Ralphie Rough Road

The geological landscape of the Badlands National Park is worth the stop if you find yourself traveling through South Dakota.  For us, this would be our last stop during our six-week trip out west.  As our trip neared the end we only had a couple of hours to tour this lovely park.  The day was warm and sunny, not ideal for photography but beautiful nonetheless.

For those with less time or unable to hike, there is a scenic 2 lane highway loop that takes you through the north unit of the park.  All along this highway there are plenty of pull off spots and parking to take in the many views.

I loved the various colors and layers throughout.

Plenty of prairie space abounds throughout the park.

One of many pull-offs for hiking.

The ground was so dry & cracked beneath our feet.

Always comforting to see a sign warning of rattlesnakes.

Can you find the “dog” in this photo?  Hint:  it is not an actual dog but what looks like the shape of a dog in the formations.  See below for an explanation if you did not find him.

As we bid the park farewell, it was bittersweet to know we were headed home to Indiana.   With the eastern part of South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois ahead, the drive home would be underwhelming.  But alas our trip had come to a close.  We had visited 11 national parks, driven through 15 states, camped 40 out of 47 days  & racked up 7600 miles.   I am happy this trip went from talking about it to actually doing it.  Memories from this trip will last us a lifetime.

To find the dog in the above photo:  He is lying down, his eyes and snout are between the two flower bushes, straight up from mama in my copyright.  His body is stretched out behind him going off at a diagonal to the right.  When I printed this photo out for my mother, my stepdad was the one who noticed “the dog”.   Now when I look at this photo, that is the first thing I see.