Badlands National Park, SD - land of rainbows
Raffi and I are Brattleboro Bound and we’ve enjoyed a couple days of Big Sky Country. Yesterday was all about rainbows, which wasn’t what I typically associate with the Dakotas, but then again, I’d never been there.
In fact, I’ve never road tripped across the country before and I’d always wanted to. I’d long imagined that it would involve stopping at architectural wonders as well as natural ones, plus some kitschy roadside silliness and piecing together alternative narratives to the ones I was taught in history class. (Reading An Indigenous People’s History of the United States this past spring has me looking at the United States in a whole new way!) Unfortunately, since I’m traveling through some of the current Covid-19 hot spots I don’t get to explore museums, historic sites, and other tourist destinations on this cross country trip.
Fortunately, when I asked some friends who have made the trip many times about the route and Covid-safe sites along the way, the responses were unanimous: South Dakota for the Badlands! I stayed at Wasta Cozy Prairie Cottage, a little motel that had been updated for a lodge look. In the morning I cautiously hit up Wall Drug for a maple donut first thing. I figured a little dose of Americana was in order and I am a sucker for a maple donut, so miles of donuts advertisements did me in.
I’m a sucker for all things maple and all things donut, so I couldn’t resist a Wall Drug maple donut!
Then we were off to Badlands National Park. My poor little car, as loaded down as it is, didn’t seem to like the washboard road so I only took the Ridge Rim Road as far as the prairie dog town before turning back to Hiway 240. The wind was whipping at blow-me-over ferocity most of the day, but there was a lull right when I took a picnic break, so I let Raffi out for a little wander, too.
Raffi having a wander at an awesome picnic spot in the Badlands.
The Badlands are one of the most extraordinary geological formations I’ve ever seen and I marveled at the way the land was rippled with rainbows. Photos don’t begin to do it justice. I was bummed I couldn’t hike due to a recent injury, but even popping out viewpoints yielded breathtaking views.
Back on the road I was ready to drive and I was pleasantly surprised that the sky offered up rainbows (three of them!) and an extraordinary sunset, which was its own rainbow.
Rainbow skies after a day of rainbow lands
I made it as far as Sioux Falls. I hadn’t meant to sleep in South Dakota twice, but I knew I didn’t have it in me to get to the next time zone. Unfortunately Sioux Falls was short on short notice adorable accommodations, but I did discover that the Super 8 chain is pet-friendly so Raffi and I hunkered down there for the night. We’ll hit the road early this morning so we make it to Madison, WI in time to teach this week’s session of Yestermorrow’s Tiny House Design Online class.
