On the Road Again (Looking Back and Ahead)

It was a memorable nine days on the road in October, visiting places such as Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, Devils Tower in Wyoming, Little Bighorn Battlefield in Montana, and Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.

My main regret is that the trip through nine states didn't last longer because there were a few sites I would have enjoyed spending more time, especially the various museums.  

But time was of the essence since one person (my wife) had to return to work. And one person (me) had things to do such as get back to  my work in progress. And we did leave our two doggies, Bailey and Belle, at home so we wanted to get back to see them. And it wasn't a free ride either.

Some reflections:

• We would have liked to see the Lakota museum in Chamberlain, S.D., especially after seeing the majestic 50-foot "Dignity" statue. 
• While in Mitchell, S.D., to see the Corn Palace, we learned that the George S. McGovern museum was located there.
• We arrived in Winterset, Iowa, shortly after 8 a.m. to see the John Wayne Museum, but it didn't open until 10. We had to hit the road.  
• We stayed overnight in Sheridan, Wyo., after visiting Devils Tower. We would have enjoyed spending more time in this cowboy town there but we wanted to stick to our planned itinerary as much as possible. 
• I had heard from others about the brilliant night sky in Wyoming and Montana but we were never in a place to see it. And we're not night owls.
• I was surprised that Wall Drug in South Dakota closed at 6 p.m.; we arrived about 30 minutes after closing. With all the roadside advertising, I thought it might be a 24/7 operation. 
• While in Wyoming, several people said that we should drive another three hours or so west to see Yellowstone National Park. We gave it some thought but decided that you don't pay short visits to Yellowstone; it deserves a few days. And it's on our bucket list along with a few other sites in Montana, Washington, and Oregon that we may travel to in 2017 or 2018 -- but not by car.
• Our timetable was to get to Rapid City, S.D., in two days. It's about 1,000 miles. I figured 600 or so on the first day, then 400 the next day. We did it but it was a big mistake. Too many miles. And you have to factor in lunch, pit stops, etc., so you're on the road longer than initially calculated. It makes for very, very long days. 

We got terrific gas mileage from Mary's Toyota Prius, about 52 mpg over 3,800 miles. And with gas prices down, that was one of the bargains. Traveling during the off season, especially the places around Rapid City, made the trip more enjoyable, unless you prefer big crowds and long lines. Motel rates were less expensive as well. 

Almost forgot...we had a great time seeing other scenic parts of our nation!

Now to start planning our next big adventure in the U.S. That's kinda fun, too.

Until the next time....

On the Road Again (Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Medora in North Dakota

The next stop on our whirlwind trip was Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. 

Welcome sign at South Unit

Roosevelt spent several years in North Dakota as a young man, owning a ranch in the rugged Dakota Badlands. He returned to New York in 1887, but living there left on indelible mark on his life: "I have always said I never would have been President if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota."

For me, spending only a couple days in the (choose one, two or all) Peace Garden,  Flickertail, or Roughrider State, it was a memorable experience.  And yes, I would love to return and explore more of the Dakotas -- North and South.

Badlands marker 

My wife, Mary, and I entered the South Unit of the national park at Medora, taking a driving tour through the Badlands. Then we drove another 70 miles or so to see the North Unit, near Watford City. There is also Elkhorn Ranch Unit, the site of Roosevelt's second ranch, located midway between the North and South Units and inaccessible at times because of unpaved and steep roads (we didn't want to put our Prius through that).

The national park, established in 1947 to honor the great conservationist and 26th president, is fascinating -- the museum in the South Unit Visitor Center, prairie dog "towns," feral horses, bighorn sheep, bison, grasslands, and the colorful canyons. The Little Missouri River winds it way through the units. 

Roundup of  bison

One of the highlights was watching roundup of buffaloes at the North Unit, with park rangers using a helicopter to move the herd. A ranger told me that it's done every four years to trim the population, with the buffaloes later transported to Indian reservations as far away as Oklahoma.

Bighorn sheep

Another interesting sight was seeing bighorn sheep along the side of a hill that a helpful park ranger directed us to before we left the area. For the record, the rangers were talked to at the various national parks on this trip were courteous, friendly and most helpful in providing information and directions. 

Bucking bronco statue

As we left the South Unit on our way to the North Unit, we made a brief visit in the picturesque cowboy town of Medora, home of the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame and the popular Medora Musical. The small town is the hub to many of the activities related to the national park as well as the proud cowboy and Indian heritage that runs so deep in this part of the country. 

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Next stop: Bismarck, North Dakota.

Until the next time....