We kamped at a Kampground Of America 
site in Interior, South Dakota (just outside Badlands National Park) last night, and a krazy fun place it was, too. I don’t know why they need to use K for everything, including Kamper Kabins and Kamper Kitchen, but it drives me – KRAZY! Molly the Kamping Kanine doesn’t seem to mind too much, though.
We were sad to abandon our dear state parks, but the state parks in this area of South Dakota don’t have electrical hook-ups, which is the one hook-up our little van really needs. It could, we think, last one night with the refrigerator running off the batteries, but it has been very chilly here at night (there was a frost last night!) and we’ve really been appreciating our little electric heater. We think that the refrigerator and the heater together would be too much for the batteries. The KOA campground wasn’t too bad, and it had a laundry room, which was useful for washing sheets that a dog had just put very muddy paws all over!
We spent the late morning and early afternoon driving through Badlands National Park, which is wonderful. You drive west for hundreds of miles across flat South Dakota prairie, and then suddenly there are huge rock formations, like reverse canyons standing above the ground rather than diving into it. The formations are so different from one another, some smooth and rounded and some sharp and pointed and others every shape in between. Molly was not allowed on the trails (DOG-scrimination!) so we didn’t do more than walk up a few short trails and stop at the scenic pull-off parking sites. The grasslands in and surrounding the park are even more beautiful, to me, than the dramatic rocky areas. I sat on the ground on one side of the road watching prairie dogs stand guard and scurry from hole to hole, while Sandeep sat in the van on the other side of the road watching a huge elk walking along a ridge. Molly sat in the van barking at the prairie dogs. I think she was inviting them to come home with her…for a simple meet and greet (or - eat?).
After some much-needed grocery shopping in Rapid City, South Dakota, we drove to Mount Rushmore to visit the very large stone presidents. Appropriately enough, Sandeep’s brother Sunny took his oath of US citizenship today. We were thinking of him – congratulations, Citizen Sunny! The monument is beautiful, but we were amused to learn that the sculptor had intended to carve the chests of the four presidents as well as the heads; he died before the work was done, and his son announced that the project was finished. We can sympathize with having an unfinished project or two laying around…
site in Interior, South Dakota (just outside Badlands National Park) last night, and a krazy fun place it was, too. I don’t know why they need to use K for everything, including Kamper Kabins and Kamper Kitchen, but it drives me – KRAZY! Molly the Kamping Kanine doesn’t seem to mind too much, though.We were sad to abandon our dear state parks, but the state parks in this area of South Dakota don’t have electrical hook-ups, which is the one hook-up our little van really needs. It could, we think, last one night with the refrigerator running off the batteries, but it has been very chilly here at night (there was a frost last night!) and we’ve really been appreciating our little electric heater. We think that the refrigerator and the heater together would be too much for the batteries. The KOA campground wasn’t too bad, and it had a laundry room, which was useful for washing sheets that a dog had just put very muddy paws all over!
We spent the late morning and early afternoon driving through Badlands National Park, which is wonderful. You drive west for hundreds of miles across flat South Dakota prairie, and then suddenly there are huge rock formations, like reverse canyons standing above the ground rather than diving into it. The formations are so different from one another, some smooth and rounded and some sharp and pointed and others every shape in between. Molly was not allowed on the trails (DOG-scrimination!) so we didn’t do more than walk up a few short trails and stop at the scenic pull-off parking sites. The grasslands in and surrounding the park are even more beautiful, to me, than the dramatic rocky areas. I sat on the ground on one side of the road watching prairie dogs stand guard and scurry from hole to hole, while Sandeep sat in the van on the other side of the road watching a huge elk walking along a ridge. Molly sat in the van barking at the prairie dogs. I think she was inviting them to come home with her…for a simple meet and greet (or - eat?).
After some much-needed grocery shopping in Rapid City, South Dakota, we drove to Mount Rushmore to visit the very large stone presidents. Appropriately enough, Sandeep’s brother Sunny took his oath of US citizenship today. We were thinking of him – congratulations, Citizen Sunny! The monument is beautiful, but we were amused to learn that the sculptor had intended to carve the chests of the four presidents as well as the heads; he died before the work was done, and his son announced that the project was finished. We can sympathize with having an unfinished project or two laying around…
We saw several rare, elusive mountain goats - in the parking lot at Mount Rushmore! We think they must be animatronic goats, installed by the Park Service...either that, or they're paid employees. We didn't get close enough to see if they were wearing Park Service name tags...
Now, we’re in the Black Hills National Forest, just outside of Custer State Park…kamping, again. Oh well – at least the KOA campgrounds have wireless internet access. Custer State Park tomorrow, and then on to Wyoming!
No comments:
Post a Comment