Badlands & Mt Rushmore

Tuesday, May 03, 2016
Badlands National Park, South Dakota, United States
We are on our way to Badlands, South Dakota, but not without a stop along the way to the world famous Corn Palace! What, you've never heard of it? We hadn't either, but Tripadvisor lists it as the #1 thing to do in Mitchell, SD. I thought at first Rox had said Porn Palace, so how do you drive by something like that?

The palace was kind of different; on the outside of the palace, there are murals that are built of corn kernels and husks . Currently there's a big one of Willie Nelson and Elvis. Inside is a big auditorium where they have sports activities and concerts, and a small museum depicting the history of the palace. On our way out, we were given a free bag of.... you guessed it.... popcorn!

We get back on the road and head straight for Badlands. We couldn't think of a better time to visit some our nation's beautiful parks than on the National Park Service's 100th birthday. As most of you know, we have seen a lot of the world, but not much of our own country. We have been saving that for when we get older.... which, unfortunately, is getting closer each year. One thing we have noticed in the few states we have visited is that if an area is designated a state or federal park, it's usually worth taking a look at. Badlands is no different; not the most beautiful place in the world, but interesting in it's own way.

We spent the night at Cedar Pass campground inside the park and went for a hike early the next morning . It felt like we were on the moon (until we saw a mule deer run by); the surface is a unique clay/silt like texture. You can look for miles in any direction and see nothing but beautiful plains. After our hike, we drove around the park a little and then headed for one of the highlights of our trip, Mt Rushmore.

We got to MR around 1pm, had a quick bite to eat in the RV, and headed out. The first thing we noticed - it wasn't super crowded, which was great 'cause we could only imagine how busy it could get in the summer time. Now if you are anything like us, Mt Rushmore is something you start learning about in the 4th grade and continues to pop up here and there throughout your life. Everyone has an opinion when they see it in real life - it's either going to be a "WOW" moment, or an "Is that all there is?" moment. And as you walk from the parking lot through the Avenue of Flags (which is beautiful in it's own right), you look up and... there it is! For me, it was just what I expected - absolutely stunning (the same feeling as when I met Rox for the first time) . For Roxanne it was a little different. "Wow, their heads look so small" she said. This is true, because the mountain is so frickin' big. You almost need something up there to give it perspective. I bet if you put a man next to George Washington's face, he would look smaller than a pimple. The more you look at the sculpture, and the more you learn how it was made, the more amazing it becomes. Definitely a must see.

After a couple hours at MR we head over to our home for the night, the KOA Mt Rushmore Campground (with full hook ups no less!) We go to bed early because I'm going on an early morning hike to try to get to the top of Harney Peak (7,242 ft). I was only able to hike for 4 hours round trip because we had to get going for our long drive to Denver. I almost made it to the top and it was a beautiful hike no less. The trail had hundreds of fallen trees across it that had been cut down because of disease and not cleared yet. This made the going quite challenging. Maybe next time.

Well, we are on our way to Central City, Colorado which is just outside the Denver area. We are meeting up with Bob and Deb who picked up their motorhome a few days after us and took a more direct route. Stay tuned

Comments

Franky Waters
2016-05-29

What a great trip. I've never toured the US ... yet I tour the world.

Good for you and continue with your fun. Love the photos. Hugs! F & J

telmish
2016-05-29

Sounds like you had an adventurous trip. The US is a beautiful place to see. Next time, try Canada as you will also be in awe of some of the landscapes here as well. One of the best ways to see it is also in a motor home.

Nikki

2025-02-08

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