Westward Ho

Please check out my blogs from our 2020 Black Hills & Badlands trip for more information on what to do in this area!

With less than 6 hours of travel to reach the Badlands (our first destination) there wasn't any need to rush to get out of the house. Normally we have a whole checklist of things to do when we leave on a trip, but this time our son, his wife and youngest son were arriving later in the afternoon to spend the weekend in our home. They were dropping off their older son at a church camp retreat nearby and would stay until Sunday when they would pick him up and go home. I left a detailed note explaining what all they needed to do when they left (turn off the water, empty the garbage, etc.) This son is very responsible but I still felt the need to do a FaceTime call while we were driving just to make SURE everything was handled correctly.

The change from summer to fall was quite apparent as we drove. The corn and soybean fields were turning from green to gold and fields of sunflowers were now almost unrecognizable. What had been a blanket of yellow flowers was now just dried brown stems. A sure sign of autumn was a truck passing by pulling a trailer loaded with pumpkins.

The first hour or so of our journey was in rain and wind, but eventually the clouds gave way to bluer skies as we drove west. Our lunch of ham and cheese wraps and apple slices was eaten in the car while driving. By the time we reached Chamberlin, SD (about half way across the state) we were ready to stretch our legs and have a potty break. The I-90 rest area is home to the Dignity Statue and sits on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River.

Looking over the Missouri River from the rest area on I-90.

Dignity Statue

After using the restroom, I walked through the large visitor center and picked up some travel brochures for places we might want to visit in the Black Hills. I even found one for the Termesphere Gallery (Check out the next post to see why this was noteworthy!) 

As we got near the Badlands National Park exit, I opened the Gypsy Guide app on my phone (which I had purchased for our trip last year) and it pointed out that we could choose to visit the Minuteman Missile National Site Historical located right at the exit to the Badlands. Maybe some other time, but we decided to pass on this trip.

Just before getting to the park entrance the Gypsy Guide alerted us to the Prairie Homestead and we pulled into the parking lot. An early 1900's sod home and farm buildings were located behind a fence and gift shop. Only one other car was in the lot and we quickly realized that the place was closed. Covid...or seasonal? I'm not sure. But from our side of the fence we could still get a pretty good look.

Notice the prairie dogs running in the yard?

Chicken coop.

This goat looked quite content so he must be cared for even though the attraction was closed.

The folks from the other car had a large container of cheese crackers which they were tossing over the fence to some very eager prairie dogs. From the looks of the chubby critters it wasn't the first time they had been fed! 

This is what a diet of junk food tossed over the fence will do!

A half mile down the road, we entered Badlands National Park. The entry fee was $30 per car for a 7-day pass, but we used our senior national park pass so there was no charge for us. 

Last year our first stop in the Badlands was at the Door Trail. It was close to 100º then so I walked to the end of the short boardwalk and then sat and waited while Bob took off hiking. This year the weather was partly cloudy with a light breeze and temps in the mid-60's...perfect! I pulled out my new trekking poles and this time I went with Bob, all the way to the end of the Door Trail. The word "trail" might be a little misleading however. There were some numbered poles helping guide you in the right direction, but otherwise no specific path to follow. We definitely weren't alone on the trail.

Trekking poles made it easier to walk over the uneven ground.

Amazing how these flowers grow out of the barren rock.

Our next stop was at the Ben Rafael visitor center where we quickly waked through the exhibits. Masks were required (a rule for all federal buildings) and everyone was complying. We did spend enough time in the visitor center so that by the time we came out it was 4 pm...the earliest that we could check into our cabin for the night.

Looking over the Cedar Pass area from above. In the distance is the visitor's center, Cedar Pass Lodge cabins and campground.

Earlier in the day, I called the Cedar Pass Lodge and asked if we could get one of the cabins that had both a front and back porch. The guy I spoke to said those were usually reserved for guests staying more than just one night. I mentioned that we had one last year and enjoyed it so much. After putting me on hold briefly he came back and said he had assigned us one! Yay! 

So why was this important? The cabins on one side of the road only have a front porch that looks out onto...the road and other cabins. Our cabin (which happened to be #111) had a similar front porch, but also a back porch that had a wonderful view of the Badlands. 

Only the cabins on the left side have the back porches.

Front of cabins.

Our cabin had 2 queen sized beds.

A coffee maker, refrigerator & microwave are provided in each cabin.

With the time change from CDT to MDT we were getting hungry by the time we got settled into the cabin. I warmed up some BBQ pulled pork in the microwave and made sandwiches. Salad and our garden tomatoes rounded out the meal with homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert. We sat in the Adirondack chairs on the back porch while we ate enjoying the view of the Badlands...and lots of bunnies! A few deer were also spotted across the field.

Cabins with back porches.

View from the back of our cabin.

Our plan for this trip was to bring most of our food and avoid restaurants. With a little pre-planning, this is not hard to do. However I wanted to mention that there is a restaurant at the Cedar Pass Lodge if you prefer to have someone else do the cooking! Here is the menu:

Bob was itching to get out and explore after dinner so when he took off, I made some coffee and continued to enjoy the solitude of the back porch. About 30 minutes before sunset, I grabbed my camera and walked towards the camp grounds. I noticed a program was going on in the outdoor amphitheater so stopped to check it out. One of the rangers was giving a talk on photography but as I sat there noticing how beautiful the sunlight was during "golden hour" I decided I would rather be taking photos instead of hearing someone talk about taking photos. I was sitting in the back row so quietly left to continue my walk.

The sun made the hills almost glow.

Setting sun, day is done.

Shortly after the sun set, I texted Bob my location and we met up and walked back together. Bob had climbed up one of the tall peaks across the road and got some spectacular views from above. 

This is the path Bob took...all the way to the top peaks.

Bob's view from the top looking back towards the Cedar Pass Lodge.

Bob's photo.

Back at the cabin we grabbed jackets and sat on the porch watching as more and more stars appeared in the dark night sky. Ever so often we would notice satellites as they moved across the sky. 

The guests in the cabin next door arrived while we were outside and in the darkness we heard what sounded like someone running full speed between the cabins and out into the brush. At first I thought "what in the world are they doing?!" but then realized it was a group of deer that had been startled and ran for cover right past us!

Our star viewing was pretty much done when the neighbors flipped on their back porch light (and just left it on!). It was also getting pretty chilly so we went inside, showered and crawled into the comfy bed. Day one done. Tomorrow we finish exploring the Badlands and head further west to the northern Black Hills!