Badlands,Wildlife and Missiles

                                                                                                                                                               

                          

 As we continue west we have come to the Badlands. It may have been the bad lands for the early settlers because of the harsh terrain and weather conditions, but from a tourist view point it is beautiful. To the right is a picture as we started driving into the National Park. .                  

 There are peaks and valleys and lots of wildlife. I can not help but imagine as the early settlers were going along to all of a sudden have the land just end and drop down into deep basins.

No those are not specs on the windowshield, they are bison on the picture.  Little aren't they.   HaaHaa.  Saw herd of 100 roaming around, eating grass.  Sure are big, up close. 

Then we get closer.  While I'm singing to the tune of Lyons and Tigers and Bears, Oh my. But out West you've got the change the version a bit.  Rattlers and Bison and Deer, Oh my.

We drove the 40 plus mile loop through the Badlands and into Wall South Dakota.  Beautiful views around every corner and every hill top.  Many pull offs to read history or see something of interest.  Randy climbed up to the top of a trail......because he is MAN and he can.  I just saw the BEWARE OF RATTLESNAKE signs and stayed on the ground floor, checking out the scenery.  He made it to the top and called me on his cell so I could wave at him.  How weird is that?  Only in America do you get cell phone signal in the middle of seemingly nowhere and from some guy wanting you to wave at you!  I shot a few pictures of him, for proof.

Oh well, back to the Bison.  Randy did not consider himself "Out West" until we saw one up close.  So this was our first "up close" shot.

Never even knew that during the Cold War there were 150 missiles in the Badlands and western South Dakota, "Just in case".  Toured the Missile base and if time permitted could have seen the empty launch site.  Very interesting.  Boring service job hanging out underground for 36hrs, waiting to push a button.  Or upstairs watching TV, reading, or sleeping waiting for the next shift.  Tour guide did it for 3 years.  Boy could he talk.  Must be making up for the 3 years on lock down. 

Drove through Prairie Dog Town.  Happen to have some popcorn with us and fed the little creatures.  They make some weird noises.  The fat ones were much braver then the skinny ones.  They must have figured out the "cars drive by, food flys out" method of eating.  1000's of hills/holes of Prairie Dog homes.  It so resembles the carnival game were you wack the prairie dog back into its hole to win.

Of course, we had to stop at Wall Drug Store.  Randy had never been there.  Tons of amazing history and 1890's pictures of the people and area.  That is after you pass all the gift shops and trinket stuff.  We ate a Buffalo Burger, no cheese.  Good stuff...

Forgot all the Pronghorns we have seen.  Not as skidish as our White Tails back in Wisconsin.  But plentiful.        Our next stop will be in the Black Hills area, my favorite!