There's nothing like it

3/1/2018

I recently added a custom Google map to this site that shows all of the campgrounds in which Nadyne and I have stayed in the last few years (since we bought our first RV). Click on the "Hubers' Travels" link in the header to view it. In adding all the sites, I got to thinking about which would be our favorite place to revisit. Hands down that would be South Dakota. There's just nothing like it.

I had always heard that the Badlands were interesting and unique, but I wasn't prepared for my first sight of it. I added a couple of photos below as examples, but even they don't do it justice. The green grass against and among the stark rock formations was like nothing I've ever experienced.

Besides that spectacle, South Dakota has a variety of scenery and wildlife to see, such as Mount Rushmore, the ongoing work at the Crazy Horse monument, buffalo and prairie dogs in Custer State Park, several caves to explore, and even the tacky but fun drug store spectacle, Wall Drugs.

Crazy Horse seemed like a tourist trap, and we didn't spend much time there. I was able to get some iconic shots of Mount Rushmore from the surrounding area, not needing to pay the fees to enter the national "Memorial" itself for photos. We have a national parks pass, but that didn't apply to this park because evidently it is operated by a private company.

We didn't get to the Black Hills and we would certainly like to spend more than a few hours in the Badlands, so we're looking forward to our return to this scenic state.