Return to Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Our return trip to the Badlands gave us an opportunity to do some more exploring.

We started with a sunset drive, trying to chase down a good sunset. The colors were not spectacular, but we were able to catch a few good colors. We went down to the amphitheater to see a presentation about the night sky. Our ranger taught us quite a bit about the constellations and planets and the boys got to see Jupiter through a telescope.

This morning, we did a trail called Cliff Shelf. The trail itself was more of a boardwalk. We met a woman who grew up in Boston, but now lives in East Lansing, MI. We chatted a bit about our family's travels and gave each other advice about places to visit. What I love about being in a National Park is how friendly people are. 

 

Cliff Shelf

We got back on "Door", our favorite place to explore so far. It feels like you are on another planet.

"Door"

The boys earned their seventh Junior Ranger Badge for this trip this morning. The National Parks and State Parks have great programs and activities that the kids can do to keep them focused and learning.

This afternoon, we spent a lazy afternoon by the pool, then decided to head down to the South Unit of the Park. We drove through a lot of prairies and occasional geologic formations, passing through the town of Scenic, which was quite "scenic", but not in the way one would hope. 

 

The town of Scenic

We also drove briefly through the Reservation, but did not venture in far enough to see any civilization.

We're leaving tomorrow, driving through Nebraska (perhaps) and stopping in Iowa for the night. The next destination is Indiana Dunes State Park/ National Lakeshore.