Okay we're a little behind where we're supposed to be in blogging. We're currently in Utah at Erin's sweet place surrounded by mountains. We'll be heading to Yellowstone/Grand Teton for camping experience number two and three in a bit. Now to recap events from last Friday...
It was really easy to get up the next morning at five to watch the sunrise because we were so cold (and it was so windy it sounded like prairie dogs were bouncing off our tent). We drove over to the badlands overlook on a recommendation from a twenty something working at the visitor center who was clearly too excited to be answering the question. He also recommended bringing a sweatshirt to wear so we could sit outside. Little did he know after sleeping experience we would have more layers on than on onion.
The sunrise was beautiful and can only be described by the pictures. The pictures still don't do the scenery justice. Here we also found out it was the buffalo making the noises Jess described (what I originally thought was a wounded man) because we heard and saw a herd of them below us. We went back to the tent, knowing we wouldn't be able to go back to sleep and packed up camp. With a few squabbles about how to fold up the tent and four tries (see, my fear was justified!), we were ready for a hike. After doing some "easy" and "moderate" hikes we were ready for a "strenuous" course involving a some kind of ladder and recommending sturdy boots.
The ladder just happened to be on a 45 degree incline, and going up it was nerve wracking, but easy. We knew later it might poise a problem. Allie took the lead up the ladder, through the rough terrain, over small ledges and brought us to the viewpoint at the end of the trail. We were so high up it was spectacular! After taking multiple tourist like pictures (and some trying to be artsy but coming out ridiculous) Allie lead us back to the ladder. Jess was probably most nervous to head back down and seriously considered rolling down the rough, rock filled hill ledge instead. It's good we were able to talk her out of doing that (sometimes she likes to jump from high places) and I took the lead down the ladder. Not because I was the bravest but because I knew if I headed down first I wouldn't have to deal with the ladder shaking parts with the steepest incline). As soon as we got back to the ground, (where Allie and Jess both slipped on loose rocks and almost ate it there) I took the lead again because Allie was afraid of a rattlesnake leaping out from the bushes and biting her. Jess wasn't so sure what the big deal was until I told her they were poisonous.
Next we took the scenic route out that would also lead us to the famous Wal-Drug. On route, with Allie driving, we almost got into an accident when Allie swerved to the side of the road and came to a dead stop screaming "PRAIRIE DOGS!" Jess who already was beginning to doze off in the back must have thought we were coming to our demise via driving off a cliff.
Wal-Drug was a giant weird market. We stopped for the 5 cent coffee, where Allie decided she needed 40 oz to drink, because hey, it was 5 cents (as you can see, still being thrifty)! We also got three of the most delicious donuts I've ever eaten.
Our next stop was Mount Rushmore - which is a rip off for parking (the yearly national park pass we bought doesn't cover this fee) but was worth it. This was the most crowded park visited so far. The detail on these statues was amazing. We all felt like Abe's dark, stone eyes were peering into our souls.
Finally we headed out of South Dakota to Denver. The route we took through Wyoming was amazingly boring and full of cattle. We passed the town of Lost Springs, Population: 1. After hours of driving through places like this, we arrived in Denver. Because of a mix up on how we were getting key's to Maeve's old apartment, we were forced to go to dinner in our grimy state after no showers after camping and hiking. Luckily, she directed us to a Mexican place (Maeve knows us so well) where we drank coronas, dos equis and margs to help take the edge of the drive off.
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