•8:51 PM
September 30, 2010 8:51 p.m.
Day 7 was Sept. 10
We woke up in Interior, South Dakota. The temperature was 56 degrees. The odometer reading was 27,256.
We toured the Badlands, today, and it was incredible and unusual, like a moonscape. It contained various shades of tan, rust, black, white, and the lowest levels were yellow, revealing countless years of geological deposits. Chips and Sweet Girl both earned their Junior Ranger badges by completing free activity books and being sworn in. We saw some antelopes and yes, some prairie dogs, too. They were cute! Also, various rabbits, and many cows. No bison yet, though. I will add that Chips takes his Junior Ranger status very seriously, and will not hesitate to dress down anybody who is breaking the rules (littering, not staying on the trails, etc.) I know. I've heard him myself.
Afterwards, we drove to Wall, South Dakota, and had lunch at Wall Drugs. Apparently this is the commercial place to go for visitors to this part of the state, as there is not much else for visitors once they have finished up with the park and the byways. It was an entertaining place for the afternoon. We explored their shops for an hour or so, and Chips bought himself a liquid-filled compass as a souvenir. We then drove on for about an hour to Rapid City where we stayed at the absolute best KOA Kampground we've ever seen! This place gets a 10 rating in our book. It is, perhaps, the best KOA in the country. They offered nice pancake breakfast, playgrounds, bathrooms, game room, level campsites, and friendly people. Even our campsite neighbors were very friendly, and we enjoyed talking with them a bit. One thing that floored me was that there were people swimming in the outdoor pool. It just seemed kind of cool to my Florida self. Well, I have particular fond memories of the evening we spent at this campground, exploring it, using the playground at night, wondering about the folks who lived in the subdivision nearby, observing and talking with the people there.
It would prepare us for our next morning encounter with cowboy John Horton.
Day 7 was Sept. 10
We woke up in Interior, South Dakota. The temperature was 56 degrees. The odometer reading was 27,256.
We toured the Badlands, today, and it was incredible and unusual, like a moonscape. It contained various shades of tan, rust, black, white, and the lowest levels were yellow, revealing countless years of geological deposits. Chips and Sweet Girl both earned their Junior Ranger badges by completing free activity books and being sworn in. We saw some antelopes and yes, some prairie dogs, too. They were cute! Also, various rabbits, and many cows. No bison yet, though. I will add that Chips takes his Junior Ranger status very seriously, and will not hesitate to dress down anybody who is breaking the rules (littering, not staying on the trails, etc.) I know. I've heard him myself.
Afterwards, we drove to Wall, South Dakota, and had lunch at Wall Drugs. Apparently this is the commercial place to go for visitors to this part of the state, as there is not much else for visitors once they have finished up with the park and the byways. It was an entertaining place for the afternoon. We explored their shops for an hour or so, and Chips bought himself a liquid-filled compass as a souvenir. We then drove on for about an hour to Rapid City where we stayed at the absolute best KOA Kampground we've ever seen! This place gets a 10 rating in our book. It is, perhaps, the best KOA in the country. They offered nice pancake breakfast, playgrounds, bathrooms, game room, level campsites, and friendly people. Even our campsite neighbors were very friendly, and we enjoyed talking with them a bit. One thing that floored me was that there were people swimming in the outdoor pool. It just seemed kind of cool to my Florida self. Well, I have particular fond memories of the evening we spent at this campground, exploring it, using the playground at night, wondering about the folks who lived in the subdivision nearby, observing and talking with the people there.
It would prepare us for our next morning encounter with cowboy John Horton.
 |
| Checking out the impressive scenery. |
 |
| I couldn't get enough of staring at these soft rocks. |
 |
| Riding the Jackalope at Wall Drug. |
 |
| Enjoying a better than average KOA playground. |
 |
| Sweet Girl and Chips here to show you ..... |
 |
| .... that sleeping in a Sprinter van can be cozy! |
0 comments: