapolis tomorrow night and if I go to ND, then it's a 10 hr drive and I don't get to see much except the freeway. If I go straight from here, it's 4 hours and I get to see a whole bunch more. It's okay. Someday I need to come back and see North Dakota and more than the five Miles of Montana that I crossed through getting into Yellowstone. Can't do it all.

My route across South Dakota took me near the Badlands National Park and since I bought a National Parks pass at Yellowstone, I knew it wouldn't cost me anything to get in, so instead of hitting hwy 90, I drove on a lovely 2 lane road called Hwy 44 and turned into the park. Yet again, Teddy Roosevelt proves why he is on Mount Rushmore. The antiquities act that he invoked to start up the parks service and preserve unique areas of the country was an amazing achievement and has left a great legacy that I for one am enjoying immensely and you all should as well. Thanks Teddy. I owe you one. Here's a crappy picture I took to give you an idea of the terrain, but it doesn't do it justice and I didn't stay long enough in the park to really feel like I absorbed it.

Day 9: Across South Dakota

Interior, United States