Day 10: Badlands/Rapid City, SD- Sioux Falls, SD

Tatanka!

Caught one of them rolling on his back...



This coyote wasn't too bothered by our presence and looked well-fed compared to the ones I'm used to in Santa Fe




Prairie dogs were everywhere. Running in these fields would have been a guaranteed busted ankle for human or horse

Looks like drippy sand castles





I've been coughing all afternoon

'You looking at me?'



Nice sunset along I90




Modern-day Sioux fighters in action

This photo was taken at 8:30 last night-- these two are party animals indeed

After another delicious Comfort Inn breakfast of waffles and an orange we headed out to check out the Badlands. After a 30 mile 'detour' on Sioux BIA land we drove up Sheep Mountain road in the south section of the park. A nice eight mile dirt trail took us to a plateau with great views of the park and best of all, nary another person in sight. Jenna took the mountain bike and I ran with Kaya for a few miles along the dirt trail to wear her out before the drive. The rock formations were fantastic- particularly a section that looked like giant sand castles- the ones you would created by dripping sand slowly. Amazing stuff.

After checking out that part of the park we drove the isolated highway 40 miles to the more popular section to do the 'scenic' loop and find us some buffalo.

The Badlands remind me of the Grand Canyon in the fantastic contours they create and even to an extent with the colorations of the rock strata, but obviously on a different scale. That being said in a way its even more fantastic as you can approach these impossible towers and walk amongst them to really experience it whereas the Grand Canyon is so vast and effectively intangible that it's hard to comprehend, even when on the rim or hiking in its interior.

About 20 miles into the scenic loop I spotted a few buffalo ranging down in the badlands and stopped the car for some photos. Unimpressed with my vantage point I clambered down into the badlands (probably foolish and possibly illegal) for a better perspective. I managed to walk within about 50 yards of two of them but I knew they were watching my every move and, unsure as to their comfort level with humans, I did not dare to get any closer.

Clambering back up proved to be an adventure but then again so has most of this trip. I discovered that despite its appearances the 'badlands' seems to consist mostly of a hard exterior but almost a mud-like substance under the crust.

We saw literally thousands of prairie dogs and even a coyote that seemed comfortable at a 150 yard range. A few bighorn were also spotted roadside including a couple rams that couldn't care less about us.

Unfortunately today proved to be the day Kaya realized why we keep slowing the car down for photos: big animals. She started going ballistic every time we slowed down to point something out. Best of all was when we refuelled the car outside the park before hopping on the interstate. There was a life-size statue of a buffalo in the parking lot and when she spotted it she went bananas. I encouraged her to get closer but she was having none of it. Only when I picked her up and put her on it did she realize it wasn't real but it did nothing to calm her down from then on every time we saw a deer (of which we saw hundreds), prairie dogs (Jenna started covering Kaya's eyes), or bison.

Once on the interstate the drive proved to be pretty uneventful and we made Sioux Falls in record time (and accordingly terrible gas consumption). Had a nice dinner at Minerva's in downtown. Jenna continues to marvel at the prices at the restaurants we are going to in Middle America- this place had ample sides for $1 per.

We managed to find another Comfort Inn her in Sioux Falls- and this one actually allows pets so we don't have to find increasingly devious ways of smuggling in Kaya. Last night we put peanut butter in the bottom of one of Jenna's empty bags while I literally ran her through the hallway and past the security camera to the room.

Tomorrow we deviate from our Eastward course as we roll through Minnesota and visit a few friends of ours for the evening. In fact the next few days will be spent in leisure (not that any of this has been anything but) in MN and in my hometown outside of Chicago.

Day 10:
Badlands: 186 miles, 42.5mph, 12.6mpg
Badlands - Sioux Falls: 281 miles, 86.4 mph, 10.3mpg (not the most aerodynamic vehicle)
Total: 3154 miles, 67.5mph, 13.4mpg