South Dakota is an amazing state. If you haven’t been here, you probably think of South Dakota as endless prairies, the place where the bikers congregate, and the Black Hills. But it’s a lot more – from the Eastern rivers, lakes, and farms, the central “great” lakes area, and just east of the Black Hills, the Badlands National Park. Turning south off I-90 just east of Wall (just how many billboards can one store have, anyway?), the area quickly changes from rolling grasslands into something that looks like another planet – in fact, science fiction movies like “Starship Troopers” were filmed here because the landscape is often alien-looking. Some areas are full of rocky spires, some of wind-carved sculptures, some pink, others red….it’s an amazing area that changes as you come around each turn in the road.
For almost 30 miles, the park road winds it’s way through the rocks. There are numerous viewpoints to stop at, hiking trails, and an informative visitor center. It was a hot day when we visited, and if it’s hot in South Dakota, it’s really hot in the Badlands. So, no hiking for us, just stops to admire the scenery. Here’s some of the views along the road:
Exiting the Badlands, we passed through the town of Scenic, which has been in the news since the entire town (population 8) is up for sale. The 12-acre town and all the buildings are priced at $799,000, and after seeing the place, we can tell you that it’s waaaay overpriced! Calling this place “Scenic” is just a bit of a stretch!
We’re winding down our stay here in the Black Hills, but we’ve still got a few places to see, so check back – you never know when I’ll have another “dining adventure”!
