On The Road Again....: The Badlands and Wall, South Dakota

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

We left the hotel this morning at 6:25 am and the temperature was 46 degrees. We don't like traveling on interstates and usually try to stick to the 2-lane roads, but I loved driving Interstate 90. There was very little traffic and the speed limit was 80 mph! Our first stop of the day was the Lewis and Clark Rest Area in Chamberlain, SD. It was a beautiful spot on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River. There was also a museum celebrating the journey of Lewis and Clark, including a replica 55-foot keelboat modeled after the one used during the exploration of the Missouri River. Last fall, a 50-foot tall statue depicting a young Native American woman with a star quilt was erected. It is named "Dignity" and represents the pride and durability of the native cultures. The pivoted diamond shaped panels allow the wind to blow through it so it won't blow over in the wind.

Here we are at the Lewis & Clark Overlook

Lewis & Clark Overlook

The Missouri River

The statue "Dignity"

The back side of the statue

The Missouri River

Back on the road again, we saw lots of "Prairie Pot Holes" and all of them had ducks on them. These potholes are the result of glacier activity in the Wisconsin glaciation, which ended about 10,000 years ago. The decaying ice sheet left behind depressions formed by the uneven deposition of till in ground moraines. They fill with water in the spring, creating wetlands.

Eastern South Dakota is farmland. We saw lots of hills and farms. Most farms seemed to have several silos, not just one. You didn't always see the houses but if you saw one, it was set in a clump of trees. I'm sure the winter winds blow through there pretty strong. We saw some snow fences and also cattle windbreaks made of tin.

One of many signs advertising Wall Drug Store

in Wall, SD. We started seeing signs for the store

in Iowa!

South Dakota really is a beautiful state.

A barrier used to close the interstate in winter.

We saw these in several states.

Another sign for Wall Drug advertising their

famous 5 cent coffee.

Interstate 90 goes on and on and on...

Our next stop was at the Minuteman Missile Site. The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site was established by Congress in 1999 to preserve two 1960s missile sites: Delta-09, a missile silo, and Delta-01, a launch control facility. Out of 450 Minuteman II missile sites nationwide, Delta-01 Launch Control Facility and Delta-09 Launch Facility were selected for preservation because they were the most typical and least altered from the original 1961 Minuteman missile configuration. They also symbolize the dedication and preparedness of USAF personnel stationed in remote locations across the upper Great Plains. It was a really good museum but we didn't have time to tour the launch facility which was a few miles away.

Minuteman Missile Visitor Center

Then we headed across the road to the Badlands. Badlands was established as a National Monument in 1939 and was later designated as a National Park in 1978.The rugged beauty of the Badlands formations draws visitors from around the world. These striking geologic deposits contain one of the world's richest fossil beds. Ancient mammals such as the rhino horse, and camel once roamed here. The park's 244,000 acres protect an expanse of mixed-grass prairie where bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferrets live today. We drove the main road through the park and made lots of stops. We stopped at the Prairie Homestead on the way in to the park and took a few pictures then on to the trails. We walked a few of the trails through the colorful rocks. It's hard to imagine what the early settlers thought coming through there in those wagon trains. Sometimes referred to a "moon-scape on earth", the famous Badlands, with their jagged peaks and rugged cliffs, break the horizon just south of Wall. Since the beginning of time, wind and water have created a wondrous panorama of deep ravines shaded by ragged pinnacles. Colorful wild flowers add a sense of tranquility to the otherwise "angry" Badlands formations.

Prairie Homestead

Entering the park

Badlands

Here we are!

Badlands

Bighorn Sheep

Bighorn Sheep...Smile!

Prairie Dog Town

Prairie dog on the look out!

We stopped at the Visitors Center and toured it with lots of interesting exhibits. We ate our leftover fried chicken at a picnic table here then finished driving the road through the park and headed to Wall, South Dakota.

Wall has a population of 888 and is famous for its Wall Drug Store. We started seeing signs for Wall Drug in Iowa and then lots more along I-90. Every few miles was a different sign. We just had to make it a game to find them. We checked in to the Super 8 in Wall then were on our way to see what this Wall Drug Store was all about. It was HUGE!

Wall Drug Store

Wall Drug Store takes up an entire city block. There are lots of little stores inside this "mall". During the summer months, there are as many as 20,000 visitors in one day here. There are lots of historical photos and artifacts of the area and a huge collection of Western paintings. This store originally became known for offering free ice water to travelers in the 1930s and they still offer it today. They also have 5-cent coffee.