Day 9

June 25 (Badlands National Park, SD)

Evelyn and Tilda completed their Lewis and Clark Jr. Ranger packets, delivered their pledge, and earned their first Jr. Ranger badges (of many to come). They both really enjoyed learning about Lewis and Clark and are fascinated with Sacagawea, since there wasn't much information about her here - presumably because they hadn't yet crossed paths at this part in their journey. They learned about the boats they used along the way, and that Lewis and Clark had stopped at this location on their way up the Missouri River. Talk about experiential learning...

After this morning fun, we jumped into the car and drove through some serious wind the entire time west. We got terrible gas milage and the drive was long (over 400 miles), but we stopped a bunch of times and it went really well. One of our first stops was at Watecha Bowl just outside downtown Sioux Falls, SD.

We ate delicious fry-bread Indian tacos, listened to Lakota chanted music, and chatted with some interesting locals.

Cassandra purchased a couple small beaded animals (bear and dragon) that a local was selling - made using what he called the peyote stitch.

I drove all the way into the beautiful and stunning landscape of Badlands National Park. South Dakota is incredibly vast and farmy - it is felt like we were travelling uphill the entire way!

The wind was even stronger in the Badlands, so much so that our big green tent, in which we intended to all sleep for the first time this trip, got bent and beat-up by the wind, and we abandoned tenting for the camper.

It was comically, unrelentingly windy!

We learned very quickly about the inhospitality of the weather in the this place.

After dinner, we went to a Ranger Talk at the amphitheater, where the ranger talked about the Teacher-Ranger-Teacher program. He gave a great talk about the history of the park, the wildlife in the park, and the stars visible from the park. It was a really neat, fancy program (probably the best we attended through the entire trip). We couldn't stay for the entire time because of both the lateness and the coldness. We weren't prepared for the cold night and the kids were ready for some coziness. We headed back to the camper ready and snuggled close for the night. It was tight in there and, for a cold evening, just right.

 The night sky in the Badlands is just breathtaking - so vast, so colorful, and so bright. It was absolutely glorious. There is something absolutely magical and mysterious about this place - I wish we didn't have to leave anytime soon…