South Dakota

What a journey. In 5 days we have driven through 5 states, seen a couple big cities and a bunch of small ones. God has made some beautiful country for us to experience and we're just getting started.

When we left Kansas city we headed to the Badlands. The speed limit changed to 75mph, which was weird, and we had a 35mph crosswind, which on the plains is pretty good wind. Kinda made it feel like we were driving a kite.  Meagan was getting pretty depressed with 10 hours of plains, and Balto was getting bored. Then all of a sudden BAM! The prairie gave way to awesome formations of all different colors. It was truly spectacular.  It's hard to put into words how it hits you after seeing nothing by grass and prairie for hour after hour.
I couldn't imagine being one of the first settlers to see it. Pulling up in your wagon to a huge wall of rock and trying to figure a way across or around it. Gives us a lot of respect for those who had to deal with that.

We camped at Sage Creek Campground, which is a primitive campsite in the Badlands. The road to get to it was not paved, but it was pretty neat. We got to see a couple of prairie dog towns, and a bunch of bison. When we got camp set up and started cooking, a bison wandered into the camp, eating and staring at us. Balto wasn't sure what to think about it, and the bison wasn't sure to think about Balto. Both were eyeing each other, until we made Balto lay down. Then they each did their own thing. That night the coyotes were yipping and howling and the big sky was bright with stars and the moon.

The next morning we spent 4 hours repacking the car to make things fit more comfortably, hiked for a bit in the back country of the Badlands, then headed to Wall Drug South Dakota for donuts, ice cream, and coffee. After that we went on to rapid city where we got a really nice Comfort Suites for a really good deal. We are staying two nights here, then heading to either wind cave, the black hills, or wherever. The next place we will definitely be camping again, but we are going to try to find a site that you can have a campfire at. Stay tuned for more on this journey.