Badlands National Park, June 13-15

The Badlands National Park is a cool place (pic: http://www.nps.gov/mwr/customcf/apps/CMS_HandF/GreenBoxPics/BADL_web078(2)shaina.jpg).  Although I'd been here several times, I couldn't pass it up.  My father grew up just outside of the park; so, I have some sentimental attachments to it.  It was exceptionally green with lots of wildflowers this year given the record amount of rain over the past several weeks.  And, it rained buckets while I was there too.  Fortunately, there were also times when it stopped raining as well.

In addition to green prairie, the rain brought out the color striations in the hills ... reds, yellows, greens, grays, browns.  The vistas were amazing (pic: http://www.nps.gov/mwr/customcf/apps/CMS_HandF/GreenBoxPics/BADL_ShainaConata.jpg)

Similar to preferring the name "Bear Lodge" over "Devils Tower," I prefer the Lakota name "White Hills" over "Badlands."  I especially like the name "White Hills" when I think about their proximity to the "Black Hills" of South Dakota where I spent the next few days of my journey.

Note:  I got the replacement for my camera phone ... but, I'm not in T-Mobile territory.  So, will need to wait until I get into Colorado before I'll have a camera again.

originally posted 6/18/10