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Published: August 9th 2007
Badlands-13th green?
Sometimes erosion will leave mounds with level tops. One area had a group of several of these. Trim the grass and put in flags, and you would have one very challenging golf course.In Mitchell, SD we went in to town for dinner and to explore the town. I had heard about The Corn Palace and wanted to see it. We were not the only tourists walking around it and taking pictures that evening.
The Corn Palace was built in 1892. Corn is the region’s most important product and the Corn Palace was built to honor it. The murals are redesigned each year and it takes 2,000 bushels of corn and 40 tons of other grains to decorate the murals. I wonder what the murals look like later in the year, as there were birds already trying to gather some of the seeds.
According to some literature on the Corn Palace it is a multi use facility hosting dances, circuses, concerts, basketball games, Polka Festival, rodeo, DakotaFest and the Corn Palace Festival.
The next day as we were driving towards The Badlands the sky was blue, but up ahead, we could see an ominous odd-looking low dark cloud. We commented on not seeing clouds like that back home. As we got closer, we could see sheets of rain falling. Once we got into the rain then the hail started. The road
Clouds
There's a hard rain a-gunna fall. Hail! was covered with hail and the sound of it hitting the roof was deafening. Poor Lizzie who hates all bad weather was insistent that she should have the seat beside me. Unfortunately for Neeko he was already there and Lizzie decided to ignore that fact and lay down on top of him. He kept squirming trying to get rid of her or get comfortable under her weight. Finally, he gave in and moved. The rain and hail didn’t last long and we were soon back to blue sky. It was definitely different weather than we have back in Michigan. We learned that L. Frank Baum lived in South Dakota as a young man. Dakotans feel that it, not Kansas, was the inspiration for the beginning of The Wizard of Oz.
In The Badlands, we camped at the National Park. It was “dry camping” and was only $5 a night with the National Park Senior Pass. We had a great view out our window. We hiked some of the trails and toured the Visitor’s Center. We also drove the roads (not many there) to take in the scenery and take lots of pictures. It’s a very interesting place with a
Corn Palace
Good place for a Bushelball game?
Too corny! unique atmosphere. Early settlers and travelers must have been a very hardy group.
One evening we drove into Wall, SD to see the internationally famous Wall Drugs. I had never heard of it until some of our camping buddies mentioned it. George had been looking forward to seeing it for a long time. They had so many signs along the freeways of South Dakota that the ads became irritating. We got there too late for the $.05 cup of coffee or the free ice water. George was very disappointed.
Now we’re heading for the hills……The Black Hills.
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Phyllis
non-member comment
Badlands beauty
When we visited the Badlands 2 years ago, we couldn't believe a pile of rock could be so beautiful.