Friday, July 17, 2020 – Stone State Park, IA to Badlands National Park, SD
Our next-door neighbors in the campground were also from Wisconsin – one from Milwaukee and one from Madison. Two guys making their way across the country on motorcycles with camping gear strapped in their saddle bags. Like explorers headed west on horseback, they were riding their iron horses to Colorado. I hope they had a great trip.
We also met a Texan walking his dog through the campground. He and his wife have had a camper of one kind or another since he came back from Germany in the army in 1977. They are retired now and take slow trips of only 100-200 miles each day. Some day that kind of pace would be nice, but now I would probably enjoy it for about three days then start looking for something to do.
We took back roads across South Dakota to Badlands National Park. Flying is great. When you have limited time off from work or school you spend much less of the valuable time in transit, but you miss so much. The subtle change from prairies of corn to rolling hills of cattle ranches to the stark Badlands fades from one to the next outside the car window like the change in seasons. It is a more interesting way to travel, but not always practical. Living in Florida we weren’t just in a corner of the country, we were on a peninsula sticking out of a corner of the country. It was a half day’s drive just to get out of the state, making it very attractive to fly to get anywhere. Driving around the Midwest from our home base in Milwaukee has added depth to our travel experience.
Along our back road journey we stopped at the Lewis and Clark Recreation Area and crossed over the river and back on the Gavins Point Dam. We explored the Corps of Engineers boat ramp and campground area and an overlook on the Nebraska side where we took in great views of the lake created by the dam. Lewis and Clark Gavins Point Dam
Lunch was at the Tee Pee Café in Bonesteel, SD. It was the kind of small town café where everyone knows each other. We were the only people in the restaurant who didn’t know everyone else in the restaurant. There were farmers cutting up with the waitress in between talking about their crops and an older couple who chatted with us a bit. The lunch special of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn (of course!) was as delicious as you would expect from a farm town café, and came with a surprise rice krispy treat for dessert. I hadn’t had a rice krispy treat in a few years. Breakfast cereal and marshmallows – simple and delicious.
We crossed the great river again at the Fort Randall Dam and stopped to see the remains of the fort. The fort was a military outpost along the Oregon Trail during the late 1800’s. We were feeling adventurous loading our camping gear into the car and heading off along two lane highways into the wilderness of campgrounds where we had to walk 100 yards or more to the bathhouse and the running water spigot. Not so much. The Native Americans who lived on this land for centuries and the settlers of European descent who traveled west – they were truly adventurous. Fort Randall
We had been to Badlands about five years before and only had a couple of hours to do a “drive through” that day. We knew then we wanted to come back. We didn’t know that when we returned the temperature would be 103. One hundred three is hot, no matter where you are or how dry it is. It’s even hotter if you are in a tent. We got the tent set up at the Cedar Pass Campground and decided to find some air conditioning for dinner. Badlands National Park Cedar Pass Campground
The town of Interior, SD is just a mile or so outside the east end of the national park, near the Ben Reifel Visitor Center and the Cedar Pass Lodge and Campground. Interior had a population of 96 in the 2010 census. Of the two places to eat in town, we chose the one with the most interesting description and reviews on the internet – The Horseshoe Bar. I’ve traveled a lot and seen a lot of things, but I never assume I’ve seen it all. Like a child riding a bicycle with a flat tire around a pool table in a bar. If that is on your bucket list, don’t miss The Horseshoe Bar. We were there with one other couple, the bartender/cook, and her son the avid cyclist. It was dusty with autographed dollar bills covering the walls, cold long neck bottles of beer, a pool table, a collection of dusty brassieres hanging in the corner, and air conditioning. It was cozy, friendly, and a fantastic place to spend the last few hours of a hot Badlands afternoon. The air cooled quickly as the sun went down, so it was time to head out for a sunset hike. Fueled with Horseshoe Bar cheeseburgers we set out on the Castle Trail.
I don’t like snakes. I grew up in Florida where snake encounters are nearly a daily occurrence. It was always common to see “black racers” in the bushes, on the sidewalk, on the pool cage, and in the dining room (that is a story for another blog). I got accustomed to the black racers, but any non-black snake still makes me jump. All over the Badlands there are signs telling hikers to beware of the rattlesnakes. It’s not just a sign or two at the visitor center – these signs are everywhere. Every trail, every parking area, every bathroom – everywhere. So perhaps I was a little freaked out. The Castle Trail goes through the edge of the grass prairie on the north side of the Badlands wall. There are views of the rock formations all along the way. It is a beautiful walk, but it goes through the grass prairie and grass equals snake habitat. Let’s just say I was a little jumpy. Every little noise made me stop and sometimes jump back. Usually it was Chrissy’s foot that made the noise, and a couple of times my own. I have to admit it was quite comical, but Chrissy enjoyed the comedy more than I did. I think she started scuffing her foot just to make me jump. She swears not, but I’m not so sure.
The walk was worth the phantom snake encounters. The low angle of sunset rays brought out shadows and color on the rocks that you just can’t see during the day. By the time we returned to the campground it was cool enough to sleep, so sleep we did. Tomorrow would come early.
Where Are We Going Now? 