Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Day 13 - Badlands National Park, SD

Dateline:  June 29, 2014; Badlands National Park, SD


With Liza still not feeling well, Greg and the kids took a horseback ride in the morning.  The road out to the bluffs.  Beautiful country and great to experience it in a new way! 

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After they got back from the ride, we packed up and headed off for Badlands National Park. 

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The drive to Badlands from Fort Robinson was a new one for us.  We've always approached it from Valentine, NE in the past.  We drove through some beautiful country, including a Lakota reservation and the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre.  We stopped and read the sign which was exceptionally detailed and even handed.  What an awful event and a sad, sad thing to have to discuss with your children.

Badlands was green and lush and vibrant.  More so than we've seen it before.  We set up camp and drove to our favorite climbing spot.  Growing up visiting parks where we are taught to respect the park by not hiking off trails and leaving nothing but footprints, it's amazing to visit a park where they say -- climb wherever you want!  The damage that humans do in climbing these amazing rock formations will be nothing compared to the damage of the next thunderstorm.  Hard though that is to believe, you can climb all over these rocks.   And Ruth does!  Greg does too, mostly so he can try to keep her safe!  Gage climbs a little bit but he's not a daredevil like his sister.  I don't climb.  No thank you to the heights!

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Our campsite at Badlands 

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Gorgeous view from campground

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More of the spectacular scenery of Badlands National Park

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Heading off to climb -- Ruth is in the lead!

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